Practical treatment methods for sexual rehabilitation following radical prostatectomy
Presenter: Jason Villarin, PT, DPT, PhD, FAAOMPT
Interested in helping your patients achieve sexual pleasure and satisfaction after radical prostatectomy? Learn practical, evidence-based pelvic health physical therapy methods to optimize the sexual wellness of your patients while centering their desires and identity.
Description
This presentation presents practical evidence-based methods for guiding sexual rehabilitation following radical prostatectomy. Prior lectures from the APTA Pelvic Health academy (Wynne, 2022) provided a strong foundation of sexual health psychosocial considerations for people with gender diverse and sexual minority identities. Key updates in the research literature of 2022-2025 will be summarized to keep attendees abreast of the latest evidence. This work further expands on that prior work by instructing methods for treating your patients in the clinic today including hands-on techniques and specific guidance for home programs to improve sexual health in people following radical prostatectomy. Specificity of pelvic floor muscle function will be explained related to muscles of erection versus muscle of urinary continence; including in-clinic assessment and treatment, and how to instruct a home program that matches patient impairments based on details of surgical procedure. Exploration of non-penis based sexual arousal will be described with consideration of patient preference, history, and desires; options for sexual aides and toys; as well as using aspects of the sensate focus treatment approach to facilitating sexual arousal and pleasure.
Learning Objectives
After completion of this seminar, participants will be able to do the following with confidence:
- Understand the anatomy and physiology impacted by radical prostatectomy (RP) in relation to sexual function.
- Take a sexual history using an open and expansive lens of sexuality, desires, and distress.
- Guide male/AMAB patients in exploring and embracing sexual pleasure beyond reliance on an erect penis.
- Treat using palpatory biofeedback and manual therapy techniques to enhance sexual activity and sexual pleasure in people after RP
About the Presenter
Jason Villarin, PT, DPT, PhD, FAAOMPT
Jason Villarin, PhD, DPT, FAAOMPT, is a physical therapist with Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California. He treats orthopedic and pelvic health in people of all genders using an approach that strives to center the patient’s story. He serves on the He has presented at multiple national conferences in the areas of pelvic and sexual health. He holds a PhD in physiology from University of California at Davis and DPT in physical therapy from University of Washington in Seattle.
Event Details
Virtual Pop-Up: Pelvic PT & Prostate Cancer Care
September 16-18, 2025