Penile Rehabilitation After Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prepare before surgery. Recover with confidence. Get back to the activities and intimacy that matter to you. Servicing areas around Delray Beach.
A prostate cancer diagnosis can come with a lot of uncertainty—not just about cancer treatment, but about what life will look like afterward.
At Restore Pelvic Health & Rehab, we work with men before and after prostatectomy and with men experiencing pelvic health changes following radiation therapy. Our goal is to give you the information, strategies, and individualized care you need to approach treatment feeling prepared—and recovery feeling manageable
Why Start Pelvic Floor Therapy Before Prostate Surgery?
One of the most valuable times to begin pelvic floor therapy is before your prostatectomy.
Pre-operative pelvic floor therapy gives you the opportunity to learn what to expect before you are recovering from surgery. Rather than trying to figure everything out while you're healing, you'll already understand how to use your pelvic floor, what changes are normal, and what you can do to support your recovery.
Before surgery, we can:
Evaluate your pelvic floor and surrounding muscles
Teach you how to appropriately contract and relax your pelvic floor
Help you understand how your pelvic floor contributes to urinary control
Establish a baseline of your urinary and sexual function
Discuss what you can expect during the early stages of recovery
Prepare you returning home after surgery
Teach you strategies for managing urinary leakage
Answer questions you may not have thought to ask your surgeon
The goal is confidence.
You will already know what your pelvic floor should feel like, how to perform your exercises correctly, and what to expect when you return home. Instead of thinking, “Is this normal?” or “Am I doing this right?”, you'll have a plan.
Penile Rehab & Pelvic Floor Therapy After Prostatectomy
After a prostatectomy, your body has undergone a significant change. The muscles and tissues involved in bladder control and sexual function are adapting to that change. Recovery is about learning how your new anatomy functions and gradually restoring control, strength, coordination, circulation, mobility, and confidence.
Bladder Leakage
Urinary leakage is common after prostatectomy, particularly when returning to standing, walking, coughing, lifting, or other activities.
Pelvic floor therapy can help you learn:
How to appropriately activate your pelvic floor and also how to relax it
When to use your pelvic floor during daily activities
How to coordinate your pelvic floor with your breathing and core
How to gradually return to exercise and physical activity
Strategies for managing urinary urgency and frequency when appropriate
How to progress your pelvic floor function as your continence improves
Erectile Dysfunction & Penile Rehabilitation
Penile rehabilitation is about proactively supporting sexual function rather than simply waiting to see what happens.
Pelvic floor therapy is part of a comprehensive penile rehabilitation program and can address factors such as:
Pelvic floor muscle function
Preserving penile length
Blood flow and circulation
Muscle coordination
Pelvic and hip mobility
Sexual function and confidence
Strategies to support erectile function
Return to sexual activity
What About Radiation Therapy?
Radiation therapy for prostate cancer can also affect urinary, bowel, pelvic, and sexual function. If you're undergoing radiation therapy, pelvic floor therapy can help you understand your symptoms and develop strategies to maintain function throughout treatment and recovery.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can help address symptoms such as:
Urinary urgency or frequency
Urinary leakage
Difficulty controlling urine
Pelvic discomfort or pain
Bowel changes
Erectile dysfunction or other changes in sexual function
You Don't Have to Figure Out Recovery on Your Own.
Prostate cancer treatment can feel like a very medical experience—and understandably so. But your quality of life after treatment matters, too.
Being able to exercise.
Being able to control your bladder.
Being able to have sex.
Feeling comfortable and confident in your body.
These are important parts of recovery. Pelvic floor physical therapy can give you a proactive approach to protecting and restoring these functions.
Testimonials
FAQs
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Don't wait until after surgery to start thinking about rehabilitation - Even 1 visit before surgery can give you an opportunity to learn how your pelvic floor works, establish a baseline, prepare for the immediate post-operative period, and understand what to expect once you return home.
For those who cannot attend pre-surgery, we suggest starting pelvic floor therapy 2 weeks after and once the catheter has been removed.
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Each appointment is 1:1 with the same therapist. Generally, visits will include a combination of manual therapy, neuromuscular re-education, therapeutic exercise, and crafting a supplemental home program to be followed between visits. If you’re undergoing surgery, our assessment and treatment approach will be aligned with your surgical precautions/restrictions, to ensure proper healing.
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Yes! Our therapist has had extensive training in male pelvic health and has years of experience working with men of all ages.
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Yes. The pelvic floor muscles are responsible for sexual function, as well as bladder/bowel function. Therefore, it’s very common to experience sexual issues when you have pelvic floor dysfunction.
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We perform various type of exams, such as orthopedic evaluations, external pelvic floor evaluations, internal pelvic exams, and genital exams, depending on the person we are working with and their symptoms. We ensure that only the area we’re evaluating is exposed at that time and make every effort to maintain your modesty. You’ll never be required to participate in any exam you’re not comfortable with. Your evaluation, including pelvic exam options, will be individualized based on your treatment & surgical history.
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While each person and situation is unique, our patients generally start to see improvements within the first three visits.
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After doing a thorough evaluation and discussing your history, we can give you a general idea of an estimated timeline. Each person is different and we pride ourselves on individualizing treatments. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to estimate a number of visits ahead of time. Most patients who are consistent with therapy are able to complete their care within 3-6 months, but those with a long history of complex symptoms may require a longer duration.
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It’s completely normal to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed when starting pelvic floor therapy. Our therapist understands this and will work to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible while in our office.
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Anything you’re comfortable moving in! We have gowns to change into, as needed.
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No! Florida is a direct access state for physical therapy, meaning you can access care right away without having to wait to see your doctor first. After your first visit, we will create a Plan of Care and send this to the medical provider overseeing your care, to keep them updated on your treatment.
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Restore Pelvic Health & Rehab is an out-of-network practice which allows us to provide superior care that focuses on exactly what you need without being limited by insurance reimbursement or arbitrary rules. This model often saves patients money and time with transparent pricing and individualized treatments. Many of our patients are able to get their therapy covered by submitting our superbill to their insurance company for direct reimbursement with their out-of-network benefits.
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