Pelvic Floor Physical
Therapy for Men in Denver

While this list is not completely comprehensive, these are common reasons why those with male anatomy seek treatment: Bowel Constipation and obstructed defecation Frequent diarrhea Accidental bowel leakage (stool, gas or liquid) Digestive issues that can lead to pain, such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) Bladder Urinary incontinence (urge "gotta go, gotta go", stress incontinence, increased frequency, or a mix of everything) Post-void dribbling (leaking after you finish urinating) Painful bladder syndrome / interstitial cystitis Pain Chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome Pudendal neuralgia Testicular and penile pain Myofascial pelvic pain Pelvic girdle pain Tailbone pain Low back pain and general orthopedic pain Sexual health Erectile dysfunction Pain with erections or ejaculation Pain after sex Other Under-active pelvic floor

It isn't fundamentally different from pelvic floor therapy for anyone else, but male pelvic conditions such as chronic prostatitis, pain with ejaculation and post-void dribbling call for specific education and experience to treat well. To learn more about pelvic floor PT in general, read What is pelvic floor therapy, and do I need it? You may also find answers to questions not covered here on our pelvic floor physical therapy page.

Often, yes. Most men diagnosed with chronic prostatitis don't have an ongoing infection. This is called chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), and its symptoms (pelvic, perineal, testicular or penile pain, urgency, and pain with ejaculation) often involve tight, sensitive pelvic floor muscles and irritated nerves. That's what pelvic floor physical therapy works on. Read more in Treating Chronic Prostatitis with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy.

Every visit is one-on-one with Dr. Caroline Gamwell, PT, DPT, PRPC, founder of Worth It PT. No aides, no rotating providers. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy at Northwestern University and holds the Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification (PRPC) from Herman & Wallace and the APTA's Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Health (CAPP). Her focus is complex, persistent pelvic pain, especially when other treatment hasn't worked. Read more about Dr. Caroline.

The first appointment to pelvic floor physical therapy can be nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t know what to expect! Our first appointments are broken down into 4 categories: Subjective history: We sit down with you and have a dialogue about your symptoms, health history, and goals. Physical Assessment: Depending upon what priorities and goals you identified, we together choose where we want to start with the assessment. Sometimes it could be looking at your body orthopedically as it relates to your symptoms (i.e. breathing mechanics, posture, hip and shoulder mobility, etc). Sometimes it could be focusing on the pelvis and pelvic floor if we identify that is most important to start with. Your preferences are what drives the session. Treatment: It is important to do some form of treatment day of, whether that is manual therapy, dry needling, exercises, etc. The main goal is to kick-start relief day-of. Planning: From here we discuss when a follow-up should take place, and plan out a home program for you to work on to maintain therapeutic gains between sessions. To talk through what a session would look like for you and your unique needs, book a free phone consultation.

Not necessarily. An internal exam is never required. If Dr. Caroline thinks an internal assessment of the pelvic floor muscles would help, she'll explain why and what it involves first, and it only happens with your consent. For men it's done rectally with a gloved, lubricated finger, and you can pause or stop at any time. Many men start with an external assessment and treatment, and some never need internal work. Your comfort and preferences guide every session.

The evaluation is two hours long, and follow ups are 90 minutes long. Due to that duration, sessions usually are less frequent, with the average cadence being every 2-3 weeks. Some clients choose to return sooner based on their plan of care, especially if they’re experiencing chronic pain. Some return less frequently because a huge part of their plan of care are the exercises they’re doing at home. The frequency really is up to you and your goals, with our recommendations taken into consideration.

No. You can book directly with Worth It PT without a doctor's referral. If you've seen a urologist or another doctor, bring any notes or test results to your first visit.

Worth It PT is a private pay practice, so you pay per visit and we don't bill insurance. Current rates for the 2-hour evaluation and 90-minute follow-ups are listed when you book online. Most people come every 2 to 3 weeks and average 4 to 6 visits in total. You can use HSA or FSA funds, and we'll provide a superbill on request if you'd like to seek out-of-network reimbursement from your insurance.

For a more detailed answer, read why we're a private pay practice. The primary difference is the time and quality offered in private sessions. Both types of care are needed in this world. We need access to insurance-based care. We also need to have private pay care when insurance-based falls short of the quality and comprehensive attention required for complex cases. When sessions are really short in the insurance world, your therapist (as great as they may be) does not have the time to step back and get the whole big picture in one go. This delays progress because oftentimes the root of the issue might not even be in the pelvic floor itself. If insurance is important to you, and that’s okay too, you can go to insurance-based pelvic floor PT and see if your issues get solved. If it does, great. If you need continuing care after insurance kicks you out of treatment, that is where private pay can step in. There’s no right or wrong answer, you have to do what feels right for you.

Yes, both cover pelvic floor therapy from our clinic. We are able to provide you with the necessary documentation - receipt and superbill - that is also often required by HSA and FSA.

Yes. Book a free phone consultation to talk through your symptoms and whether pelvic floor therapy is a good fit before you commit to an evaluation.

Our clinic is at 950 S Cherry St, Suite 1675, Denver, CO 80246, off Colorado Blvd near Cherry Creek and Glendale. It's a short drive from Washington Park, Virginia Village, Lowry and the Denver Tech Center. Visits are by appointment only.