Erectile Dysfunction Physical Therapy: Can It Help?

Erectile dysfunction can feel like an isolating problem, but the truth is that it’s much more common than you might think.

If you’re dealing with erectile dysfunction, your first thought might be to talk to your doctor to get a prescription for Viagra or Cialis.

But there are other ways to deal with erectile dysfunction, including physical therapy treatments for men in Washington DC.

There are a number of different causes for erectile dysfunction, and a Washington DC physical therapist can help address some of them.

Today we’ll take a look at how erectile dysfunction works, and how physical therapy can help.

Read on to find out more.

What Is Erectile Dysfunction?

You might not think too much about it, but there’s more to an erection than you might think.

When you’re sexually excited, the blood vessels in your penis open up wider, which allows for increased blood flow.

This fills up two chambers inside your penis, which causes your penis to become erect.

The veins in your penis will constrict, which helps you maintain your erection.

At the end of your erection, the blood vessels in your penis constrict, which allows the extra blood to flow back out into your body.

Erectile dysfunction can happen at any stage in the erection process.

Generally, it’s defined as the inability to either get or keep a firm erection, which interferes with sexual intercourse.

Occasional erectile dysfunction is common, and happens when you experience lots of stress or have had a lifestyle or nutritional change.

On the other hand, if you’re frequently experiencing erectile dysfunction, it can be an indicator of deeper issues to address.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

There are many causes of erectile dysfunction.

In some cases, more than one of the below issues might be causing your issue.

Generally, causes can be either physical or emotional, but you may experience emotional and physical causes at the same time.

Overall, erectile dysfunction is a common problem.

While it might feel isolating, if you experience erectile dysfunction you’re not alone.

That being said, erectile dysfunction is preventable.

If you have erectile dysfunction, you could have developed it from one or a combination of the following causes.

Physical Causes

There are many common physical causes of erectile dysfunction.

You may experience only one physical cause or more than one.

Some of them include:

• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Certain prescription meds, especially those that treat high blood pressure or depression
• Sleep disorders
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Having had a stroke
• Drug use
• Too much alcohol
• Using tobacco
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Damage to your pelvic floor

The risk of erectile dysfunction also increases with age.

While younger men can develop erectile dysfunction, the risk increases the older you get.

However, lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking, and drug use seem to be a main cause of erectile dysfunction in younger men.

RELATED: Seniors’ Health Physical Therapy Near Me.

Emotional Causes

There are fewer emotional causes than physical causes of erectile dysfunction, but they are just as important to take into account if you are experiencing erectile dysfunction.

Common emotional causes include:

• Anxiety or depression
• Performance anxiety
• Chronic stress
• Relationship problems
• A partner with dyspareunia (pain during intercourse)
• A partner with low libido due to menopause

It’s also important to consider your relationship and whether you feel genuinely attracted to your partner, for whatever reason.

How Can Physical Therapy Help With Erectile Dysfunction?

It might surprise you to find out that physical therapy can be a helpful treatment option if you experience erectile dysfunction.

There are a couple ways physical therapy can help reduce erectile dysfunction symptoms or eliminate erectile dysfunction altogether.

We’ll go through them here.

1. Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises can help you with your erectile dysfunction.

This is especially true if it’s caused by problems with your pelvic muscles.

Sometimes, erectile dysfunction can be caused by over activity or underactivity of the pelvic muscles.

Pelvic floor physical therapy can help correct this by working on strengthening the muscles that are used in erections.

Pelvic floor exercises along with other treatments have been shown to work better than other treatments alone.

2. Exercises

Exercising is excellent for your overall health, but it can also improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction.

Regular aerobic exercise increases blood flow in your body.

Aerobic exercise includes things like running, swimming, or cycling.

Blood flow is an essential part in the erection cycle, because in order to get and maintain an erection, there needs to be a flow of blood into your penis.

If you’re new to exercise, it’s a good idea to speak with a personal trainer beforehand to make sure you don’t injure yourself.

Physical therapy for sports and running injuries is fairly common, but your risk is greater if you’re exercising without knowing the proper form.

3. Relaxing Stretches

Dedicating time to relaxing stretches has been shown to relax your body and mind.

Stretching builds physical strength and can also ease stress and anxiety, which are two common causes of erectile dysfunction.

Your physical therapist can work with you on some of the best stretches for erectile dysfunction and recommend how often you should do stretches to improve your strength and ease your anxiety and stress.

Book Your Appointment With Capitol Physical Therapy Today

At Capitol Physical Therapy, we have dedicated physical therapists for men who can help with your erectile dysfunction.

We recognize this can be a sensitive issue, but it’s not as rare as you might think.

A landmark study, the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, found that more than half of men will experience some sort of erectile dysfunction in their lives.

But while it may be comforting to know you’re not alone, it can still be a sensitive topic.

We promise to approach it with discretion, focusing on how to get you feeling better.

Erectile dysfunction can be frustrating, but we can help.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today.