Erectile dysfunction, can PT really help?

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also know as impotence, is a condition when a man cannot get an erection or a strong erection when he wants to and this happens consistently over time. ED can happen to men of any age, however it is more likely to effect men who are older.

Before I go any further, I would like to say that when I went to the good old (really new) Chat GPT to see what it had to say about ED and to see if there was any mention about pelvic floor PT being a treatment, it said…nothing. NOTHING! No mention whatsoever of pelvic floor PT helping ED.

Our experience at Insight Pelvic Health is that is DOES help with ED. We make sure to go over lifestyle choices with our patients, and if we find there is a psychological or emotional reason causing the ED, then pelvic floor PT is not going to be the answer. However, all of our patients who have come to us to help with ED due to physical causes have had great results!

Let’s first address what causes ED.

There are several reasons why ED happens. Physical conditions, psychological factors, and lifestyle choices are some of the main contributing factors. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help ED when it is caused from a physical condition, so we are going to focus on those and the treatment for them in this post.

Vascular issues

Vascular issues are the easiest to address with pelvic floor physical therapy. Vascular issues happen when there is not enough blood flow to the penis causing an erection to be difficulty to obtain or keep. Some people have reported this happening to them after having Covid. This is thought to be because Covid can effect the lining of the veins and arteries, thus playing a role in ED.

In pelvic floor physical therapy, we assess the muscles of the pelvic floor. In our patients who experience erectile dysfunction, most of the time what we find is that the muscles are either weak, tight, or both. We can work on the pelvic floor muscles to get them to relax down and then we give exercises to increase the muscle strength to help bring and keep blood flow to the penis. This is also true following Covid.

Neurological issues

Neurological issues happen if the nerves to the pelvis or specifically the penis are not functioning properly. This can happen from certain conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s, or it can happen over time.

One way to tell if ED is caused from something going on with the nerves is to be mindful if you wake up with an erection. This is also known as morning wood. A morning erection is a result of a reflex, something you have absolutely no control over.

If your nerves are firing properly, then you will wake up with an erection most mornings. If you don’t wake up with an erection, it could indicate that your nerves are not able to get the signal from your spine to your penis, thus causing ED.

The reason you are not experiencing a morning erection can have many causes. A cause that we can help with in physical therapy is the nerve not being able to move properly to get the signals to the penis.

A nerve should be able to slide and glide in your body, just like a piece of floss moving back and forth between your teeth. If a joint or muscle isn’t moving well, it can cause the nerve to also not move very well and in turn, it isn’t able to send the signals it needs to send.

Our job, as doctors of physical therapy, is to look at your entire body and see if your ED is caused from a nerve not being able to move as well as it should. If this is the case, we will give you exercises to help get the nerve or nerves moving better to decrease the ED.

Injury or surgery

Injury or surgery to the pelvis, hips, spine, ankles, knees, and feet can all play a role on ED. Yes, iteven the muscles and nerves of the feet can be involved! As doctors of physical therapy, we are trained to look at your past medical history to help determine if that is playing a role on your current symptoms. We can help work out old scar tissue or injuries to allow the muscles, nerves, arteries, and veins to work the way they need to work in your pelvis for a strong erection.

So can pelvic floor PT help?

In conclusion, pelvic floor physical therapy can absolutely help if you are experiencing erectile dysfunction. A typical session is filled with a lot of education on things you can do at home to help your progress. We will do an assessment of your spine, feet, hips, and pelvis. We will evaluate your nerves and we will also assess your pelvic floor muscles to see if they are strong, are able to relax, and have good coordination.

If you have any questions about whether pelvic floor therapy can help you, please give us a call: 970-541-9667.