Doctor requiring male patients to bend over for rectal and point their toes together

Normally the doctor has you bend over a table with your elbows on the table before he spreads your cheeks and inserts. I usually go to male urologist, but had to go 1 time to GP, and was given the exam by a female doctor. She positioned me lying down on my side with knees bent before inserting.

I just had a physical with the obligatory prostate exam. The only thing the Doc wanted was stomach flat on the exam table when bent over. I think it gave him better access to the prostate.

I had my physical with my wife in the room. He had me pull down my pants, naked from the waist down, and then had me bend over the exam table. He put on a glove and lubed it up. He then spread my cheeks and put his finger up my rectum, to check my prostate. My wife quite enjoyed in, since I have seen her in the stirrups on a few occasions. I had my elbows on the table, while he fingered my anus. My wife gives me the same exam when we are alone at home. Much better!!!

During GU demonstrations (as a standardized patient) - all the instructors demonstrated with the patient standing and bending over the table; just one also had me get up on the table on my side so she could demonstrate the Sims position.

And roughly 1/2 the instructors told the students "have the patient stand legs slightly apart and turn the toes IN, then bend over the table." I was told, by one of the support staff, that it turns the buttocks slightly outward and makes it harder to squeeze them together.

I've only been asked to turn my toes in one time in an ordinary dr. visit, a prostate exam by a new MD who had been in practice less than a year. Never saw him again, so don't know if he continued asking patients to turn in their toes after he got some experience.

I have read that turning the toes in makes clenching the buttocks more difficult therefore making it easier for the doctor to gain access to the patient's anus.

In my part of China we usually perform rectal exams in the lateral recumbent position (often called the Sims position in the US). When I was in training we were also shown the knee-chest position for prostate exams. Tthe instructor mentioned that if a patient was clenching his anus you could distract him by getting him to turn his toes in. It worked!.

I go to a urologist every 6 months for a prostate exam because my psa numbers are real high, between 75 to 150. the doctor has me lean over the exam table and he rolls up and checks everything out. I have had 3 prostate biopsy's and nothing wrong to be concerned about. The doctor told me in his 17 years of practice he has never seen someone like me with such high numbers and still going strong.

Pointing the toes together is also a good thing when getting an inection in the bottom. Prevents the muscles from clenching, which can make the shot less painful.

Quite the opposite for me. My feet are spread apart to make it easier to find my rectum and do the finger insertion.

There have been a handful of times, I was asked to bend over for a rectal exam, although it has not happened in twenty five years or so.

Never had one yet. Are they uncomfortable or painful?

DRE? It depends who does it. Doctors can make them uncomfortable, or they can make them not too bad. Sometimes you can pretty much count on them being uncomfortable, such as if you have prostatitis.

The docs and PT I've had do them have been gentle and the worst part has been the anticipation and worrying about being embarrassed. Don't stress yourself out over them.

Well that's a relief, i'm young enough where I don't need one yet, but was interested to hear your experience. Can you feel thier finger on your prostate and all or is it more like pressure based?

I haven't had one on a "normal" prostate yet, but I did feel it during the check when I had prostatitis, though it didn't hurt nearly as much as it could have or when I went in to "see what it felt like".

I'd advise testing things out yourself to see. You also have the advantage of finding out if you might like prostate play. I lie on my side and reach around back. Slide a lubricated thumb in and feel around. If you're aroused the prostate is easier to find.

The official one will be pretty fast. Like I said, even with prostatitis the worst part was the anticipation.

Any time I have been told to bend over, it was simply just bend over. He wasnt very considered where my toes were pointing.

Never had a prostate exam but I have my temperature taken rectally every time. Never have been told anything about the toes pointing inward thing though.

I had a prostate exam last week and no it is not a recreational hobby it was a yearly physical. I just had to lean over the exam table.

In my younger days, there were two positions for rectal exams - standing with knees bent, feet apart, with hands on my knees like a baseball shortstop, or leaning over the exam table. In either case, my memory is that it was usual to be asked to point toes inward. I soon realized that this position of my toes made it impossible to resist the advance of the doctor's finger into me. Now later in life, I get my prostate exams in the Sims position, much to my disappointment.

A couple of years ago, I made acquaintance via Craigs List of a local man my age who enjoyed anal play, enemas, etc. He enjoyed DRE's in particular and when invited to examine him leaning over the table I suggested he turn his toes inward. He'd never had it done that way and commented on his inability to clench on my finger and thereby resist my insertion.

I used to have DRE's like every 6 months.but my prostate has shrunk with medication. Usually a nurse will help me transfer to the table My doctor will come in glove up remove my diaper , examine my penis and scrotum ,then use some surgilube to enter the rectum to assess the prostate when done ,hu will wipe all the lube off ,diaper me in a fresh one because the second chance tapes never want to hold the diaper on ,then get me back in my wheelchair ,from experience when we tried the second chance tapes I would end up with wet or soiled pants later because the diaper would not hold and shift or bunch thus leaving a gap .I have a great relationship with my Urologist I have been seeing him for about 18 years

Before my disability he would just have me lean over the table and not anything special with my feet

I am his only patient who can hold a conversation well he scopes me and tell him he's "hogging the screen " .seeing inside your own body in places that don't get seen normally is cool ,I had my colon rectal guy play back the 'highlight reel " for me after the sedation wore off ,he doesn't often have patients who wanna see the procedure,they both say I am not the usual patient !

I've had rectal exams only from "play" docs, none have requested a toes position, I have noticed though that the type of lube, (& glove?), makes a big difference to the sensation, from pleasurable, to uncomfortable.

I have had DRE exams for as long as I can remember. One of my primary care docs used to do it on hands and knees. My current primary care does it side-lying as did a surgeon years ago when he was ruling out appendicitis. I believe one primary care doc had me bending over the table, but nothing was said about toes in position.

I went to a new doctor yesterday for a physical and was given my first ever prostate exam. After finishing the hernia exam he stands up and turns around, so I assume we're done and pull up my pants. He steps over to the end of the exam table and says he wants to go ahead and also check my prostate. He then leans his arms on the end of the table and says, "The easiest way to do this is to lean over, feet apart, and point your toes inwards a little." He says all this while he's showing me what he wants me to do. Of course my head was spinning from all the nervousness, excitement, anxiety, embarrassment, dread, trying so hard to remember every small detail... you name it. Needless to say, when I did lean over the table and await my penetration, I don't think I remembered to do any of the things he was telling me to do.

My male Fam. Doc doesn't do DRE's. He goes by PSA's. I've seen 2 urologists and they both did DRE's on first visit only. Since bladder cancer polyps, I see a urologist every 6 months for cystoscopy and will continue this for 5 years. I also have to self-cath 3-4 times per day, due to weak bladder muscles.

All my DRE's were done bent over exam table with no instructions as to pointing of toes. I started to spread my cheeks and the Doc said, "just relax, I can do it fine without you spreading your cheeks." (I wonder if he thought I was an anal freak-he should see the number of enema bags in my house.) LOL

I have had a number of rectal examinations and I have always been in what I think is called the SIMS position.

On my left side with my legs bent.

This is the same position that I adopt when I have a colonoscopy.

My long time male family doctor always had me on my side, legs bent. His recent replacement, a female, has me bend over the table. The female ARNP at the VA has me bend over the table as did the female trainee she had with her once. My feeling was that position gave them better access with shorter fingers.

Funny thing to add to my previous post, as soon as I heard him say to point my toes inward I thought of this post. Instantly! I thought, Huh... some doctors really do tell you that!

I also vividly remember leaning over the table while he was examining my prostate looking down at my feet, fairly close together, and pointed out how they usually are. That's when I thought about how noncompliant I was being. Funny about the kind of things that race through our minds in those moments!

Bend over and doctor spread buttoucks himself.

Had a pre employment medical once. I had a pair of boxer shorts on and had to bend over, but only for the doctor to feel my back/spine.

Turning the toes in is slightly awkward, so whether or not it improves the diagnostic yield of the exam, is nevertheless an opportunity for the doctor to issue another instruction with which the patient should comply.

In terms of transition, from one position to another, it can be embarrassing for the patient if the doctor needs to keep his finger inserted while the patient moves from another position to Sims etc.

I was asked to do just that, bend over the exam table, legs apart and toes turned inward.