3-2-1: Seeing what the pelvic floor won’t say

I. The penis reveals what the pelvic floor won’t say out loud

When a man lies down and his penis pulls in, lifts, or looks shorter compared to standing, it often means the pelvic floor isn’t letting go.

Watch for the 12 o’clock sign (penis rising in supine) versus the 6 o’clock sign (penis hanging down in standing). That change gives you valuable information before the patient says anything.

Resting posture gives you clues. Look before you intervene.

II. Read the skin. The Y sign vs. the U sign

A Y sign shows a tight perineum. The base narrows, the central tendon fades.
A U sign shows softness. The base rounds, the tendon is visible, and the tissue relaxes.

These shapes can shift within a single session.

Encourage private photo tracking (with consent). It helps patients see changes they may not yet feel.

III. Cue lower. Much lower

“Breathe into your pelvic floor” often doesn’t land. Instead, try:
• “Breathe into your anus.”
• “Feel the lengthening at the base of your penis.”
• In prone, guide breath downward by layering your hand from the thorax to the coccyx.

Vague cues get vague results. Be specific. Go where the breath needs to go.

Martha Graham, dancer and choreographer
“The body never lies.”

John Berger, art critic and observer of the visible
“What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time.”
(Just like pelvic rehab. We watch the form. We wait. Then we see what’s real.)

What truth is already visible before your patient says a single word?

With care,

Team IPC