Men Have Pelvic Floors Too: Why More Men in the UAE Are Seeing a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist

When you hear the term pelvic floor, what comes to mind?

For many people, it's pregnancy, childbirth, or women's pelvic health. But here's something that surprises many of our patients: Men have pelvic floors too, and yes we can help (in many cases). 

In fact, these muscles play an essential role in bladder and bowel control, sexual function, core stability, and overall quality of life. Yet despite this, many men in the UAE are unaware that pelvic health physiotherapy exists, or that it can help with symptoms they've been quietly living with for months or even years.

What is the male pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that sit like a hammock at the base of the pelvis. These muscles support the bladder and bowel, help control continence, contribute to sexual function, and work together with the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and back muscles to provide core stability. Like any other muscle in the body, the pelvic floor can become weak, overactive, painful, or poorly coordinated.

What conditions can a pelvic health physiotherapist help treat?

Pelvic health physiotherapy is much more than pelvic floor exercises. A comprehensive assessment allows us to identify the underlying contributors of symptoms and create an individualised treatment plan. Men can experience:

·       Urinary leakage

·       Frequent urination or urgency

·       Waking multiple times overnight to urinate

·       Difficulty emptying the bladder

·       Constipation or difficulty emptying the bowels

·       Pelvic, groin, or testicular pain

·       Urine leakage following prostate surgery

Why do so many men wait to seek help?

For many men, pelvic health simply isn't something that's talked about. Symptoms are often dismissed as 'I'm just getting older', 'It must be my prostate', or 'This is just part of life.' Others may feel embarrassed or assume nothing can be done. The reality is that while these symptoms are common, they are not always normal, and they shouldn't be ignored.

What happens during a pelvic health assessment?

A pelvic health assessment begins with a detailed discussion about your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, exercise, bladder and bowel habits, and your goals.

Depending on your symptoms, your physiotherapist may also assess your posture and movement, hips, lower back and abdominal muscles, breathing and pressure management, core strength, and pelvic floor muscle function.

A non-invasive assessment of pelvic floor function can be done via a real time ultrasound, which is a type of biofeedback, where the ultrasound probe is placed either on the lower abdominal region or on the external perineum.

An internal assessment of the pelvic floor muscles is also possible. However, not every individual requires an internal examination. If an internal assessment is recommended, your physiotherapist will explain why, discuss your options, obtain your consent, and ensure you feel comfortable throughout the process.

Why awareness matters in the UAE

Awareness of men's pelvic health is growing worldwide, but many men in the UAE still don't realise pelvic health physiotherapy is available. As conversations around men's health become more open, we're seeing more men seek support for bladder, bowel, pelvic pain, and post-prostate surgery recovery.

When should you seek help?

Consider booking an assessment if you experience urinary leakage, urgency or frequency, constipation or excessive straining, pelvic, groin, penile or testicular pain, or undesirable symptoms after prostate surgery. It is advisable to first talk to your general practitioner, who may also ask you to seek advice from a specialist in this area such as urologist to have any necessary testing performed prior to your physiotherapy referral.

The Bottom Line

Pelvic health isn't just for women. Men have pelvic floor muscles too, and just like any other muscle in the body, these muscles deserve attention when they're not functioning well. If you're experiencing bladder, bowel, pelvic pain, or post-prostate surgery concerns, know that you're not alone and that help is available. Starting the conversation could be the first step towards improving your health, confidence, and quality of life.