Chronic Testicular Pain and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Patients with chronic prostatitis sometimes complain of testicular pain, but these can be seen independently of prostatitis. Among the clinical features seen with testicular pain is pelvic floor dysfunction.
Other than analgesic medications, among the treatments for testicular pain are antibiotics and invasive denerevation surgery. Because these treatments are not uniformly effective, it becomes important to identify clues that either mark the risk of testicular pain or identify targets of potential therapeutic interventions.
A study of patients with chronic testicular pain has found that many have associated pelvic floor dysfunction. The study involved 41 patients with an average age of 48 years. Specifically, 88 percent of them had a high pelvic muscle tone that was more than double that of normal. Notably, patients with high tone were on average 20 years younger than those patients with testicular pain and normal tone.
Other than analgesic medications, among the treatments for testicular pain are antibiotics and invasive denerevation surgery. Because these treatments are not uniformly effective, it becomes important to identify clues that either mark the risk of testicular pain or identify targets of potential therapeutic interventions.
A study of patients with chronic testicular pain has found that many have associated pelvic floor dysfunction. The study involved 41 patients with an average age of 48 years. Specifically, 88 percent of them had a high pelvic muscle tone that was more than double that of normal. Notably, patients with high tone were on average 20 years younger than those patients with testicular pain and normal tone.
So, is this saying men higher pelvic muscle tone are more likely to have testicular pain (88% of men in the study that had chronic testicular pain) compared with men with normal tone and chronic testicular pain (12% in the study)?
I ask because although cured of my prostatitis by Dr. Krongrad, I do have mild lingering testicular pain and pelvic pain...much better than when I had prostatitis though. I am wondering if increasing my pelvic and lower abdomenal muscles, which my orthopedic doctor wants me to do to relieve low back pain, is good or bad for me.
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Dr. Krongrad's response:
No. All the patients had testicular pain. That was the criterion by which they gained entry for pelvic floor muscle tone measurement. Upon this evaluation, the researchers found that:
- 88% had high pelvic floor muscle tone
- 12% had normal pelvic floor muscle tone
The authors make one error in the conclusion to the abstract that is linked here. They state that "Chronic testicular pain can be a symptom of pelvic floor overactivity, especially in younger patients." But the study does not actually show that testicular pain is a result (symptom of) pelvic floor overactivity. It merely shows that they co-exist. In other words, it's possible that pelvic floor overactivity is a sign of testicular pain, not the other way around. Or that an unidentified third factor causes both of them, but not that they cause each other.So what does all this mean for you? That there is a theoretical possibility that pelvic floor muscle tone and perceptions of testicular pain are in fact causally related: One brings the other. If so, fixing one might fix the other. Or not.
There is no proof or even a suggestion in this study of that improving pelvic and/or abdominal muscle strength is in any way bad for you, specifically that it will increase testicular pain. If it does, we certainly want to be the first to know.
Thanks for writing, Rich!