According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, prostatitis is a condition that afflicts the prostate gland, a male gland located just beneath the bladder. About the size of a walnut, the gland envelopes the urethra, which is a urinary tube that extends from the bladder through the penis to facilitate urination. Prostatitis is caused by inflammation, swelling or bacterial invasion and cause symptoms, such as difficulty or painful urinating, groin pain, burning sensations while urinating, urgency to urinate as well as pain around the penis, testicles and even painful ejaculations. Alternative treatments to prostatitis often prove effective for many men, and are often combined with more traditional treatment offered by a physician.
Alternative Therapies
Try acupuncture or biofeedback, both suggested by the Mayo Clinic, for relief of symptoms caused by prostatitis. Acupuncture is a practice thousands of years old that has long been used in the treatment of various imbalances, disease treatments and remedies for mild to severe health conditions in the East and is now commonly practiced in the United States. Biofeedback is a method in which individuals learn how to monitor and control a variety of body functions and the body's response to conditions, including pain management.
Exercise
The Prostatitis Foundation recognizes that experts in Europe, Canada and the U.S. believe that many cases of prostatitis may also occur due to pelvic floor tension disorders and that exercising the pelvic floor muscles may help strengthen muscles, tissues and fibers located around the prostate. Kegel exercises, those performed by women to tighten and firm the pelvic floor are often effective for men as well. Slowly tighten the pelvic floor muscles, as if you're trying to prevent yourself from urinating. Tighten the exterior muscles, then picture those muscles tightening as you deepen the contractions, much like the movement of an elevator going from the basement to the first, second and third floor of an apartment building.
Natural Remedies
Saw palmetto is long known for its curative properties in the treatment and cure of prostatitis flare-ups for men around the world. Garlic, echinacea and goldenseal capsules are also effective at reducing inflammation and helping the body fight infection, often the cause of prostatitis flare-ups. Drink plenty of water to help keep the kidneys and bladder flushed. Drink cranberry juice ( a 4 to 6 oz. serving) three times a day during flare-ups or you can purchase cranberry tablets that can be taken three times a day.
Water or hydrotherapy helps to increase circulation. Sit in a very warm bath (as warm or hot as you can stand it without burning yourself) for about 15 minutes to help the urinary tract relax. This may help relieve the pain and help with urination, but only if you have not been diagnosed with an acute inflamation or infection. You may also alternate hot and cold packs placed between the anus and the scrotum to help relieve discomfort and to help reduce inflamation that eases urination.
Take steps to reduce the amount of stress in your daily life and exercise every day when possible. Eat a well balanced diet and take supplements or herbs, such as Siberian ginseng, saw palmetto and herb teas, to promote a healthy reproductive system.
