Erection depends in part on the ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus muscles, which belong to the pelvic floor. Training them improves the maintenance of an erection and has a documented effect in this condition - comparable in some studies to medication, and without its side effects.
Before any training, though, medical assessment is needed. Erectile dysfunction is one of the early signs of atherosclerosis, diabetes and hypertension, and it can also result from medication or hormonal disorders. Physiotherapy that skips that route delays the diagnosis of a disease the patient does not know about - and that is real harm, not a formality.
Where the cause lies in the pelvic floor, in chronic pelvic pain, in previous urological surgery or in years of excessive tension, therapy works well. I then work alongside a urologist, and where anxiety is a component, with a specialist in sexual medicine.
Therapy
- Detailed history
- Functional examination of the pelvic floor muscles
- Training the ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus muscles
- Releasing an overactive pelvic floor
- Manual therapy of the pelvis and hips
- Work on breathing and posture
- A home programme