If you’re preparing for prostate surgery, or recovering from one, you may already know that side effects like urinary leakage, urgency, or erectile difficulties are common. But what many men don’t realise is that pelvic floor physiotherapy can make a huge difference both before and after surgery.

Here’s how.

Why Prostate Surgery Affects the Pelvic Floor

The prostate sits just below the bladder and helps control urination. Surgery, such as a radical prostatectomy, can:

Weaken or damage the urinary sphincter muscles
Affect the pelvic floor’s ability to coordinate properly
Irritate or injure nearby nerves that influence erections and continence

👉 This is why many men experience leakage or changes in sexual health after surgery.

The Role of Pelvic Physio Before Surgery

Starting pelvic physiotherapy before surgery is like prehab, preparing your body to recover faster. Evidence shows that men who begin pelvic floor training before prostate surgery often have better continence outcomes afterwards.

Before surgery, physio can help you:

Learn how to correctly contract and relax the pelvic floor
Build awareness of your core and breathing patterns
Optimise bladder and bowel habits (avoiding straining, managing urgency)
Set realistic expectations and reduce anxiety through education

The Role of Pelvic Physio After Surgery

In the weeks and months following surgery, physio focuses on recovery and rehabilitation. This may include:

Pelvic floor strengthening & coordination to restore bladder control
Relaxation training if muscles are overactive or in spasm
Bladder retraining to reduce urgency and frequency
Guided return to activity & sport with safe load progression
Support for sexual function: some physios work alongside urologists and sexual health specialists to help men regain confidence and erections

💡 Internal assessment is always optional — many effective techniques can be done with external palpation or ultrasound.

The Emotional Side

Urinary leakage and changes in erections are not just physical, they can affect confidence, relationships, and mental wellbeing. Having a physiotherapist who understands this can make recovery less isolating.

Prostate surgery doesn’t have to mean living with permanent leakage or sexual difficulties. By working with a pelvic health physiotherapist before and after surgery, you can strengthen your recovery, restore confidence, and return to the activities, and intimacy, that matter most.

✨ Scheduled for prostate surgery? Book your pelvic health physiotherapy consultation at Renard Clinic to prepare your body and support your recovery with evidence-based care.