[Dirt-Torpedo]

I went to the doctor the other day for what turned out to be prostatitis - inflammation of the prostate. It's fairly (debilitating at times) painful & I'm hoping I don't have to explain all the "stuff" it makes "difficult".
The doctor said "A lot of bikers have this chronically".

My questions are:

Is this true? I've never heard any o' my friends who ride have this. Or do people just not talk about it?

What can be done about it? Seats? Susp. posts? Susp. frames?

I've actually been off the bike for about a month & think that my current problem was brought on by a LOT of time in the car recently. But the doctor did think that my prostate was probably
already inflamed a little from riding my mountain bike.

Any thoughts, info & shared experience on this would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[The Toninator]

Sorry i dont have that problem but there are prostate friendly saddles on the market. It’s a common problem but a not so talked about problem.
I recommend making a post asking the "Bike Doc" for his opinion about your situation. He is a real doctor but is an avid MTB'er and own's an awesome MTB ranch here in Texas.
You can find him at: http://www.tmbra.org/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=6

You will have to register to post but it is worth it.
tony

 

[shocktower]

The worse thing is my nut`s hurt like I was kicked ,the Dr told me I need to get laid more like 4-5 X a week ,and I`am serious about that ,now I need to get my wife doing me more ,BTW I use a man seat ( one of the specialized units ) ,I hate being old and married ,I wish you could just go and buy kid`s cause I love mine so much

 

[Trunkmonkey]

Cycling-related "functional" problems are quite common. Cyclists also have issues with infertility later in life (please don't ask how I know ), so start taking care of your junk with some of the split seats on the market!

http://www.google.com/search?q=infertility+cycling
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/health/conditions_diseases/infertility/4651460.htm

Posted on Tue, Dec. 03, 2002

Mountain biking linked to infertility
LINDSEY TANNER
Associated Press

CHICAGO - Frequent mountain-biking may reduce fertility in men, according to a small Austrian study that adds fodder to a debate over cycling and male sexual function.

The research suggests frequent jolts and vibration caused by biking over rough terrain may cause abnormalities, including small scars within the scrotum and impaired sperm production.

The abnormalities were found in professional mountain bikers and other "extreme" bikers who logged at least 3,000 miles yearly - or an average of more than two hours a day, six days a week.

Dr. Ferdinand Frauscher, a urology-radiology specialist at University Hospital in Innsbruck, Austria, said he studied about 55 avid mountain bikers and found nearly 90 percent had low sperm counts and scrotal abnormalities.

Only 26 percent of the 35 non-bikers he studied had similar damage, according to research presented at this week's annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

Whether the abnormalities were severe enough to make fathering a child difficult is uncertain, though some of the bikers studied had already experienced difficulty conceiving, Frauscher said.

Participants were aged 17 to 44.

His study looked at fertility rather than impotence, which was linked to recreational cycling in research heavily publicized in 1997. The earlier findings, by Boston University impotence specialist Dr. Irwin Goldstein, were construed by many cycling aficionados to suggest that men should avoid any cycling sports.

Some doctors thought Goldstein's findings were overstated, but the issue has prompted a mini-industry of bicycle seats designed to avoid the compression of penile arteries that Goldstein said occurs during cycling.

Such problems may occur on narrow, racing-type seats, Frauscher said. Some newer, wider designs feature holes or gaps to avoid pressure, but these likely would have no effect on the scrotal damage found in the Austrian study, which may be caused by jolting over rough terrain rather than artery compression, Frauscher said.

Frauscher said men shouldn't avoid mountain biking because of the study, but should perhaps consider investing in bikes with shock absorbers or suspension systems designed to reduce the jolting.

Stanford University urologist Dr. Robert Kessler said he was skeptical of Frauscher's findings. Scrotal varicose veins, which were among the abnormalities Frauscher linked to mountain biking, are usually congenital and not linked to trauma, Kessler said.

"It doesn't make sense," Kessler said.

Dr. Eduardo Randrup, a urologist at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, said the link is plausible but not necessarily cause for alarm. The damage Frauscher found "may well be reversible" and likely would not occur from recreational cycling, Randrup said.

Dr. Sangili Chandran, a sports medicine specialist at Christ Hospital and Medical Center in the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, said other studies have found similar results but, like Frauscher's, have been too small to be conclusive.

"The theory is there, the proof I'm still looking for," Chandran said.

Even if the results are corroborated in future studies, very few mountain biking enthusiasts are logging enough miles to worry about any fertility impairment, Chandran said.

ON THE NET

Radiological Society: http://www.rsna.org

 

[I Are Baboon]

I've heard that bikers with these problems are few and far between, and they average insane amounts of time in the saddle...more than most of us with full time jobs will ever have the time to put in.

If it hurts that much, I'd recommend getting a 2nd opinion, maybe from a doctor who specializes in sports medicine.

 

[spincrazy]

further research says 'special' saddles don't help. my worry is not fertility, but erectile based. let me go find another thread on another board for more info.....

 

[spincrazy]

Not tonight Honey, I just went riding.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you straddle a narrow saddle, you don't bear your weight on your ischial tuberosities like on a chair but on your ischial pubic ramos. The nerves and blood vessels running in Alcock's canal are compressed against the bone. Straddling a traditional bike saddle x-rays show that all blood flow stops.

Sexual dysfunction is comprised of disorders of desire, arousal, orgasm and pain. Looking strictly at the biological aspect, arousal is affected by neural, vascular, endocrine and structural conditions. The bike seat affects both the neural and vascular conditions.

Review of study data
Pressure is measured by weight divided by surface area. The larger the bike seat, the less pressure per square inch. When biking faster, such as in the aero position, the rider sits forward putting more pressure on the nose. This pressure is greater than blood can flow into the area, stopping blood flow to the penis or clitoris. When using a noseless seat blood flow remains normal.

Young, otherwise healthy riders get focal endothelial dysfunction causing erectile dysfunction. Chronic injury causes non-denuding endothelial injury leading to atherosclerosis, whereas crush injury causes denuding endothelial injury leading to atherosclerosis of a particular focussed area. Smashing the area leads to bleeding into the inside part of the penis, subsequent erectile tissue fibrosis, leading to leakage out of the back of the penis so an erection can be achieved but doesn't stay. Blunt perineal trauma is not just from bike riding. Primary impotence can be from blunt trauma in childhood, so that growing up a boy never gets erections.

Epidemiology
The NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) study examined night time erections of police officers, comparing erections of officers riding on bikes compared to those riding in cars. Bike riders had less night time erections than those in police cars.

The population study MMAS (Massachusetts Male Aging Study) showed that 3 hours or more of bike riding increased the risk of erectile dysfunction 1.72 times more than the general population.

Prevention
Increasing the surface area of the seat helps decrease pressure. A two cheek noseless seat has more surface area than a traditional narrow saddle. An ultrasound of this seat shows unchanged blood flow, whereas there is no blood flow using a narrow saddle with or without a cutout in the center.

For bike racers who cannot ride on a noseless seat, it is also possible to adjust the angle of the hoods up and shorten the bike frame which puts more pressure on your hands, and tilt the seat down all of which puts less pressure on your crotch. The problem with this, however, is that increased pressure on the hands could injure the hands. For more information on adjusting your bike for a safer ride, click here.

Treatment
Treatments include Viagra, vacuum devices, MUSE, penile injection, and penile revascularization surgery, where a healthy artery is attached to the penis to restore blood flow. This surgery is successful 70% of the time if the procedure is performed by surgeons who do this surgery routinely.

Conclusion
Do not minimize the importance of sexual function in your life. The adverse relationship between bike riding and sexual function will not go away.

 

[shocktower]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
I've heard that bikers with these problems are few and far between, and they average insane amounts of time in the saddle...more than most of us with full time jobs will ever have the time to put in.

If it hurts that much, I'd recommend getting a 2nd opinion, maybe from a doctor who specializes in sports medicine.

I did see a Dr and he said what I got is just that prostitus ,and boy does it hurt ,the worst part is he fingered me ,and that`s how he knew cause I whinced ,and as far as the saddle time I don`t do enought so my fat ass put more pressure on my junk plumbing .Oh well I`ll get better ,btw I thought the ED was cause my wife is getting fat

 

[valve bouncer]

Sometimes my unit goes numb when I'm riding. I have to stop and have a pull to get feeling back. It goes numb a lot.......

 

[llkoolkeg]

So to keep the boys at operational readiness, cyclists need to install padded tractor saddles and steer with the left hand while rubbing one out with the right?


From the title, I though this thread was going to be about riding into a tree after some lime fluffy nugs.