If you’re a man suffering chronic lower back pain, it’s important to diagnose the cause. More often than not, lower back pain in men is down to poor posture or an old injury. Sometimes the cause can be osteoarthritis or another degenerative condition. It’s also possible that the pain is caused by an infection or inflammation of an organ in the pelvis.
Our osteopaths will assess your symptoms to reach an accurate diagnosis or refer to another healthcare profession for further investigation if needed. We’ll focus on the signs and symptoms of prostatitis as a cause of lower back pain, in this blog.
Did you know that chronic prostatitis will affect 1 in 10 men between the ages of 30-50 years old It is estimated that nearly half of all men suffer from symptoms of prostatitis at some stage in their lives. But what, exactly, is the prostate? What does it do?
What is the prostate gland?
The prostate is a small gland found in men, which surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body). Its function is to produce a thick, white fluid that mixes with sperm to create semen.
The prostate gland is about the size and shape of a walnut but tends to get bigger as you get older. The initial growth of the prostate ends at around age 20, and a secondary growth period often begins at around age 45, as cells in the middle of the gland start to reproduce more rapidly. This may result in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate, which can in turn lead to prostatitis.
What is prostatitis?
Inflammation of the prostate gland is a fairly common condition and is known as prostatitis. The enlarged prostate gland presses against the urethra, causing infection, pain and urinary problems. Prostatitis is most often seen in men aged below 50, and some estimates put the rate of occurrence at 1 in 10 adult males.
There are several types of prostatitis, and each type has a range of symptoms which can be more or less severe.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Prostatitis is described as chronic when symptoms last over 3 months. Symptoms include:
- pain in and around your penis, testicles, anus, lower abdomen or lower back
- pain when urinating, a frequent or urgent need to urinate, particularly at night, or “stop-start” urination
- an enlarged or tender prostate on rectal examination
- sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction, pain when ejaculating or pelvic pain after sex
Acute bacterial prostatitis
Acute prostatitis is an infection which can be a medical emergency requiring intravenous antibiotics. It develops rapidly and affects around 1 in 10,000 men. Men with this disease will have fever like symptoms aches, chills and pain in the lower back and gentile area. This will develop rapidly and affects an estimated 1 in 10,000 men.
Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Pain on urination or ejaculation
- Frequent urination
- Pain in lower back, pelvis and genitals
Chronic pelvic pain syndrome
This form of prostatitis is not caused by bacterial infection. Symptoms may come and go, even only appearing every few years. As bacteria are detected in less than 5% of cases this is named Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS).
Contact us for an assessment of lower back pain
If you are a man with chronic lower back pain, make an appointment in Devon or Surrey for an assessment with one of our experienced osteopaths today.
Our osteopaths are trained to identify any signs of more serious conditions and will work with your medical team and make referrals to other practitioners where necessary.
