Varicocele Natural Treatment Without Surgery

VARICOCELE & WEIGHT LIFTING

1/12/2014

Post Updated Agust 22, 2023

Varicocele: How to Exercise Without Pain

You've been there--you go to the gym, weight lift or exercise, and leave with a massively swollen lump of swollen testicle veins.

Varicocele Toxic Blood Pooling:

Excessive Exertion and Abdominal Pressure
Poor Breathing and Bracing Technqiue (Including Wrong Use of Weight Lifting Belts)
Posture and Muscle Balance
Proper Exercise Technique
Tesicular Hyperthermia (overheating)
Lack of Proper Scrotal Support Underwear
Underwear That Is Over-Heating

What all of these have in commomn is that they either increase varicocele toxic blood pooling, or directly increase the toxicity of the blood pooling.

For example: Exertion creates excessive abdominal pressure, pushing down and preventing blood in the testicular veins from returning to the heart. This pools blood. Pooled blood is toxic blood. It contains ROS (oxidizing agents), damaging chemicals, lack of nutrient exchnage, and even prevents your testicles from cooling properly. Pooled blood damages the veins, testicles, sperm, and sperm DNA, it causes pain, infertility, lower testosterone production, testicular shrinkage, and a whole host of other symptoms.

The Full Solution: So, we need to minimize varicocele toxic blood pooling, improve blood circulation, minimize excessive blood flow to the testicles, and keep the testicles cool, and on top all of that there are healing treatments that we can follow.

1. Breathing Technique & Bracing Sequence!

Now, if you're lifting lighter weights, it's easier to inhale with gravity and exhale against gravity, but as your weights increase, a core bracing sequence is fundamental for every strong lifter.

Holding your breath and exerting is called the Valsalva Maneuver, and is actually used in diagnosing varicocele grade because it swells the veins. It is also a main reason why weight lifters get hemorrhages (other than lifting heavy), and bleed from the anus.

As it turns out, inhaling and pressurizing your torso is fundamental for bracing sequence. I think no one really does a better job than Chris Duffin at explaining a proper breathing and bracing sequence, bellow is his must-watch video for to learn proper bracing. His bracing graphic is also much more informative than my axial extension one here. Note: This all definitely applies to varicocele.

He also mentions activating the pelvic floor, as well as the lower abs. Both of these are fundamentals that everyone with varicocele must practice when lifting.

I would also add that when possible (with sub-maximal lifts), exhale through pursed lips. And, especially, don't exert down into your pelvic when you lift. Lift compressed, strong, and especially with no energy leaks down into the pelvis!

Related: Learn What Lifestyle Factors Effect Varicocele.

varicocele treatment: weight lifting, exercises, and physical activity

2. Posture Is Fundamental! Introduction to Axial Extension (Beginner)

Now, you could exert better if you maintained good posture in your spine! It actually is not all about "neutral spine". It's about AXIAL EXTENSION. I would estimate the value of axial extension as $100,000. It is such an amazing posture to maintain. It totally alleviates excessive abdominal pressure, and has dozens of other benefits that "neutral spine" does not encompass.

Now, the axial extension exercise is great, but if you want to get a more advanced perspective on posture search these topics: Back-bracing, core-bracing, perfect technique, hip hinge, and thoracic extension, and chin tuck.

3. The Lower Abdominal Belt (Muscles!)

Now, I realize that different exercises have different technique (e.g. for some lifters what works is pushing abdominals out when deadlifting), but, in general it's actually it's not a good idea to allow your abs to sag out! Importantly, you need to pull your saggy lower abs in and keep them tight--think of your lower abs as a weight lifting belt that keeps everything nice and tight. And make sure to axially extend.

4. Very Important: Cooling Treatments

I am amazingly baffled by how much people completely ignore testicular temperature. What do you think produces your sperm and testosterone? Your testicles! So, you think that people would give proper testicular care more thought... But, most people keep thinking it's all about training harder and harder, but not smarter. Big mistake.

Well, yeah, you need to keep your testicles cool. You don't keep your entire genetic heritage outsideof your body for no reason. Your testicles need to be kept cool! So, you're pretty retarded if you wear a sauna suit to workout. Think of it, you were only born with a bit of pubes around your penis and balls. You're not born with 1 layer of underwear, 1 layer of pants, and 1 whatever else you wear. So, simply, don't wear so many layers. Wear something breathable!

Now, I have dedicated an entire chapter of the Varicocele Healing Guide to Cooling & Pain Relief, so, that should tell you how important I think the topic is.

5. Underwear: Make a BIG Difference.

Here are the options:

Normal Underwear
Proper Scrotal Support Underwear
No Underwear/Underwearless

What's the best option? By far, hands down, the-best option is proper scrotal support underwear. It must be cooling, provide light-high scrotal support (light for lower exertion, and high for higher exertion e.g. when squatting over 225lbs.) However, support without cooling equals testicular damage. So, it Must also be maximally cooling. This will minimize varicocele toxic blood pooling.

The next best option is going commando, simply because it helps keep the testicles maximally cooling. Testicular temperature is a major risk factor, so, again, this is very improtant.

The worst option is wearing random over-heating, supportive, or non-supportive underwear. Just a terrible option. Terrible. It will increase your varicocele swelling, and worsen varicocele toxic blood pooling. Avoid it. Get yourself better underwear.

Update: The best underwear for being physically active.

6. Supplements?

Some supplements have venous draining properties, and others help minimize damage to vein walls and valves (vasculo protective properties). There are many supplements that you can take that are proven to improve blood circulation (e.g. blood thinning agents).

There are many ways to minimize excessive blood flow to the testicles, litterally reducing the amount of blood that will pool during physical activity/working out!

Top 10 Varicocele Supplements!