Men’s health is rightly gaining increasing attention, with awareness being raised through events such as Men’s Health Week, Movember and International Men’s Day. We see lots of men in our clinics, often for problems such as back pain and sports injuries. But did you know that our osteopaths are trained to spot signs of serious underlying conditions, too?
Because our osteopaths take the time to fully assess your symptoms, medical and lifestyle history, they’re well placed to identify anything that warrants medical attention. Each of our practitioners can refer to a GP or other medical practitioner when necessary. When working with you, our osteopaths utilise a range of techniques to work with your muscles and joints to boost function and in the case of injury, relieve pain and speed recovery.
Men’s Health issues
Our osteopaths frequently see men suffering from conditions including:
- Pelvic pain
- Urinary incontinence
- Prostatitis
- Recovery from surgery
- Recovery from injury
Statistics show that men are less likely to lead healthy lives, and are more likely to smoke, drink and suffer heart- and obesity-related conditions.
Here are four tips to support men’s health.
- Physical fitness.
The quality and length of your life are supported by appropriate levels of fitness and exercise. Include cardio and strength exercise to your routine, most days. This could include swimming, gardening, walking, running or lifting weights.
Regular exercise supports the maintenance of both muscle mass and testosterone levels.
If injury is preventing you from keeping to a fitness regime, get in touch for an assessment, treatment, and advice regarding rehab exercise routines.
- Mental health
It’s a proven fact that men are more reluctant to share mental and emotional problems than women. A quarter of all men said they would not choose to talk to anyone about their mental health, with reasons including embarrassment, a reluctance to appear weak and a fear of stigma.
Physical activity has been shown to boost mental health, and you can also stimulate your brain with social activities, meditation or mindfulness. Your mind is as important as your body! Particularly if you can’t play your favourite sport due to injury, it’s important to find other ways to stay socially engaged and keep fit, so your mental health doesn’t suffer.
- Sleep
If you’re having trouble sleeping, practise good sleep hygiene. Build habits like switching off tech at least an hour before bedtime, avoid caffeine in the afternoon ad eat earlier in the evening.
Getting good sleep will support recovery from injury and helps prevent accidents due to tiredness.
- Check your body regularly.
Regularly check your testicles for any unusual lumps. Stay aware of any changes in urination patterns, bowel function, erection and ejaculation. Frequent urination and stop-start peeing can be a sign of an enlarged prostate.
Chronic Pelvic Pain
For men with symptoms such as
- genital or pelvic pain
- pain or difficulty urinating
- pain during or after ejaculation
it is important to firstly get checked out with a medical practitioner for any infection, inflammation or cancer.
Sometimes these symptoms are related to tension in the pelvic floor or lower abdomen. If all serious underlying conditions have been ruled out, symptoms may improve with some pelvic floor stretching and strengthening. Our osteopaths can work with you to design a programme of stretching and strengthening exercises that will help.
Book your appointment now
Our osteopaths are highly experienced and well trained to work with you as a whole person, meaning that we take into account your mental and emotional health along with your physical fitness. We will always refer to and work alongside medical practitioners where appropriate.
It couldn’t be easier to book your appointment with Osteo & Physio! Book a session via our app, website or call our friendly reception team on 0345 5577788.
