London - They have long been a new mother’s best friend. But, new research suggests pelvic floor exercises can also benefit men battling premature ejaculation.
An Italian study found that performing the exercises for 12 weeks could help those “with a lifelong problem”.
Up to 40 percent of men suffer from premature ejaculation – defined by the International Society of Sexual Medicine as ejaculation “within a minute” – at some point in their lives.
In most men, the cause is simply being unable to control the ejaculatory response, says Wendy Hurn, a urology nurse consultant at Bristol Royal Infirmary.
“Some may have more sensitive nerve endings. However, stress or pressure can also make the problem worse.
“They cause the body to go into fight or flight mode, causing it to think ‘let’s get this over with’.”
Previously, they had been tested in temporary impotence, but this is the first time they have been tested over a longer term in men with lifelong problems.
A group of 40 men, aged 19 to 46, suffering from the condition were trained to exercise their pelvic floor muscles over 12 weeks. They also measured their time-to-orgasm over this period. At the start of the trial, the average ejaculation time was 31.7 seconds.
But by the end of the 12 weeks of exercises, this had increased to 146.2 seconds (two minutes and 26 seconds) – more than a four-fold increase. In total, 33 of the 40 men improved within 12 weeks.
Only five men showed no significant improvement. Two had dropped out of the trial early, after showing an improvement.
Thirteen of the 33 patients continued the trial up to the six-month mark, and they confirmed that they maintained their extended ejaculation time.
Lead study author Dr Antonio Pastore, of the Sapienza University of Rome, said: “This is a small study, so the effects need to be verified in a bigger trial. Nevertheless, the results are positive. The rehabilitation exercises are easy to perform, with no reported adverse effects.
“Previously, the men in the trial had tried a variety of treatments, including creams, behavioural therapy, SSRIs (antidepressants) and psychological treatments – with little success.
“However, we found that 33 of the 40 men in our trial improved their ejaculation time within 12 weeks. We also found that the fact that the men were able to improve their sex lives through their own efforts helped their self-confidence.
“This technique seems to offer significant benefits over many existing techniques, including cost-savings and lack of side effects.”
For more information, see www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org – Daily Mail
PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES for MEN
l To identify the muscles, sit relaxed and tighten the muscle around the back passage, as if trying to control wind.
l You should be able to feel the muscle move.
l With the correct technique, you should feel a dip at the base of the penis, while the scrotum moves up slightly.
l To perform the exercises: sit, stand or lie with your knees slightly apart.
l Slowly tighten and pull up the pelvic floor muscles as hard as you can for as long as you can. Rest for four seconds then repeat.
l Build up until you can do 10 slow contractions at a time, holding them for 10 seconds each.
l Results are only likely to be seen after daily practice for three months.