How Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy can Help you with Interstitial Cystitis or “Bladder Pain Syndrome”
Are you tired and frustrated with having to urinate all the time? Are you done with having weird pain or “twinges” in your bladder region? Pelvic floor PT can help!
What exactly is Interstitial Cystitis (IC) or “Bladder Pain Syndrome” (BPS)?
Interstitial cystitis is a considered a chronic pain condition that has both pelvic pain and urinary symptoms. It is a diagnosis of exclusion (meaning after all other things have been ruled out). Many people with IC experience unexplained pain or pressure that is perceived to be related to the bladder. It may be described as pain or sensations similar to a urinary tract infection, pain with urination, bladder pressure, or twinges in your lower abdominal region. Up to 85% of patients diagnosed with IC also have pelvic floor dysfunction (aka problems or tension in your pelvic floor muscles!)
Many patients suffer for years before receiving a diagnosis and have struggled through unhelpful treatments that did not resolve their symptoms. What most people do not know is that IC can and should be treated by a pelvic floor physical therapist with extensive experience treating pelvic pain conditions.
Did you know that Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is the most prove treatment for IC?
Yes! In fact, the American Urological Association has a written IC Guideline that recommends Pelvic Floor Physical therapy as a Grade A and FIRST-LINE treatment for IC (not medications, injections, instillations, etc)! In fact, pelvic PT is the only proven intervention that provided sustained and long-term relief of symptoms, not medications.
If you need relief for your IC or BPS pain, seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist at Awake Pelvic Health & Wellness is the best thing you can do. We have successfully treated many people with IC and BPS and we know we can provide relief to you as well. If you are ready to get started, click here to request an appointment.
Signs and Symptoms of IC:
Pain in the abdomen, pelvis, and/or inner thighs
Feeling of urethral burning
Pelvic pain that can be exacerbated by bladder filling
Associated with urinary urgency and frequency
May be accompanied by low back pain, pain with intercourse, and waking up often at night to urinate
How does Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy help?
Pelvic Floor physical therapy is a Grade A and FIRST-LINE treatment for IC, and should be performed prior to other treatments such as Elmira, bladder installations, or surgical interventions. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of your pelvis that contains nerves, blood vessels, and houses your pelvic organs, including your bladder. Often times with IC, there is no true bladder pathology. When the muscles and nerves of your pelvic floor and abdomen are tight and tense, they can reproduce pain and symptoms that you experience with IC.
Typical treatments include manual therapy to relax the muscles and tissues at your pelvis and around your bladder, bladder habit retraining, massage work to your abdomen, pain science and lifestyle education and goal-setting, nutrition goal-setting, and exercises to help not just relieve symptoms but help them resolve for good. Pelvic physical therapists also help guide you in conjunction with your interdisciplinary team (i.e. other healthcare providers needed in treating you). Because everyone is different, it’s great to have a knowledgeable provider like a pelvic PT on your team to help guide you through your options.
Get Started On An IC/BPS Plan Today
Interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome can feel very frustrating and can seem to take over your life. Our PTs at Awake Pelvic Health & Wellness understand the intricacies that go into your discomfort and we are here to offer long-term solutions. To schedule an appointment at our Woodbury, MN clinic, please call us at 651-432-0250 or click here to request an appointment.
