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Urine Retention & Voiding/Bladder Dysfunction
Kidney & Bladder | Last Active: Aug 14, 2023 | Replies (17)Comment receiving replies
Ok, thank you @lindes. I have been doing pelvic floor exercises/stretching for about a month. I do them at least twice a day, including stretching my hips, legs, and lower back. I have not noticed a difference yet. I have also utilized deep breathing. Do you have a realistic time frame as far as how long it may take to relax that area? 3-6 months? Longer, shorter?
I am looking for a sense of hope. My current urologist said there was a high probability I would have to catheter the rest of my life. I would like to defy those odds. I am an otherwise healthy forty some year old male.
Do most male patients who do pelvic floor exercises respond to them and actually loosen or relax that area?
Any other procedures or things I can do to loosen that area at home?
My doctor recommended placing a foley cath back in for at least a month to let the muscles and bladder relax. Think its worth a try?
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I cringe each time when I hear of long term applications of Foley cath. It is almost impossible to prevent a bladder infection with those (my medical specialty is infection control & prevention). The male pelvic floor is very similar to the female pelvic floor, and I assume that the phys therapy is not much different either (I am female). It took me about 18 sessions (45 minutes each, twice a week), to be able to empty my bladder down to a table spoon amount of urine. I also learned to initiate urination as soon as there was enough liquid inside the bladder.
I know that pelvic floor control is for most men a book with 7 seals, because they don't need it as much as females do, and because most urologists are guys, it might not even be on their radar screen.
Linde