Browse Tag by PBS
Interstitial Cystitis, Protocols

Acupuncture for Interstitial Cystitis and Pelvic Pain

Acupuncture has been used widely for chronic pain conditions for a long time and therefore lends itself as a potential therapy for interstitial cystitis and pelvic pain and I’m sure at least some of you have already tried it.

It seems to me that acupuncture is widely accepted these days by conventional practitioners, but as with any abstract therapy it remains controversial. In today’s post I’d like to take a closer look at what evidence we have for it.

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Interstitial Cystitis, Protocols

The Most Effective Natural Therapies For IC (According To Science)

Many IC sufferers I have spoken to are either interested in trying alternative natural therapies, or have already tried some.

There are a variety of natural therapies and remedies out there, and often it is hard to know what is effective. In my experience, this is highly individual. We do, however, have some data on what seems to help the most people.

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Interstitial Cystitis, Protocols

Aloe Vera for Interstitial Cystitis (and a Giveaway!)

Aloe vera is a traditional herb that has been used in ancient cultures and is used today both topically and orally for various therapeutic purposes.

Aloe vera is one of the herbal remedies used for interstitial cystitis. Today, I wanted to have a closer look at how and why it’s used for IC and, as usual, what evidence we have behind it. Plus, I have a giveaway for you (who doesn’t like free stuff?!) so make sure you read on till the end!

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Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

Are Bladder Instillations Evidence-based?

I never had a bladder instillation when I suffered from ‘interstitial cystitis’ – my doctor at the time couldn’t even diagnose me, so I didn’t get to try any conventional treatment for IC. In my desperation, I very quickly turned to natural interventions… and the rest is history.

We often speak of orthodox medicine as being ‘evidence based’ and anything ‘alternative’ as being ‘quackery’. I have long come to understand that a lot of ‘alternative’ interventions are in fact very much following the newest evidence but also that ‘quackery’ (and maybe more importantly ego) can be found in all walks of medicine.

So far, I’ve mostly stayed away from writing about conventional treatments and it’s not my intention to slag anything off. But after hearing from so many sufferers I’ve spoken to that instillations have not helped them, I wanted to see if their use is actually evidence-based.

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Protocols

Low-Level Laser Therapy For Chronic Pain

 

Low level laser therapy is also known as light therapy or photobiomodulation. There’s different forms of light therapy, but this form mainly refers to red-light therapy of a specific wavelength.

It sounds pretty esoteric, but actually it has been used by NASA to help plants grow in space and by farmers for breeding chicks and other livestock. But it has also been used therapeutically for humans, especially in the context of recovery from physical exercise.

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Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

Key Takeaways From My Experience With ‘Interstitial Cystitis’

After having suffered for two years of what I now understand was ‘Interstitial Cystitis’, years of researching and writing about bladder health and working with clients who suffer from chronic bladder issues I’ve gathered some key points to consider.

If you don’t want to read through all the information I have compiled on this blog, I think this could be a good starting point for anyone afflicted with these problems.

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Interstitial Cystitis, Protocols

Oxalates and Interstitial Cystitis

Oxalates are the salt form of oxalic acid, an acid that is found in many plant foods and can also be produced in the body.

Oxalic acid can form oxalate crystals when binding to minerals such as calcium. When deposited in the body, these can cause a lot of pain, similar to tiny glass shards.

This is probably most well-known with regards to kidney stones, which can often be oxalate/calcium stones.

There is also some evidence that excess oxalates could play a role in painful bladder conditions, such as interstitial cystitis. However, this evidence is more anecdotal than based on scientific studies (as there haven’t been any studies that I know of). Today I would like to look at some potential connections between oxalates and interstitial cystitis.

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Conditions, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis

The Bladder-Gut Connection

Hippocrates already said over 2000 years ago that ‘all disease begins in the gut’. Today, we’re understanding more and more how right he was.

For me personally, gut issues preceded the onset of chronic cystitis and interstitial cystitis. When my gut was at its worst, so was my bladder. I have no doubt that, similarly to many other conditions, the gut is implicated in bladder problems.

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