Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in South African men. One in seven men will be diagnosed with this disease. When it is detected early, the survival rates are high. However, the complication from the treatment can be extremely disabling for men and significantly affect their quality of life.
Treatment for Prostate Cancer
Treatment for Prostate Cancer may include watchful waiting, surgery to remove the prostate (radical prostatectomy) or radiation to the prostate. With a more progressed cancer, chemotherapy and hormone therapy may be included. These treatments affect the pelvic floor muscles. Compromised pelvic floor function can lead to pain, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. A physiotherapist who has done further training in Men’s Pelvic Health can help to manage these complications.
After a radical prostatectomy, 98 to 100% of men will experience incontinence and impotence. While most men will regain bladder control, only 30% will recover from erectile dysfunction. The pelvic floor muscles play an important role in sexual activity and pelvic physiotherapy rehabilitation has proven successful in treating sexual dysfunction.
How can Physiotherapy help?
Pelvic floor exercises are not as easy as one would think. Diagnostic ultrasound is a useful, non-invasive tool to assess the pelvic floor muscle function in men. This enables the physiotherapist to teach the correct way to exercise the pelvic floor.
A Men’s Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will do an in-depth evaluation with every patient to create an individualized management plan. Pelvic rehabilitation is cost-effective, non-invasive and straight forward.
Remember not all Physiotherapists have training in Men’s Pelvic Health, make sure your physiotherapist has the correct training and equipment.
By Pierre Röscher, MPhysT UKZN, BSc Physio Wits, Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Centre