Interstitial cystitis (IC) and Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS)
WebMD calls a Interstitial cystitis (IC) a “tricky condition” and I’m sure anyone suffering with this problem would agree! The most common symptoms are urinary frequency (the need to urinate often), urgency (urge to urinate suddenly), bladder pressure or pain. Interstitial cystitis is also called bladder pain syndrome (BPS), but most commonly in America it is simply called “IC”.
The exact cause of interstitial cystitis (IC) is unknown, however researchers have identified a variety of factors that may contribute to the condition. Often IC is broken down into five subtypes, which can help target the treatment and produce better clinical outcomes:
- Subtype 1 – Hunner’s Lesions
- Subtype 2 – Bladder Wall Injury
- Subtype 3 – Pelvic Floor Injury
- Subtype 4 – Pudendal Neuralgia
- Subtype 5 – Multiple Pain Disorders/Functional Somatic Syndrome
The good news is that IC condition can be treated with Acupuncture. One of the main acupuncture treatment methods is similar to Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), which is used in many Western medical settings. PTNS is a method of neuromodulation used to treat IC and overactive bladder (OAB) and related symptoms of urgency, frequency and urge incontinence. Studies show that PTNS appears to work as well as medication, but with fewer side effects [Study: Effectiveness of PTNS for overactive bladder].
Treatment plans are usually 4-6 treatments, but the exact treatment plan will vary based on the severity and duration of the condition.
A Treatment Plan will Include:
- Avoid or minimize the use of stimulants, especially coffee.
- Remove food intolerances and follow the IC Diet plan.
- Avoid other dietary causes of inflammation (refined flours, sugar and industrial seed oils).
- Get regular acupuncture treatments.
An Effective Treatment Plan will also Include:
- An extensive consultation on the first visit. Follow-up includes specific feedback and advice on diet, supplements and lifestyle factors.
- A custom herbal (powder) formula, taken 3 times a day for the first month. A custom formula will be created based on specific constitutional factors. This condition has different presentations clinically, so an herbal formula would need to be customized based on your “pattern” in Chinese Medicine.
- Acupuncture treatments, given 1 time each week for the first month. After the first month, acupuncture treatments will be scheduled every other week for 2-4 additional sessions.
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