One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. It is estimated that in 2023 alone, 288,300 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (1). There are several different treatment options for the treatment of prostate cancer that each patient needs to individually discuss with his own urologist and care team. With many of the treatment options, many men will experience side effects following the procedure. General fatigue, muscle weakness, sexual dysfunction and urinary and fecal incontinence can be common side effects of treatment. Unfortunately, most men will not be offered pelvic health physical therapy as an option for treatment.

The one of the most concerning issues affecting men following prostate cancer treatment, especially prostatectomy procedures (surgical removal of the prostate), is urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine during movement, sleeping, exercise, position changes, etc. There are simple strategies that physical therapists can utilize to speed the recovery of incontinence for men following prostate cancer surgery.

  1. Pelvic floor muscle strengthening: strengthening the pelvic floor muscles after prostatectomy surgery has been shown to improve quality of life and speed recovery of continence. Men who performed exercises prior to surgery improved more quickly.
  2. Movement Retraining: changing how movement is performed to reduce the risk for incontinence episodes
  3. Pressure Management: helping to manage the pressure on the pelvic and bladder region to reduce incontinence episodes
  4. Education: information about optimal bowel and bladder habits, sleep, stress, exercise and hydration management

Men can absolutely benefit from physical therapy before and after a prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. It can be a cost-effective and simple process for patients to speed the recovery of their urinary continence. Research shows that men who participate in physical therapy before and after prostate cancer treatment recover their continence more quickly.

If you would like more information about men’s pelvic health, please contact Matthew Johnston PT, DPT, OCS at matthew@setptusa.com. Or click here to request an appointment with one of our pelvic health physical therapists!

  1. Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer: Prostate Cancer Facts;  https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
  2. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2023. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2023.