Pelvic floor muscle tension?

[cr]

I've had something diagnosed as prostatitis by a couple of doctors for 3 months now. It initially started as a very uncomfortable feeling in the pelvic / perinerium area with an urge to urinate fairly frequently (but not constantly). Took abx for a couple of weeks, calmed things down, but some symptoms remained and have persisted for about two months now.

The main symptoms are that I generally feel tense in the perinerium area (like something is pulling or like there is a ball), and this is usually accompanied by the testicles retracting or getting pulled up - this, however, depends on the level of discomfort (ie. the more pain, the more they get pulled up).

The symptoms start off right after waking up, but ease off a bit (especially the "tense" scrotum, not so much the discomfort) after urinating / defecating. The symptoms gradually ease down as the day progresses, but worsen whenever I need to urinate or defecate. In the evenings my scrotum is relaxed but the perinerium discomfort remains, although not as bad as earlier in the day.

Now, it seems to me as if all this is due to tension of the pelvic floor muscles. What slightly confuses me though, is the fact that the symptoms seem to fluctuate quite a bit. Mornings relatively bad, evenings closer to normal. And also, how should I go about in trying to get rid of this? Is it the prostate behind all this, the pelvic floor muscles or both interacting?

[webslave]

The main symptoms are that I generally feel tense in the perinerium area (like something is pulling or like there is a ball), and this is usually accompanied by the testicles retracting or getting pulled up

That's classic pelvic spasm.

What slightly confuses me though, is the fact that the symptoms seem to fluctuate quite a bit.

Fluctuating symptoms are normal for this disorder, indeed typical.

Is it the prostate behind all this, the pelvic floor muscles or both interacting?

Interaction of brain, nerves, muscles, immune system and gland.

[cr]

Right, thanks. How should I go about in trying to fix this, since all the help I'm likely to get from a doctor is a prescription for abx?

I'm going to start doing the stretch (and some others) people have mentioned here. I'm trying to minimise stress / anxiety. I've been without caffeine for a week now, haven't noticed anything. Also, I have no reason to suspect a (noticeable) link between caffeine / alcohol and my symptoms. Does this mean I'm ok to drink caffeine and alcohol in moderation or not? I also did Quercetin (500-1000mg) for a couple of weeks some time ago, didn't see any benefits there either. While I assume Quercetin and a controlled diet might take time to kick in, I'm under the impression that one should see at least something fairly quickly - which I have not.

[webslave]

Right, thanks. How should I go about in trying to fix this, since all the help I'm likely to get from a doctor is a prescription for abx?

This is sadly true.

Keep away from caffeine and alcohol for at least 3 months to see if that helps calm the pelvic symptoms. It takes quite a while for the nerves to recover in the pelvis, and these stimulants and irritants keep the bad feedback going. Stretching etc is good, but you really need internal work. If quercetin did not work for you, drop it.

[cr]

Regarding muscle tension, is it generally the same as the levator ani syndrome, ie. are they usually the same thing?

I was just reading up on the subject, and I'm not sure whether I'm experiencing the same symptoms. My discomfort is not in the rectum/anus, but more like halfway between the anus and the testicles, or just behind the testicles. I've been suspecting it's got to do with this long muscle that extends from behind the testicles to near the anus, the muscle with which you can wiggle your penis (or at least I can..). Does this sound any familiar?

[webslave]

Levator ani is just one muscle of many that can develop trigger points, so you'd have to say that levator ani syndrome is a subset of pelvic floor dysfunction.