FOR years women have been told to practice their pelvic floor exercises. Now it's time for the men to give it a go.
According to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, pelvic floor exercises can help men with prostate cancer reduce post-surgery side effects including incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Association president Marcus Dripps said new research shows tailored pelvic floor exercises can shorten the time and severity of these side effects after surgery.
"Many men believe that Mother Nature will take its course in post-surgery recovery and return them to full continence, however this is not always the case," Mr Dripps said.
"For about 5 per cent of men, incontinence will persist a year later."
Mr Dripps said up to 95 per cent of men experience incontinence after surgery, and most can recover by using physiotherapy.
"Men also need to be proactive about pre-habilitation in preparation for prostate cancer surgery, using pelvic floor muscle exercises to help bladder control post-surgery."
The association has partnered with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia to develop a program of physiotherapy exercises for men who have undergone surgery.
More than 20,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, with the Cancer Council of Australia estimating one in five men will be diagnosed by the age of 85.
