A 25-year-old woman came to our clinic with a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis (IC). She was suffering from constant pain in her lower abdomen, and a persistent, urgent need to urinate. When she went to the bathroom, only small amounts of urine came out. This condition was especially bad at night, although it persisted during the day as well. The medication prescribed by her doctor was not helping, and she was feeling hopeless and distressed. This interstitial cystitis acupuncture case study describes how acupuncture resolved her pain and helped her return to living a healthy life.
Interstitial Cystitis – The Problem
The MayoClinic.org states, “Interstitial Cystitis (in-tur-STISH-ul sis-TIE-tis) is a chronic condition causing bladder pressure, bladder pain and sometimes pelvic pain. The pain ranges from mild discomfort to severe pain. The condition is a part of a spectrum of diseases known as painful bladder syndrome.” (link to site)
Acupuncture – The Solution
Acupuncture works wonders to reduce and resolve the symptoms associated with interstitial cystitis. At Raleigh Acupuncture, we have been treating this condition for over 15 years and have consistently found acupuncture to be effective in bringing long-lasting relief.
Interstitial Cystitis Acupuncture Case Study
Our 25-year-old patient had been very active before developing this condition. But afterward, she had ceases all but the most limited forms of activity. That is because movement made her condition worse. These symptoms had also triggered feelings of anxiety and depression. She felt so discouraged having this condition so young, with no hope in sight for getting better. While her doctors had spoken encouragingly about the medications, they had not worked for her. Her symptoms persisted, and in fact, were getting worse over time.
The first thing we did when she came to the office was to conduct an intake exam. We asked all about her symptoms, medical history, and current living environment. We then looked at her tongue and felt her pulse. These two diagnostic tools give a tremendous amount of information about a person’s health. These techniques have been developed over thousands of years, and allow the Chinese medicine practitioner to assess internal organ function to a high level of accuracy and precision.
Chinese Medicine Pattern Diagnosis
The information we elicited during the intake allowed us to establish her Chinese medicine pattern diagnosis. We identified the imbalance in her body that was responsible for her IC symptoms. The pattern diagnosis is crucial to obtain, as it reveals the “root cause” of her condition. We always strive to treat the root cause because once we resolve it, symptoms fade away on their own. If you address the symptoms alone, you must continually retreat, creating an endless cycle of pain management.
Our patient was struggling with a pattern diagnosis of Toxic Damp Heat in the Lower Warmer in combination with Spleen Qi Deficiency Generating Dampness. Armed with this diagnosis, we created a treatment plan, and her acupuncture treatment began.
Acupuncture Points for Interstitial Cystitis
Each person’s condition has a unique pattern diagnosis and treatment plan. We may treat five different interstitial cystitis patients, each with a different underlying root cause. Some may have Spleen deficiency, while others may have Liver Qi stagnation or Heart Fire.
In Chinese medicine, pattern diagnosis is vital. This is not the case in Western medicine, where there is typically just one treatment for a condition. All headache patients get Pill A, and all interstitial cystitis patients get pill B.
In Chinese medicine, there are twenty different types of headaches, each type reflecting a different underlying root cause, or pattern imbalance. Each pattern imbalance requires a unique treatment plan. The same holds for interstitial cystitis and every other condition we treat.
The treatment plan for our patient in this interstitial cystitis acupuncture case study included the following points: CV3 ST29, SP9, LV2, Li11, GV20, and Yintang. Other acupoints were added where necessary, as her treatment progressed. She received acupuncture once a week for four weeks.
We then assessed her progress to determine if the treatments were working. In her case, they were working exceedingly well. After her fourth treatment, her symptoms were 60% reduced! We continued treating her with acupuncture for another six sessions, at which time she was completely in remission, with no adverse symptoms.
Our patient was thrilled with this treatment outcome. It exceeded her wildest expectations. She continued to come in for treatment once a month for maintenance for the next six months. At that time, she stopped coming, only to return when flares occurred, having been brought on by high stress. Acupuncture quickly resolved such flares. She has continued to manage her interstitial cystitis in this way to the current time.
The Role of Chinese Herbs
In some cases, we will prescribe Chinese herbs in the course of treatment for interstitial cystitis and other conditions. Herbs are a natural form of treatment that works in the same way as acupuncture, although in a milder form. In the present case, we did not need to prescribe herbs, since the patient responded so effectively with just acupuncture.
Next Steps
If you have interstitial cystitis or any other type of inflammatory bladder condition, including frequent urinary tract infections, come in for acupuncture. It is highly effective at resolving these conditions.
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Painful Urination Natural Remedy
Acupuncture provides a natural remedy for painful urination with urgency. Come in for a treatment and see for yourself!
What our Clients are Saying
I highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture. I was getting urinary tract infections every three months since my son was born and it was driving me crazy. After six treatments I was cured and no longer got them. I was treated so well and am very happy.
Went to Raleigh Acupuncture for frequent UTIs. They took care of the problem and I don’t get them anymore. Thank you!
I have suffered from IC for over 10 years, with terrible cramping and burning urination, having to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. I tried acupuncture out of desperation because I wasn’t getting relief anywhere else. It worked incredibly and took away most of my IC symptoms. Why didn’t I know about this sooner. Raleigh Acupuncture is a really good practice. They have kept me healthy for over three years now. I highly recommend them for treating IC.
