Bladder problems
Stress urinary incontinence is leakage during activities such as coughing, laughing, sneezing or sports. Urinary urgency/urinary urge incontinence is a sudden feeling that you need to rush to the toilet that may also result in leakage. Post-micturition dribble is leakage of a few drops of urine after you have finished passing urine.
Prostatectomy is the most common cause of bladder leakage in men. Thankfully there is a lot you can do to help.
What can I do about it?
- Find out about your pelvic floor muscles and how to strengthen them by reading the NHS Fife Male PFE leaflet and the POGP Pelvic Floor Exercises Leaflet For Men.
- Watch these helpful videos Pelvic Floor Exercise Cue For Men and How To Do Pelvic Floor Exercises (called Kegels in this video). We don’t recommend doing the mid stream stop as an exercise, ONLY as a test and no more than once per week.
- There are a number of pelvic floor training apps that you can download for free or you can purchase the NHS Squeezy App for Men for a small fee which is a useful visual tool and exercise reminder.
- Follow the advice in this leaflet to ensure healthy bladder habits POGP Promoting Continence.
Bowel problems
Bowel or anal incontinence is accidental leakage of faeces from the bowel, or difficulty in controlling wind.
We have a section on bowel problems.
Sexual problems
Erectile dysfunction is not being able to gain or maintain an erection. Premature ejaculation is ejaculation during sexual activity sooner than you or your partner would like. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that pelvic floor exercises can help with sexual problems. Try the advice in the bladder problems section for help with finding your pelvic floor muscles and getting started with the exercises.
Pelvic pain
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Chronic Prostatitis or Chronic Urogenital Pain Syndrome are all terms used to describe male pelvic pain. The pain can be felt in the low back, buttocks, coccyx (tailbone), hip, groin, abdomen, penis or scrotum. Once muscles and nerves in the pelvis start behaving abnormally, other organs can develop problems too. You may also have a problem with your bladder, bowel or sexual function. Chronic pain can lead to social withdrawal, loss of self-esteem, behavioural or emotional changes, anxiety or depression.
What can I do about it?
- It is important that you learn how to manage your pain.
- The Pain Toolkit is a really useful and easy to read booklet.
- Watch the Why Things Hurt video by Lorimer Moseley, a physiotherapist and pain scientist.
- Read this blog and watch the video about Male Pelvic Pain.
- The Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia has lots of useful information about the causes of male pelvic pain, how to relax you pelvic floor muscles and self-help strategies.
- Read the information and watch the video about Pelvic Floor Relaxation For Men.
- Read the NHS Fife leaflet on Overactive Pelvic Floor Muscles.
- Read this NHS information page about Why Sex Hurts.
Coccydynia
Coccydynia is pain that is felt over the coccyx (the tailbone that sits at the very bottom of the spine). The coccyx can become painful due to a fall, repetitive strain or surgery. It is usually worse when sitting, having a bowel movement or during sexual intercourse.
What can I do about it?
Read the NHS Fife Coccyx Pain Leaflet.
