Natural Interstitial Cystitis Treatment

What are some key elements and options of natural interstitial cystitis treatment?

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as "painful bladder syndrome", is a frustrating, painful disorder that affects men and women of all backgrounds and ages. It is marked by pain associated with urination (dysuria), extreme frequency of urination (sometimes as often as every 10 minutes), urinary urgency, and pressure in the bladder / pelvis.

Individuals suffering from interstitial cystitis may also experience nocturia (the need for frequent night-time urination), pelvic floor dysfunction and tension, pain with sexual intercourse, and discomfort with the daily tasks of living such as driving or working.

The vast majority of patients experience pain that becomes intensified as the bladder fills, and find that it is commonly triggered by the consumption of certain food and drinks. Aside from dietary changes, there are a number of ways to undertake interstitial cystitis treatment.

Ideally, the first method of treating any health condition should be self-help. Unfortunately, with our advanced medical technology and cultural mentality regarding health, people are not always acutely aware of the fact that the primary person responsible for one's health is, of course, oneself - as easy to forget as this can be at times!

However, particularly with regard to conditions that involve the body's waste elimination mechanisms, lifestyle choices and personal responsibility are integral to treatment and remedies; the same applies to interstitial cystitis treatment.

As previously mentioned, altering one's diet in such a way that it includes less substances that aggravate the urinary system is an important step. Because alcohol and nicotine are both causes of irritation and inflammation in the urinary tract, it is important that they be eliminated or at the very least significantly limited.

Exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the urinary process are another technique for self-help with interstitial cystitis treatment. Although the physiology associated with urination is largely involuntary, the pelvic floor muscles can be located by stopping urination mid-stream - the muscles that cause this are the pelvic floor muscles. Contraction of these muscles with regularity (although, ideally, not during urination) can improve the symptoms of IC.

Another method of self-help for interstitial cystitis that has been helpful to many individuals is a process called "bladder training." Although the method by which people accomplish this is varied, essentially bladder training consists of setting times to void (urinate), and keeping to the schedule using distractions and relaxation techniques.

Gradually, the time between scheduled voids increases, and in turn, urination frequency decreases, accompanied by pain relief. It is also useful for many people to keep a diary whilst engaging in bladder training.

Acupuncture is also thought to be a helpful interstitial cystitis treatment for people with the condition. A 2002 review found that it alleviates pain associated with IC. Although there has not been a great deal of research on IC, a 2008 review concluded that "rather good results have been obtained" when acupuncture is a facet of treatment.

A variety of other helpful, yet decidely less natural, treatments are also available for interstitial cystitis. Medication, surgical interventions, bladder coating therapies, and even neurmodulation are all used as treatments for interstitial cystitis. Because we do not know the precise cause of this syndrome, and because it tends to manifest itself differently in different individuals, it is of particular importance to be proactive in its treatment.

Physicians should be encouraged to explore natural modes of interstitial cystitis treatment, and individuals should implement lifestyle modifications before more drastic treatments are considered. Although interstitial cystitis is certainly a difficult problem to deal with, there are many courses of action that one can take to heal the urinary system and return to life uninterrupted by the symptoms of IC.

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