EXERCISE: Testicular Pain

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Good Morning!

 

Exercise: Testicular Pain

 

Testicular pain is a fairly common condition treated by urologists. Frequent

causes include infection of the testicle (orchitis) or epididymis

(epididymitis), post surgical pain, trauma, tumors, hernia, torsion (twisting of

the testicle), varicocele, hydrocele or spermatocele.

 

In sexually active men, the most common cause of an infection of the epididymis

is a sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea or chlamydia.

 

Older and younger men may also get epididymitis, often because of an abnormality

in the genitourinary system such as enlargement of the prostate.

 

Most of these conditions are easily diagnosed and treated. Occasionally the

pain, even when treated appropriately becomes chronic. Many patients with

chronic testicular pain, after ruling out the above, seem to find no cause to

their pain. This is the pain I will be addressing.

 

Men become very anxious when they feel pain in their testicles. Self examination

should become a ritual as brushing your teeth. All men between the ages of 15

and 40 should check their testicles for abnormalities about once a month, and

older men should continue to occasionally do so. The shower or bathtub is a good

place for this because warm water relaxes both the scrotum and the man.

 

To test, roll each testicle between the thumb and first two fingers of each hand

and look for a lump, or nodule, that feels firm but is painless when pressed. A

visual exam in front of a mirror is another way to look for abnormalities, and

allows you to more easily locate all of the various components that should be

checked.

 

Some men mistakenly discount the possibility that a problem exists because their

testicles don't hurt. Tenderness, too, can indicate a problem, and so can

swelling of a testicle. Neither of these symptoms should cause initial alarm,

however, because there are many possibilities.

 

Musculoskeletal problems are one of the biggest conditions overlooked by many

physicians. Once the above situations have been ruled out and you still have

pain, it is time to try these exercises. They should be done at least 3 times a

day for two weeks:

 

Exercise 1.

Lying on your side knees bent and lined up on top of each other about level with

your hips. Arms are straight out in front of you finger tips touching.

You may want to place a small pillow under your head so that the neck is aligned

with your spine.

 

Move the top hand and top leg slightly forward as you misalign the knees and

hands about an inch, then pull them back to starting position. Now, do the same

move with the top arm and leg but pull them back slightly about an inch, then

realign the knees and fingertips. Keep these stretches constantly moving, never

static. The stretch is very subtle but very effective in stretching the inner

thigh muscles. Repeat 12-15 times. Repeat on the other side. Remember to always

keep the hands and knees touching.

 

 

Exercise 2.

Repeat the above exercise in position and manner but as a variation, this time

push the knee forward but draw the fingers back along the arm so that you are

getting an oppositional twist between the upper and lower torso. The stretch is

very subtle but very effective in stretching the inner thigh muscles. Repeat

12-15 times. Repeat on the other side. Remember to always keep the hands and

knees touching.

 

 

Exercise 3.

Lying on the floor, you may want to lie close to the wall with your buttocks

right up next to the wall. Straighten your legs up along the wall with ankles

together. Now slowly open your legs as wide as they can to get a very effective

stretch then bring them right back together. Keep the motion of the legs moving.

Keep these stretches constantly moving, never static. Repeat 12-15 times. Do not

use the wall to rest your legs. Keep the legs slightly away from touching the

wall.

 

Exercise 4.

Using a bed or chair for support and a blanket for your knee, kneel down on both

knees. with your left foot (the bed or chair is on your right for support),

step the left foot out into a lunge so that you are getting a good stretch from

the left foot to the opposite right knee that is on the floor. Now push your

hips toward the left leg, place both hands on the left knee as you push the hips

forward. You should get an incredible stretch in the right side of the groin. As

you push your hips forward as far as you can get a great stretch, come back to

starting position by lining your hips back up. Keep the left foot where it is

and then lunge back again. Keep the motion of the legs moving.

Keep these stretches constantly moving, never static. Repeat 12-15 times. Repeat

on the other side.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, LMT, MT-BC, CA

Peacefulmind.com

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