What does a therapeutic prostate massage do for your health??
FITBOOK knows whether prostate massages are useful for therapeutic purposes – or not Photo: Getty Images
By Laura Pomer | 04. March 2022, 12:26 pm
Prostate massages are known from the diagnosis of diseases of the male genital organs. Sometimes, however, they are also used for therapeutic purposes – for example, for erectile dysfunction or problems with urination. But is this useful? FITBOOK has informed itself.
Prostate massage describes a targeted manipulation of the prostate gland. The procedure is usually performed for medical examination of diseases of the male genital organs. In addition, prostate massages are also used for various therapeutic purposes. However, urologists view the treatment critically.
Overview
Prostate massage or. Palpable examination for diagnostics
The prostate (also: prostate gland) is a male reproductive organ. A secretion formed in it is significantly involved in sperm production. In some cases, a prostate massage is to cause the leakage of sperm to make it z. B. to be able to examine for bacteria. Doctors thus investigate the suspicion of chronic prostatitis (technical term: prostatitis).
The examination can also be aimed at palpable anomalies. Because changes in the size or shape of the prostate gland can possibly indicate a disease (e.g., a cancer). B. a tumor).
How does a prostate massage work?
Prostate massage is usually performed by inserting a finger into the anus and applying prere. Ideally, a disposable glove is used for this purpose, z. B. made of plastic.
In the erotic context there are also special tools for the purpose of prostate stimulation (u. a. vibrators). But here, too, manual massages are quite common.
For which complaints prostate massages are used?
Sometimes prostate massage is also believed to serve therapeutic purposes. However, there are insufficient studies that clearly prove the health benefits of prostate massage. Mostly it concerns single case reports or small examinations. The following is an overview of the complaints for which a prostate massage could possibly help.
For easier urination
The prostate lies below the bladder. Therefore, swellings of the prostate can make urination difficult. Especially in the field of alternative medicine, it is believed that prostate massage can reduce swelling and improve the flow of urine.
Pain during ejaculation
A prostate massage is said to help dissolve a fluid buildup that causes pain during ejaculation. These can be for example. Result from benign enlargement of the prostate or inflammation in the bladder area.
Treatment of erectile dysfunction
In former times – before there were medicamentous aids for it – men are to be tried to treat themselves with erectile dysfunction by prostate massage. 1 And so there is still the possibility to get a short-term pleasure by manual stimulation via the rectum, which can lead to an erection.
Note: If you are affected by one or more of the aforementioned complaints, please do not attempt to perform prostate massage yourself under any circumstances! In the case of any kind of change or suspicion of a disease, a thorough examination by a urologist is urgently recommended.
Massage therapy really makes sense? What the urologist says
Physicians see prostate massages for health therapy purposes rather critically. There are no scientifically proven benefits of prostate massage. That explains on FITBOOK inquiry the urologist Dr. med. Christoph Pies, who has published a specialist book on the subject of the prostate ("Fokus Prostata", Herbig Verlag).
Pies refers to analyses by the renowned Cochrane organization. These have not proven the effectiveness of prostate massage in u. a. Prostatitis studied -. Have not come to a definite conclusion. To put it in the words of the study authors: It cannot be conclusively assessed with certainty whether prostate massages reduced the symptoms of prostatitis, for example, or possibly even increased them compared to the control group. 2
For Pies, in any case, it is clear: "On this basis, we urologists can not recommend prostate massages as a standard for therapy."
Warning of injury – and worse
In principle, a treatment in the sense of a prostate massage should be viewed critically, because without basic medical knowledge, prostate massages run the risk of aggravating any symptoms as well as injuring oneself. Consequently, caution is also advised when using prostate massagers from the sex toy trade.
Even urologists refrain from the examination method under certain circumstances. If, for example, there is an acute prostatitis, manipulation carries the risk of pushing bacteria into the surrounding tie.
Alternative to the prostate massage: a perineum massage
A less injury-suspicious stimulation method is the massage of the perineum (technical term: perineum), the region between anus and scrotum.
Sources
1. Healthline, "What Are the Benefits of Prostate Massage Therapy??" (accessed on 4.3.2022) 2. Franco JVA, Turk T, Jung JH, Xiao YT, Iakhno S, Garrote V, Vietto V. Non-pharmacological interventions for treating chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018, Ie 5. Type. No.: CD012551.