So, I’m hoping you can help me with a health issue that won’t go away. About two years ago I was in the gym doing front squats with two rep breath holds. I felt an intense dull pain in my left testicle and went to a urologist the next day. He did an ultrasound and said it was epididymitis and put me on antibiotics for two months. The previous few months I’d had non-bacterial prostatitis/UTI (maybe caused by training my legs too hard) and the doctor thought it was related. And days prior I’d just lost my lovely dog to cancer. The pain was unrelenting and the antibiotics did not help. I visited many doctors in the next few months and they attributed my pain to non-bacterial prostatitis, although my prostate looked healthy. Eventually the pain flared up into my abdomen with burning sensations and nerve pain (CPPS?). I then aggravated the testicle a more few times by squatting down. The pain would linger for a few weeks, like a good kick in the balls. I was unable to lift weights or go surfing for a year, although I was starting to go mad. Finally I found a urologist who put me on NSAIDS and the pain and incidences diminished. An inguinal hernia was ruled out by an MRI, CT scans and ultrasounds (although I’m living in countryside Japan and there’s a lack of quality doctors and travel limited due to COVID). Then one radiologist found a very small varicocele (1.5mm) on my left testicle and this is now seen as a possible source of my pain. Prior to this injury I’d never had any similar issues. Elective surgery is possible although my urologist says a varicocele of this size doesn’t usually cause pain, and there’s a small chance that surgery could cause other complications. Squatting, bending over, and putting on pants are the triggers. Although sometimes I irritate it while laying down with a movement of my left leg. It’s always the left side and maybe behind my testicle. I am able to do lunges, single leg presses, and Bulgarian split squats but not able to do deadlifts or squats. At one point last year I was taking pregabalin but I didn’t notice any improvements. I’m learning to live with the pain but it has severely impacted my quality of life.
I really, really miss doing squats in the gym. Also, I’m a 48yo who has always been in good health. Thank you for reading and I hope you can provide some insight.