Men's Health
Men’s Health In Goulburn
Men's Health
Our therapists understand that men have specific health care needs throughout their lives. We can help men with specific health issues, such as osteoarthritis and associated pain and lack of mobility, osteoporosis (reduced bone mineral density) and associated fractures and/or falls, and strengthening and weight/muscle gain for sports.
Both Karen and Tim are trained in the assessment and treatment of specific men’s health concerns, such as overactive bladder, urinary and faecal incontinence, post prostatectomy penile and pelvic floor rehabilitation and pelvic pain.
Prostate Surgery Treatment
The prostate is a mix of muscle and gland tissue that controls the opening of the bladder and plays a role during ejaculation. When the prostate gland is removed in surgery, a man will lose the involuntary control of the flow of urine from the bladder, thus relying solely on the pelvic floor muscles for voluntary control of urine leakage. This involuntary loss of control is what we call incontinence.
Our physiotherapists can help you strengthen your pelvic floor to improve control over your bladder. Exercises are ideally started before surgery but they usually help bladder control if started after surgery. Our physiotherapists can help you with your prostatectomy recovery prior to your operation by helping you to locate and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, improve your physical fitness and help to manage your weight.
Incontinence
- Stress Incontinence – occurs when the pelvic floor muscles, which control the passing of urine, do not work well enough to limit leakage. Triggers may include coughing, sneezing, laughing, shouting, lifting, bending, walking or standing from a chair.
- Urge Incontinence – a sudden & strong need to urinate. Urge incontinence may occur as a result of constipation, an enlarged prostate gland or simply the result of a long history of poor bladder habits.
- Incontinence Associated with Chronic Retention – when the bladder is unable to empty properly & frequent leakage of small amounts of urine occurs as a result.
- Functional Incontinence – physical, intellectual or environmental issues that can be a contributing cause of incontinence in a person with normal bladder function.
We conduct a thorough assessment which will take into account your medical history and current health including, diet and fluid intake, exercise levels and mobility, all the medicines you are currently taking and any other factors that could affect bladder and bowel function. Our physiotherapists can guide you in the best ways to strengthen your pelvic floor, reduce undue strain on the pelvic floor muscles and provide you with advice to improve your diet.
Most men regain their bladder control over time and are fully recovered within 6 to 12 months. Until such time, good pelvic floor training and the education on use of continence aids can be very important in regaining function.
Pelvic Pain
Men of all ages need to have strong pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor muscles can be made weaker by:
- Surgery for bladder or bowel problems;
- Constipation;
- Being overweight;
- Heavy lifting;
- Coughing that goes on for a long time (such as smoker's cough, bronchitis or asthma); or not being fit.
- Men with stress incontinence – that is, men who wet themselves when they cough, sneeze or are active – will find pelvic floor muscle training can help in getting over this problem.
Pelvic floor muscle training may also be of use for men who have an urgent need to pass urine more often this is called urge incontinence.
Men who have problems with bowel control may find pelvic floor muscle training useful to assist the muscle that closes the back passage. This muscle is one of the pelvic floor muscles.
