“Man, my balls hurt.” 

If it feels like you got kicked in the nuts and are constantly recovering, there is help for you beyond gabapentin and surgery.

Testicular pain, besides being incredibly painful, can also be very embarrassing to talk about. And while there is something to be said for dignified interactions in public that is probably not what brought you to this page. So, welcome. First of all, there is hope for help with your testicular pain. And you are not alone. In fact, it is estimated that 100,000 men every year in the United States are dealing with this pain. 

Before you continue reading this article, if this pain in your testicle started very recently then you need to consult a medical doctor because one of the causes of testicular pain is called a torsion. When a torsion occurs the blood flow to the testicle is restricted. This is very dangerous, and requires immediate medical attention to prevent tissue decay or loss.

But if you are not experiencing a torsion, then, what are you experiencing? 

There are basically two options. 

First, the tissue in the testicle could be compromised in some way, and you’re experiencing pain because these tissues are not being supplied with what they need. Some examples of compromised tissue are a torsion (see above), a varicocele or hydrocele, or even irritation post vasectomy. 

Second, somewhere along the neural pathway, or along the nerves that feed the testicle, there could be some sort of dysfunction in the tissues around those nerves.

There are two neural pathways along which testicular pain can be generated if the pain is not being generated directly in the testicular tissue. The first pathway would be from the middle of the back, running down along the side of your abdominal wall to the front of your testicle. The other pathway would be from the front of a bone that is called your sacrum (deep in your pelvic floor) to the backside of your testicle.

Pain generated from these neural pathways is due to the normal function of the nerve being interrupted in some way. What can be done? Consult your local men’s health physical therapist! 

And when you go to see this therapist, you will learn about the anatomy and physiology surrounding your testicular pain, how you can fix it, and how you can keep it fixed.

From this therapist you can learn and better understand where your pain is coming from and why it is there. He or she may use large medical speak. These words will seem large and cumbersome, and you need only remember that these terms are merely caveman latin. For instance, one of the words you may learn is “Ilioinguinal nerve”. Don’t be impressed, anyone who actually spoke Latin back in the day wouldn’t be impressed either. This term merely means that the nerve runs by the pelvis bone and into the groin on its way to the testicle. This is pretty much true of any medical speak.

And some of the physiology you will learn will contain concepts about trigger points. Understanding trigger point physiology will give you a better sense of why you hurt when you hurt and how you can exert control over your pain and why recovering is a process and not an event. If you want to learn more now without reaching out to your local men’s health physical therapist just send us a message asking for the trigger point hand out. 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Todd Rundell, Doctor of Physical Therapy

Men’s health specialist 

P.S. 

At Renewal Physical Therapy we want to give our patients the tools to take care of their bodies so they can spend less on medical professionals and more on the rest of their lives. The first step in this process is making sure our patients are well educated. We are happy to answer your questions or to send you more material to help you better understand your condition. Just reach out to us!