Jarod Johansen's Ball Stretching Guide
Pain
When many people are approached with the topic of ball stretching, the first thing they think of is pain. In reality, ball stretching is highly erotic, and the feeling it creates is a very good sort of sexual tingle in the testicles and up the spermatic cord (the cord which delivers the sperm from the testicles into the body just before orgasm).
If any sort of pain is felt in the process of stretching the testicles, it is usually a minor skin itch or irritation underneath a leather ball stretcher, a stuck hair being pulled in the joint where the two sides of a collar come together, or a pinch of the skin between two collars. In any case, this type of pain can easily be alleviated by a minor adjustment to the stretcher or collars in the men's bathroom. If a sharp pain is felt, the stretching equipment should be removed and not used again until the pain completely disappears. Pain can also be felt as a sort of soreness in the spermatic cords and up inside the abdomen, and this is always the result of too aggressive a stretching regimen. Another kind of typical pain that may be experienced includes a dull ache in one or both testicles. This is when the testicle is slowly and lightly squeezed over a period of time. Adjustment of the scrotum can help with this, by pulling some scrotal skin back opposite from the leather stretcher or ball weight so that the testicle has room to be free in the scrotum again. Also, a tug, by wrapping the thumb and forefinger around the top of the testicles and pulling down can help pull some scrotal skin down as well as pulling the testicles out of the confinement of the leather stretcher or ball weight. There may be a soreness or dull pain in the spermatic cord, felt on or near the pubic bone when touched. When pulling the testicles downward, there may be a slight pain in the spermatic cords from the testicle to the pubic bone.
Sometimes, users who are new to the use of ball weights can accidentally over-stretch the scrotal tissues by going through a weight increase(s) too fast. These symptoms can occur immediately or may develop over a few days after a new weight increase has been given. These symptoms include a burning feeling and sometimes pain within the skin its self under the ball weights. If these symptoms occur, return to the previous weight level and allow time for healing to take place. Time also needs to be given for sack tissues to adjust to the initial weight level, and the next, and so forth. Please read more about some standardized "Guidelines for Weight Increases for New Users to Weights" in the next chapter.
Related to the issue of pain is an allergic reaction that some men have reported. This happens with the use of commercial shea butter lotions, which all contain alcohol. In this reaction, the sack skin gets dry and begins to flake apart. Please read more about this reaction in the "Preservation of Lotions and Butters" chapter, later on in this web guide. .
A more serious pain is an unexplained sharp pain which may occur suddenly or over a period of time. This pain is sharp and constant, never letting up. If sharp pain is felt, remove the stretcher and ball weights. This allows for the normal flow of blood to resume in the case that the weight or leather stretcher was hindering the flow of blood. If the pain does not improve, the condition of testicular torsion may have occurred. This is when the spermatic cord supplying blood to the testicle is twisted in such a way as to block the flow of blood to the testicle and surrounding tissues. A prolonged testicular torsion may result in the death of the testicle and surrounding tissues. Therefore, if pain is not eliminated by removal of the stretcher or weights after a short period of time, a trip to the Emergency Room may be necessary in order to save the testicle from death. Note that this unrelenting pain is always felt in only one testicle, not both.
Lastly, be aware of any color change on the surface of the scrotum surrounding the testicles. If a leather stretcher or metal weight is too tight, it tends to diminish normal blood circulation in the skin below where the weight is attached. If the skin below the stretcher or weight changes to a darker color such as dark purple or dark blue, it means the veins returning blood back up the scrotum in the skin are pinched off. This results in blood sitting stagnant in the veins of the skin. Results can be a rupture of a weak vein, formation of tiny blood clots in the stagnant blood, and added stress to the venious structures which will weaken them over time if no relief is given. If this situation happens, there will be a slow but steady crescendo of general pain below the stretcher or weight. If the change in color is missed by wearing clothing, be aware of this general sort of pain. Simply take a trip to the men's room and loosen the stretcher or reduce the tension in the skin that the stretcher or weights are generating. This is almost always the result of too long a stretcher or too heavy a weight being applied to the scrotum. Also, the leather stretcher could simply be too tight around the hang of the scrotum. Simply undo the snaps of the stretcher and use the second set of snaps which gives a slightly larger radius to the leather stretcher if the first set of snaps were used.
Ball stretching feels good, is exotic, and should be fun. Making friends with other ball stretchers over the internet is also fun, and is also a good source of inspiration, encouragement and information exchange.