Pelvic Floor Massage for Prostatitis and CPPS
Who is the driver and who is the passenger in your recovery from Prostatitis/CPPS?
Well, if you feel that you only ever make progress in the treatment room then your recovery lies in the hands of your healthcare specialist and you are a passenger. If you feel you take the greatest steps towards your recovery away from the treatment room then you are the driver. I prefer my patients to be the driver on their road to recovery. A patient who feels they have a part to play in their recovery is a patient who feels empowered. This is hugely motivational and often the turning point in a patients full recovery. I view myself as a facilitator and educator to my patients and their road to recovery.
Having suffered with pelvic pain and a number of pelvic complications for many years I understand how frustrating progress can be. What helped me the most was having self-care techniques that I could do every single day, in the comfort of my own home. This revolutionised my recovery and transported me to my current healthy, fertile state.
Patients suffering with the following conditions, synonymous with CPPS and Type 3 Non Bacterial Prostatitis may find relief through self-massage of the pelvic floor:
• Pain at the tip of the penis
• Pain in the shaft of the penis
• Pain in the bladder
• Pain in the urethra
• Pain in the perineum
• A fullness in the prostate
• Post bowel movement pain and discomfort
• A golf ball in the rectum sensation
There are a number of trigger points located within the pelvic floor that, when released can provide relief from the above symptoms. A trigger point can be described as a hyper irritable, tight band of muscle fibre or fascia that when pressed on produces a predictable referral pattern. The TheraWand is a self-massage tool, specifically designed for massaging the muscles in and around the pelvic floor. Its ergonomic design allows the patient to comfortably treat his own pelvic floor away from the treatment room.
Self massage is integral to the self care programmes I give to my patients. Self massage works for a number of different reasons.
1. It connects a patient with an area that they have typically become disassociated with, whether this be the abdomen, the perineum or the pelvic floor muscles. We can become disassociated with areas of our body that have experienced pain for any lengthy period of time. Patients often describe these areas as “not being theirs” or “that part of my body.” Even asking patients to do simple pelvic movements I hear “I don’t know if I can find that part of my body.” Self-massage reconnects us to those areas. Providing our brains with new and vital information about these “abstract” areas of our body
2. It promotes haemodynamic’s, which essentially means blood flow. This process in itself has numerous benefits to areas effected by pain. Including reducing stagnation through inactivity or sitting too long, which can change the blood PH (or acidity) level. Increasing oxygen levels (which can also change blood PH levels). It also helps to bathe the tissues with nutrients and nourishment from the increased blood flow.
3. Massage has been found to reduce the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) whilst increasing levels of dopamine and serotonin (neurotransmitters necessary for a stable mood, reduced irritability and healthy immune system). A 2008 study by Li et al found that psychological obstacles like depression and anxiety play an important role in the pathogenesis, prognosis and development of CPPS.
Self-massage empowers a patient by allowing them to take steps toward their recovery. It reduces the feeling of helplessness often associated with chronic conditions. Providing patients with simple, yet effective self care techniques should be at the centre of all heath care specialist’s practices.
Here is the link to a short instructional video on how to use the TheraWand to relax and treat pelvic floor muscles in patients with CPPS and Type 3, Non Bacterial Prostatitis – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oTjMgM2SLo
Take control of your condition, take control of your life. Feel empowered and know that you drive your recovery. By taking small steps every day you move closer and closer to a life without pain.
Karl Monahan
Pelvic Pain Therapist