Topic
Bike ride damage
In my late 20s, I went bungee jumping with a full body harness. The force of the fall put a lot of pressure on my pelvic floor, and I developed a case of prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome for several months. Despite the discomfort, I did not have any erection problems, although it was very traumatizing to that region.
Several months later, I felt 100% again. While doing a lot of long-distance bike training for a ride down the California coast, one particular bike ride involved a long, bumpy descent that made my pelvic floor feel very aggravated again, and this time, I also felt that some damage had been done. Sure enough, I felt incapable of getting an erection the next day.
Something had changed with my erections, but I didn’t know what it was – my erection responses were much slower, and this caused an overwhelming amount of frustration and anxiety. This, of course, also impacted my sexual functioning in probably even more serious ways.
I saw up to four doctors over the course of two years, but they all said the same thing: there was nothing wrong with me. I was a young, healthy male, and they said biking could have done no damage, and it was all in my head. This was perhaps the worst part – I knew something was different, but professionals told me I was fine. My relationships, work, and confidence were adversely affected in serious ways. The stress I felt from this anxiety led to a reoccurrence of prostatitis and chronic pelvic floor pain, causing overwhelming discomfort for many months.
I recently visited Dr. Goldstein’s Sexual Medicine center in San Diego – despite 2.5 years since the bike ride, I still felt unresolved with what had happened to me. I learned that the arteries and nerve in that part of my body had been damaged through trauma, resulting in a delayed fill time for erections and a decrease in sensation.
While most people would think this is terrible news to receive, I found it a relief – I wasn’t crazy! And since getting that news, my anxiety has melted away because I know the truth about what happened. I know I just need to allow a little more time to allow blood flow into my erection – I no longer need to wonder why things are a little different.
If you’re a cyclist and feel like some damage may have been done, I would strongly recommend visiting Dr. Goldstein – I only wish I knew about him immediately after my bike ride as it would have saved me YEARS of anxiety!