It’s already the end of June and I want to celebrate. Summer weather is finally here, the Royals are in first place, and it’s Men’s Health Month. On Father’s Day, many of the ballparks handed out blue t-shirts, the players wore blue arm bands, and blue bats in support of prostate cancer awareness. What a great way to support our men! One of the side effects of a prostatectomy is urinary incontinence. Recovery from urinary leaking without treatment can take 2 years. So what happens if you don’t want to wait 2 years to not wear pads, or leak with every day activities?There is a strong body of research that shows that pelvic floor physical therapy can make a huge difference in decreasing urinary leaking in a much timelier manner. 88% of men who participated in pelvic floor physical therapy did not have leaking 3 months after starting. Compare this to the 44% who were still leaking in the group that did not receive treatment. That’s a huge difference! And in only 3 months compared to 2 years of just waiting.
Most physicians are telling their patients to do Kegels after surgery, which is fantastic and a great step in the road to recovery. However, if you are still having leaking after a couple of weeks of Kegels, an evaluation with a pelvic floor therapist is in order. When doing Kegels, you are strengthening one set of muscles—the group that forms the bottom of the pelvic floor bowl. There are many more muscles that go into decreasing urinary leaking and supporting your bladder, though. A good exercise program with deep core and hip strengthening is also vital to help the whole pelvic floor team work efficiently together. One group of muscles cannot support the whole team. It would be like the catcher on the baseball team trying to pitch, catch and field all by himself. No player is that good!
So, if you are experiencing urinary leaking after prostate surgery, please, please, support your pelvic floor team! Pelvic floor therapists can coach you to success and help to improve your leaking symptoms, in a lot less than 2 years! Happy summer! Happy Men’s Health Month! And Go Royals!
Disclaimer:
This blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and reflects the professional perspective of licensed physical therapists. It is not intended to replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms discussed, please consult a qualified healthcare professional who can evaluate your specific needs and recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
About the Author
Jennifer Cumming
About Jennifer
Jennifer completed her master’s degree in physical therapy in 2001 at Des Moines University. There she developed excellent orthopedic and manual skills, including muscle energy technique and myofascial release.
Jennifer began taking pelvic floor courses and treating pelvic floor diagnoses in 2004 while working at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. While at RIC, she was nominated for the Magnuson Award for outstanding leadership in 2007. She developed the pelvic floor program at Norwegian American Hospital, a community hospital in Chicago.
After moving to Kansas City, Jennifer joined the oncology and pelvic floor rehab teams at the University of Kansas Hospital. There, she helped to grow the pelvic floor and oncology rehab programs. Jennifer founded Foundational Concepts, Specialty Physical Therapy in 2013 to focus on pelvic floor physical therapy.
Jennifer completed the Herman and Wallace pelvic floor series. She completed the Certified Lymphedema Therapist certification in 2011 through the Klose School. She sat for and passed the Women’s Health Certified Specialist board exam in 2015.
Jennifer is active in the APTA professional organization and served on the Women’s Health Specialty Council and as Council chair in 2022. She is board certified in women’s health specialty physical therapy and holds a certification in lymphedema therapy. She also has specialty training in assessment and treatment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ dysfunction) and the integrative systems model. She is an adjunct professor at Rockhurst Physical Therapy program and is clinical faculty for resident education for HCA Midwest gynecology and KU internal medicine residents. She has presented at Combined Sections, American Urology Association, and Urology Association of Physician Assistants.
Jennifer Cumming is Board Certified in Pelvic and Women’s Health Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. View Certification No. 46353
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