Where Is the Male Pelvic Floor?
Learn about the Male Pelvic Floor and its affects on your health!
The male pelvic floor often gets overlooked. It's not something most men think about until they’re dealing with symptoms like pain, urinary issues, or sexual dysfunction. Male pelvic floor dysfunction is actually more common than you think, and it affects everything from posture to performance in the bedroom. In fact, chronic pelvic pain affects up to 15% of men at some point in their lives. That's huge! And yet, most men don’t even know what their pelvic floor is, let alone how important it is to their overall health.
Let’s break that down in simple terms. Your pelvic floor is like the foundation of a house. If that foundation is shaky, everything above it—your posture, your core stability, your sexual function—starts to crumble. This isn't just about a “floor”; it’s about the entire pelvic structure. And while men often don't seek help until things get serious, understanding how to maintain a healthy pelvic floor can be a game-changer for your long term health and well-being. Let’s dive into what the male pelvic floor is, what dysfunction looks like, and how we treat it.
What Is the Male Pelvic Floor?
In many ways, the male pelvic floor is structurally the same as the female pelvic floor. It’s the group of muscles at the base of your pelvis, located between your hips, spine, and the area around the penis and anus. Think of your pelvis like a bowl. The bottom of the bowl is your pelvic floor, and it supports important functions like bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and core stability.
Side View of the Male Pelvic Floor
Side view of the male pelvic floor, illustrating the relationship between the bladder, prostate, rectum, and key structures like the urethra and spongy tissue of the penis- corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum.
But here’s something crucial: the pelvic floor doesn't exist in isolation. It’s connected to everything. The sides of the pelvis, your hips, and your spine all play a role in supporting this “floor.” Pelvic floor therapy should really be called pelvis therapy—because it’s about treating the whole structure, not just the muscles at the bottom.
Bottom / Top View of the Male Pelvic Floor
Detailed anatomy of the male pelvic floor, highlighting key muscles such as the bulbospongiosus, ischiocavernosus, and the levator ani. Understanding these muscles is essential for addressing pelvic floor dysfunction in men.
Symptoms of Male Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Male pelvic floor dysfunction can sneak up on you. It’s not always obvious right away, and it doesn’t just manifest in one form. Here are some common symptoms that could indicate a problem:
Urinary incontinence: Leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, or exert pressure.
Fecal incontinence: Difficulty controlling bowel movements.
Penis pain: Discomfort that may feel sharp, burning, pressure or achy.
Chronic prostatitis: A condition that often feels like a frequent UTI, urinary urgency or frequency, bladder pain, or genital discomfort.
Scrotal pain: Constant or occasional discomfort in the scrotum.
Erectile dysfunction: Struggling to maintain an erection, premature ejaculation, or experiencing pain during sex.
Hard flaccid: A condition where the penis feels firm while flaccid.
Lower back or hip pain: Chronic pain that won’t go away, even after typical treatments.
Sexual dysfunction: Difficulty with performance, satisfaction, or pain during sex.
The challenge? Many men don’t associate these symptoms with their pelvic floor. But addressing the dysfunction early can prevent it from snowballing into more serious problems.
Signs You Might Have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Some signs of pelvic floor dysfunction are obvious, but others are easy to miss. You might notice subtle shifts in how your body feels, but not connect the dots until years later. Here are the signs you should be on the lookout for:
Posture changes: If you’ve noticed you’re tighter in certain areas like your hips or back, it can influence your pelvic floor muscle function.
Chronic pain in the hips or lower back: These areas are directly connected to the pelvic floor and can be a key sign something is off.
Pain with sitting: This could be a sign that your pelvic floor muscles are on the tighter side, or that a pelvic nerve is irritated.
Abdominal weakness: Difficulty with engaging your abdomen with exercises or noticing abdominal doming or protrusion with sitting up.
The truth is, if you’ve been seeing multiple specialists for chronic pain without a clear solution, pelvic floor dysfunction could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
How Is Male Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Treated?
Most men don’t seek treatment until the problem becomes severe. This often means sexual dysfunction or chronic pain that disrupts daily life. But by this point, treatment typically requires comprehensive intervention, including internal manual therapy. Yes, this can sound intimidating, but it’s an effective approach to release tight muscles and retrain these muscles’ function.
Here’s what a typical treatment plan might involve:
Behavior and lifestyle modification: Adjusting habits that contribute to dysfunction, like posture, bowel and bladder retraining, or stress management.
Nervous system retraing: Focusing on the connection between the nervous system and your pelvic floor muscles to relax the pelvis from a top down approach.
Functional movement assessments: Evaluating how you move to identify imbalances that contribute to dysfunction.
Breathing exercises: Training your diaphragm and pelvic floor to work together, which is key for core stability and function.
Internal manual work: This involves accessing the pelvic floor through the rectum to manually release tension and restore mobility.
The goal? To stabilize the pelvis, correct movement patterns, and get you back to feeling like yourself again.
Final Thoughts
Male pelvic floor dysfunction is more than just a pelvic problem—it’s a whole-body issue. If you’re dealing with symptoms like chronic pain, urinary or sexual issues, it’s time to take it seriously. Don’t wait until things get worse. Pelvic health is integral to your overall well-being, and addressing dysfunction early can help you avoid long-term complications. Find a Male Pelvic PT in your area.
At Chicago Pelvic Health, we specialize in treating male pelvic floor dysfunction with a comprehensive, full-body approach. From lifestyle modifications to targeted manual therapy, we’re here to help you reclaim your health. Don’t wait for the dysfunction to take over—contact us today and take the first step toward recovery.
Written By,
Dr. Jana Richardson, PT, DPT, WCS, PRPC, CIDN
Dual Board Certified Pelvic Floor Therapist and Owner of Chicago Pelvic Health
Dr. Jana Richardson is a highly accomplished pelvic floor therapist with dual board certifications and extensive experience in treating complex pelvic floor dysfunctions. As the owner of Chicago Pelvic Health, Dr. Richardson is dedicated to providing personalized and effective care for her patients. With a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and specialized certifications in Women’s Health and Pelvic Rehabilitation, Dr. Richardson is a leading expert in her field. She is also certified in Integrative Dry Needling, further enhancing her ability to offer comprehensive treatment plans. Dr. Richardson’s commitment to patient-centered care and her passion for helping individuals achieve optimal pelvic health make her an invaluable asset to the community.
