Have you ever been diagnosed with prostatitis and given rounds of antibiotics? Are you still not feeling relief from your symptoms? That is something that I see far too much as a pelvic floor therapist. I have had countless men with symptoms of prostatitis that have been given round after round of antibiotics with no or temporary relief of their symptoms.
What many people don't know is that pelvic floor dysfunction or pelvic pain syndrome can mimic prostatitis symptoms in men.
Some of those symptoms that may have pushed you to see your urologist are:
Penile/scrotal/perineal pain
Urination urgency or frequency
Hesitancy or painful urination
Sexual dysfunction such as pain with ejaculation, arousal or intercourse
Painful bowel movements or post bowel movement pain in the genital or perineal region (may report the feeling of "sitting on a hard rock or golf ball)
Tailbone, groin or hip pain
My first suggestion is to get a culture. This will determine whether or not the inflammation is due to an infection or something else. If your culture comes back positive, it's probably more suited to your urologist. BUT if your culture comes back negative, you may want to seek a pelvic floor therapist to help with your symptoms.
Pelvic floor therapists can help assess muscle tension in the pelvic floor region which may cause referring pain or symptoms mentioned above. There are many exercises and manual techniques available to pelvic floor therapists that can help alleviate symptoms.
If you've been struggling with symptoms of chronic prostatitis, I highly recommend seeking out potential alternative causes and solutions. There are many resources available to men with pelvic pain!
Heal smarter, not harder,
Dr. Yvonne Huang