What Rehab Can Look Like After Prostatectomy
What Rehab Can Look Like After Prostatectomy
I see men a few months after prostate surgery fairly often, and the conversation usually starts with the same question: is this normal? Usually, yes. But normal doesn’t mean you have to wait it out alone.
I see men a few months after prostate surgery fairly often, and the conversation usually starts with the same question: is this normal? Usually, yes. But normal doesn’t mean you have to wait it out alone.
November 6, 2026
November 6, 2026
What’s usually going on
After a radical prostatectomy, the surgery affects the nerves, the urethra, and the muscles around them. Leaking is the most common concern. For many men it gets better over the first several months, though some take longer. Erections and sexual function can also take time to return, and the pattern varies a lot from person to person. Your urologist will track these changes, and pelvic floor physical therapy is one piece of the recovery.
Why the pelvic floor matters
These muscles help support the bladder, assist with control of the urethra, and play a role in sexual function. After surgery they can be weaker than before, or they can tighten up in response to pain, guarding, or worry. Both problems matter, and they call for different approaches. A muscle that’s too tight can’t relax well. A muscle that’s too weak can’t hold. A good assessment helps sort out which one you’re dealing with.
What rehab often looks like
Early on, the focus is awareness. You learn to find the right muscles, coordinate them with your breathing, and relax fully between contractions. Plenty of men are surprised by how hard this is at first, and that’s normal.
From there, we usually build strength and then start timing the muscles to daily activities like standing up, coughing, sneezing, or lifting. Endurance comes last. Some men benefit from biofeedback, where a sensor shows whether the muscle is actually working, which can speed up learning.
If the muscles are too tight or painful, we work on hands-on techniques, breathing, and body awareness. It can sound like an odd fit for a surgical recovery, but calming the nervous system often makes the muscles easier to control.
Things you can start this week
Practice breathing that moves your belly and lower back, not just your chest.
Learn the difference between a gentle lift and a squeeze, and practice both without holding your breath.
Keep a simple log of leaks, the pads you used, and what you were doing. It gives you and your team real patterns to work with.
Keep walking. Gentle, regular activity supports recovery.
Ask your surgeon or urologist about pads, expected timelines, and any activity restrictions.
When to reach out sooner
Don’t wait if leaking is getting worse instead of better, if pain is growing rather than easing, if you notice pain with bladder or bowel movements, or if you feel stuck and nothing seems to change. Worry about sex or intimacy is also a valid reason to get help. Those conversations are part of rehab, not a distraction from it.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you call. Bring your questions, bring your log if you have one, and we’ll start from where you are.
Chris
**This post is for general education only and isn’t medical advice. Every person’s situation is different, so talk with your surgeon, urologist, or physical therapist before making changes to your care. If you have sudden or severe symptoms, such as heavy bleeding, fever, inability to urinate, or severe pain, seek medical care right away.**
What’s usually going on
After a radical prostatectomy, the surgery affects the nerves, the urethra, and the muscles around them. Leaking is the most common concern. For many men it gets better over the first several months, though some take longer. Erections and sexual function can also take time to return, and the pattern varies a lot from person to person. Your urologist will track these changes, and pelvic floor physical therapy is one piece of the recovery.
Why the pelvic floor matters
These muscles help support the bladder, assist with control of the urethra, and play a role in sexual function. After surgery they can be weaker than before, or they can tighten up in response to pain, guarding, or worry. Both problems matter, and they call for different approaches. A muscle that’s too tight can’t relax well. A muscle that’s too weak can’t hold. A good assessment helps sort out which one you’re dealing with.
What rehab often looks like
Early on, the focus is awareness. You learn to find the right muscles, coordinate them with your breathing, and relax fully between contractions. Plenty of men are surprised by how hard this is at first, and that’s normal.
From there, we usually build strength and then start timing the muscles to daily activities like standing up, coughing, sneezing, or lifting. Endurance comes last. Some men benefit from biofeedback, where a sensor shows whether the muscle is actually working, which can speed up learning.
If the muscles are too tight or painful, we work on hands-on techniques, breathing, and body awareness. It can sound like an odd fit for a surgical recovery, but calming the nervous system often makes the muscles easier to control.
Things you can start this week
Practice breathing that moves your belly and lower back, not just your chest.
Learn the difference between a gentle lift and a squeeze, and practice both without holding your breath.
Keep a simple log of leaks, the pads you used, and what you were doing. It gives you and your team real patterns to work with.
Keep walking. Gentle, regular activity supports recovery.
Ask your surgeon or urologist about pads, expected timelines, and any activity restrictions.
When to reach out sooner
Don’t wait if leaking is getting worse instead of better, if pain is growing rather than easing, if you notice pain with bladder or bowel movements, or if you feel stuck and nothing seems to change. Worry about sex or intimacy is also a valid reason to get help. Those conversations are part of rehab, not a distraction from it.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you call. Bring your questions, bring your log if you have one, and we’ll start from where you are.
Chris
**This post is for general education only and isn’t medical advice. Every person’s situation is different, so talk with your surgeon, urologist, or physical therapist before making changes to your care. If you have sudden or severe symptoms, such as heavy bleeding, fever, inability to urinate, or severe pain, seek medical care right away.**
Chris Voirin
Chris Voirin
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Explore our evidence-based guide to male pelvic health and chronic pain recovery. We address the men's health crisis by providing high-level physical training and lifestyle mastery for BPH , post-prostatectomy rehabilitation , and persistent pelvic pain.
Explore our evidence-based guide to male pelvic health and chronic pain recovery. We address the men's health crisis by providing high-level physical training and lifestyle mastery for BPH , post-prostatectomy rehabilitation , and persistent pelvic pain.
Did Cavepeople need to do their 3 sets of 10? Or were they versatile enough to handle all that life threw their way?
Did Cavepeople need to do their 3 sets of 10? Or were they versatile enough to handle all that life threw their way?
Your questions.
Answered.
Not sure what to expect? These answers might help you feel more confident as you begin.
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a message — we’ll respond with care and clarity.
How is this different than other physical therapy practices?
We don’t just chase symptoms, we help you understand them and find the root cause. Most PT clinics will give you a list of exercises, send you home, and hope for the best. At Mindful Motion, we slow things down. We start by listening to your story, digging into the “why” behind your pain, and creating a plan that works for your life.
How is this different than other physical therapy practices?
We don’t just chase symptoms, we help you understand them and find the root cause. Most PT clinics will give you a list of exercises, send you home, and hope for the best. At Mindful Motion, we slow things down. We start by listening to your story, digging into the “why” behind your pain, and creating a plan that works for your life.
What can I expect from the first session?
What can I expect from the first session?
The first session is all about getting a thorough background, comprehensive analysis of your strength, flexibility, and mobility, and understanding your history with pain. You’ll talk with your PT about what brings you here, what's held you back in the past, and where you'd like to go.
Do you offer both online and in-person sessions?
Do you offer both online and in-person sessions?
Yes. Whether you prefer meeting face-to-face or from the comfort of home, we offer flexible options to meet you where you are.
What treatment strategies do you employ?
What treatment strategies do you employ?
Some of the skills which we will discuss and develop are listed below.
Graded and meaningful progression into safe movement and exercise based on your initial evaluation.
Education on Pain Neuroscience and how our understanding of pain and our nervous system plays a large role in our experience of pain.
Developing Mindfulness Meditation skills as a tool to calm the nervous system, relate to your pain differently, create a deeper understanding of your thoughts, emotions, and sensations to provide a fuller experience of daily life and deepen your presence.
Identifying and developing a plan surrounding your personal values which you would like to lead life by.
Other things which we will address are adequate sleep hygiene, appropriate aerobic exercise, working with acceptance of what is, and much more.
Why Mindfulness Meditation?
Why Mindfulness Meditation?
Depending on where you want to go in your therapy, Mindfulness Meditation can act as any number of things for you and your life. Let's start with some definitions.
Mindfulness is the purposeful ability to observe one's thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations without judgment, and to be fully present in the current moment
Meditation is the tool which we use to cultivate mindfulness in our daily lives.
Okay... so why mindfulness meditation for my recovery?
The implications of practicing Mindfulness Meditation with patience and persistence can be profound to your recovery from injury or pain. It can also have an impact to your contact to the present moment, your relationships to yourself and your thoughts, to your loved ones, and the world. You can learn to deal with stress, hardships, and the ups and downs of life with more equanimity.
We're taking your body to the gym by doing the exercises we prescribe. Why not also take your mind to the gym and help create lasting habits which can improve your quality of life?
Your questions.
Answered.
Not sure what to expect? These answers might help you feel more confident as you begin.
How is this different than other physical therapy practices?
We don’t just chase symptoms, we help you understand them and find the root cause. Most PT clinics will give you a list of exercises, send you home, and hope for the best. At Mindful Motion, we slow things down. We start by listening to your story, digging into the “why” behind your pain, and creating a plan that works for your life.
How is this different than other physical therapy practices?
We don’t just chase symptoms, we help you understand them and find the root cause. Most PT clinics will give you a list of exercises, send you home, and hope for the best. At Mindful Motion, we slow things down. We start by listening to your story, digging into the “why” behind your pain, and creating a plan that works for your life.
What can I expect from the first session?
What can I expect from the first session?
The first session is all about getting a thorough background, comprehensive analysis of your strength, flexibility, and mobility, and understanding your history with pain. You’ll talk with your PT about what brings you here, what's held you back in the past, and where you'd like to go.
Do you offer both online and in-person sessions?
Do you offer both online and in-person sessions?
Yes. Whether you prefer meeting face-to-face or from the comfort of home, we offer flexible options to meet you where you are.
What treatment strategies do you employ?
What treatment strategies do you employ?
Some of the skills which we will discuss and develop are listed below.
Graded and meaningful progression into safe movement and exercise based on your initial evaluation.
Education on Pain Neuroscience and how our understanding of pain and our nervous system plays a large role in our experience of pain.
Developing Mindfulness Meditation skills as a tool to calm the nervous system, relate to your pain differently, create a deeper understanding of your thoughts, emotions, and sensations to provide a fuller experience of daily life and deepen your presence.
Identifying and developing a plan surrounding your personal values which you would like to lead life by.
Other things which we will address are adequate sleep hygiene, appropriate aerobic exercise, working with acceptance of what is, and much more.
Why Mindfulness Meditation?
Why Mindfulness Meditation?
Depending on where you want to go in your therapy, Mindfulness Meditation can act as any number of things for you and your life. Let's start with some definitions.
Mindfulness is the purposeful ability to observe one's thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations without judgment, and to be fully present in the current moment
Meditation is the tool which we use to cultivate mindfulness in our daily lives.
Okay... so why mindfulness meditation for my recovery?
The implications of practicing Mindfulness Meditation with patience and persistence can be profound to your recovery from injury or pain. It can also have an impact to your contact to the present moment, your relationships to yourself and your thoughts, to your loved ones, and the world. You can learn to deal with stress, hardships, and the ups and downs of life with more equanimity.
We're taking your body to the gym by doing the exercises we prescribe. Why not also take your mind to the gym and help create lasting habits which can improve your quality of life?
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a message — we’ll respond with care and clarity.
Your questions.
Answered.
Not sure what to expect? These answers might help you feel more confident as you begin.
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a message — we’ll respond with care and clarity.
How is this different than other physical therapy practices?
We don’t just chase symptoms, we help you understand them and find the root cause. Most PT clinics will give you a list of exercises, send you home, and hope for the best. At Mindful Motion, we slow things down. We start by listening to your story, digging into the “why” behind your pain, and creating a plan that works for your life.
How is this different than other physical therapy practices?
We don’t just chase symptoms, we help you understand them and find the root cause. Most PT clinics will give you a list of exercises, send you home, and hope for the best. At Mindful Motion, we slow things down. We start by listening to your story, digging into the “why” behind your pain, and creating a plan that works for your life.
What can I expect from the first session?
What can I expect from the first session?
The first session is all about getting a thorough background, comprehensive analysis of your strength, flexibility, and mobility, and understanding your history with pain. You’ll talk with your PT about what brings you here, what's held you back in the past, and where you'd like to go.
Do you offer both online and in-person sessions?
Do you offer both online and in-person sessions?
Yes. Whether you prefer meeting face-to-face or from the comfort of home, we offer flexible options to meet you where you are.
What treatment strategies do you employ?
What treatment strategies do you employ?
Some of the skills which we will discuss and develop are listed below.
Graded and meaningful progression into safe movement and exercise based on your initial evaluation.
Education on Pain Neuroscience and how our understanding of pain and our nervous system plays a large role in our experience of pain.
Developing Mindfulness Meditation skills as a tool to calm the nervous system, relate to your pain differently, create a deeper understanding of your thoughts, emotions, and sensations to provide a fuller experience of daily life and deepen your presence.
Identifying and developing a plan surrounding your personal values which you would like to lead life by.
Other things which we will address are adequate sleep hygiene, appropriate aerobic exercise, working with acceptance of what is, and much more.
Why Mindfulness Meditation?
Why Mindfulness Meditation?
Depending on where you want to go in your therapy, Mindfulness Meditation can act as any number of things for you and your life. Let's start with some definitions.
Mindfulness is the purposeful ability to observe one's thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations without judgment, and to be fully present in the current moment
Meditation is the tool which we use to cultivate mindfulness in our daily lives.
Okay... so why mindfulness meditation for my recovery?
The implications of practicing Mindfulness Meditation with patience and persistence can be profound to your recovery from injury or pain. It can also have an impact to your contact to the present moment, your relationships to yourself and your thoughts, to your loved ones, and the world. You can learn to deal with stress, hardships, and the ups and downs of life with more equanimity.
We're taking your body to the gym by doing the exercises we prescribe. Why not also take your mind to the gym and help create lasting habits which can improve your quality of life?