Andrew Siegel MD 5/27/2017 Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
A flagpole needs a solid base of support in order to stand tall and not be felled by the elements. One that is poorly mounted will falter as soon as the wind picks up or other adverse circumstances surface. This is analogous to a tree and its root system with no tree able to stand tall and bear the elements without a deep and powerful root system. In both cases, the hidden, behind-the-scenes support system is equally important to the exposed product.
Flagpole base
Exposed roots of a mango tree, by Aaron Escobar [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
…And so it is with the penis. Like the flagpole and the tree that require a solid base of support, the penis also necessitates a sturdy foundation in order to be able to morph into a “proud soldier,” tall and erect in posture. This foundation also enables the ability to maintain this rigid stability despite exposure to the “elements”– the substantial torquing and buckling forces the penis is subjected to at the time of sexual activity.
* Thank you to Paul Nelson–friend, colleague and president of the Erectile Dysfunction Foundation and launcher of FrankTalk.org–who came up with the clever flagpole analogy.
What You See is Not What You Get
Half the penis is exposed and half is hidden. The visible portion of the penis (pendulous penis) is the external half. The internal half (infrapubic penis) lies under the surface and is known as the penile roots or in medical speak, the crura. Like the roots of a tree or the base of a flagpole responsible for foundational support, the roots of the penis stabilize and support the erect penis so that it stays rigid and skyward-angling with excellent “posture.” Without functioning penile roots, the penis would remain limp, would dangle in accordance with gravity and have slouching posture at best.
Illustration above by Christine Vecchione from “Male Pelvic Fitness: Optimizing Sexual & Urinary Health”
The penile roots are enveloped by two pelvic floor muscles, the BC (bulbocavernosus) and the IC (ischiocavernosus). These rigidity muscles compress the roots of the penis, causing backflow of pressurized blood into the penis. In a sexual situation, these muscles engage and contract, forcing blood within the roots of the penis into the external penis. Not only is pressurized blood pushed into the external penis promoting rigidity, but also the contractions of these muscles causes the clamping of venous outflow—a tourniquet-like effect—that results in penile high blood pressure and full-fledged rigidity. These muscles are also responsible for ejaculation—rhythmically compressing the urethra (urinary channel that runs through the penis) at the time of climax to cause the expulsion of semen.
Factoid: It is the BC and IC muscles that are responsible for the ability to lift one’s erect penis up and down (wag the penis) as they are contracted and relaxed.
Illustration above by Christine Vecchione from “Male Pelvic Fitness: Optimizing Sexual & Urinary Health”
The BC and the IC muscles together with the transverse perineal muscles and the levator muscles are collectively known as the pelvic floor muscles, a muscular hammock located between scrotum and anus (“inner taint”). Although unseen and behind-the-scenes, hidden from view, these often unrecognized and misunderstood muscles have vital functions in addition to erection and ejaculation, including urinary and bowel control. As part of the core group of muscles, they affect posture, the lower back and the hips.
Take home message: The pelvic floor muscles are the rigidity muscles, necessary for transforming the stimulated penis that becomes plump into a rock-hard penis. When these muscles are not functioning optimally, one loses the potential for full rigidity.
Factoid: An erection—defined in hydraulic terms—is when the penile blood inflow is maximized while outflow is minimized, resulting in an inflated and rigid penis. The pressure in the penis at the time of an erection is sky-high (greater than 200 millimeters), the only organ in the body where high blood pressure is both acceptable and necessary for healthy functioning. This explains why blood pressure pills are the most common medications associated with erectile dysfunction.
Bottom Line: Neither flagpole, tree nor penis can be firmly supported without a solid foundation. The penile roots and the pelvic floor muscles that surround them are the foundation. Not only do these muscles support the deep roots of the penis, but they are also responsible for the high penile blood pressures responsible for erectile rigidity and are the motor power underlying ejaculation. The IC muscle should be known as the “erector muscle” and the BC muscle the “ejaculator muscle.” Although not muscles of glamour, they are certainly muscles of “amour.”
Straddling the gamut of being vital for what may be considered the most pleasurable and refined of human pursuits—sex—they are equally integral to what may be considered the basest of human activities—bowel and bladder function. These hidden muscles deserve serious respect and are capable of being intensified by training in order to improve and often prevent sexual, urinary and bowel issues. Why not consider exercising your erector and ejaculator muscles, as you do for so many other muscle groups in the body?
Wishing you the best of health,
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Dr. Andrew Siegel is a practicing physician and urological surgeon board-certified in urology as well as in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Siegel serves as Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School and is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor New York Metro Area, Inside Jersey Top Doctor and Inside Jersey Top Doctor for Women’s Health. His mission is to “bridge the gap” between the public and the medical community that is in such dire need of bridging.
Author of MALE PELVIC FITNESS: Optimizing Sexual & Urinary Health http://www.MalePelvicFitness.com
Author of THE KEGEL FIX: Recharging Female Pelvic, Sexual and Urinary Health http://www.TheKegelFix.com
Co-creator of the PelvicRx male pelvic floor exercise program: http://www.PelvicRx.com
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