Pelvic floor patient receiving treatment for painful urination at Pelvic Health Physical Therapy in Madison, NJ.

Painful Urination

Painful urination (dysuria) is discomfort or burning with urination, usually felt in the tube that carries urine out of your bladder (urethra) or the area surrounding your genitals (perineum).

A number of conditions can cause painful urination. In women, urinary tract infections are a common cause of painful urination. In men, urethritis and certain prostate conditions are frequent causes of painful urination.

FACT: Patients with painful urination that have no blood present in urine with testing are misdiagnosed. These patients potentially have either interstitial cystitis (10%) or pelvic floor dysfunction (90%)

Medical conditions and external factors that can cause painful urination include:


• Bladder stones
• Chlamydia trachomatis
Cystitis (bladder inflammation)
• Drugs, such as those used in cancer treatment, that have bladder irritation as a side effect
• Genital herpes
• Gonorrhea
• Having a recent urinary tract procedure performed, including use of urologic instruments for testing or treatment
• Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)
• Kidney stones
Prostatitis (infection or inflammation of the prostate)
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• Soaps, perfumes and other personal care products
• Urethral stricture (narrowing of the urethra)
• Urethritis (infection of the urethra)
• Urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Vaginitis
• Yeast infection (vaginal)

What's The Next Step?


At Pelvic Health Physical Therapy, our certified physical therapists will provide you with a thorough evaluation to determine what the best treatment plan will be for you. We understand how inhibiting pain and stiffness can be, and we want to help get you back to comfortably living your life. We'll help lift all of your physical stresses away!


Please email receptionmadison@pelvichealthnj.com to book an appointment, or call our office at 908-443-9880.