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Can Acupuncture Help With Bladder Problems

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Acupuncture Treatment Of Overactive Bladder

Patient gets relief from Painful Bladder Syndrome through acupuncture

Research has shown acupuncture to be effective at reducing symptoms of overactive bladder.

Acupuncture helps reduce the symptoms of overactive bladder by relaxing the nerves and muscles associated with the bladder. Overactive bladder may be caused from bladder spasm creating the sudden need to urinate or a sudden feeling of urination when the bladder is filling, although it is not totally full. Contraction of the pelvic floor muscles may also be a factor. Acupuncture helps to reset these functions to treat overactive bladder.

Acupuncture offers a holistic approach to health and wellness. Acupuncture seeks to understand the imbalance of the interactions between the organs, muscles, and tissues. Once the imbalance is corrected, the root of the problem is improved and body can work to heal itself.

What Foods And Drinks To Avoid

While you may want to drink less liquid so you dont have to urinate as often, you should still make sure you stay hydrated. More concentrated urine, usually darker in color, can irritate your bladder and cause more frequent urination.

Other foods and drinks can contribute to OAB symptoms, including:

  • alcohol
  • tea
  • tomato-based foods

You can test which drinks or foods irritate your bladder by eliminating them from your diet. Then reincorporate them one by one every two to three days at a time. Permanently eliminate the particular food or drink that worsens your symptoms.

Chinese Herbs And Acupuncture For Gall Bladder Stones

Acupuncture has been researched successfully on numerous occasions for its validity in reducing pain and acupuncture can help for biliary pain as well. Chinese herbs are also used in the treatment to breakdown and dissolve stones. Ultrasound and scans are used to determine the size and location of stones. It is not uncommon to find stones in people but they have relatively few symptoms. Surgery is the main treatment but many people do not like the idea of having their gall bladder removed.

Watch this video for Heiko Lade discussing Acupuncture and the Gall Bladder one episode of his Acupuncture On Air Radio Show on Radio Kidnappers.

Many people have symptoms for years that come and go with alternating mild or intense painful episodes. The pain is treated with Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs or Diclofenac but long term use of either of these medications have side effects.

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How Is Acupuncture Done

Prior to getting acupuncture, your acupuncturist will ask about your health history and may give you a physical examination.

During the acupuncture session, thin needles are placed in specific areas to address your concern or condition. The acupuncturist may gently twist the needles for added effect. The needles are often left in for 15 to 20 minutes, with the total session lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Your acupuncturist may use additional techniques during your session including:

  • Moxibustion: This involves the use of heated sticks, made from dried herbs, held near the acupuncture needles to warm and stimulate the acupuncture points.
  • Electroacupuncture: An electrical device is connected to several needles, providing a weak electrical current that stimulates the acupuncture needles during the treatment.
  • Cupping:Glass or silicone cups are applied to the skin so that there is a suction effect, which aims to help stimulate blood flow and balance your energy.

After the treatment, some people may feel relaxed, while others may feel energetic. If you experience any unusual symptoms, you should contact your healthcare provider.

Bladder Problems And Incontinence

Acupuncture For Bladder Leakage

Signs of a Bladder Problem

Everyones bladder behaves a little bit differently. But certain signs may mean a bladder problem. Signs of a bladder problem can include:

  • Inability to hold urine or leaking urine
  • Needing to urinate eight or more times in one day
  • Waking up many times at night to urinate
  • Sudden and urgent need to urinate
  • Pain or burning before, during, or after urinating
  • Cloudy or bloody urine
  • Passing only small amounts of urine after strong urges to urinate
  • Trouble starting or having a weak stream while urinating
  • Trouble emptying the bladder

Bladder infection

A bladder infection is most often caused by a bacterial infection within the bladder. A bladder infection is a type of urinary tract infection . This refers to an infection anywhere in the urinary tract, such as the bladder, kidneys, ureters, or urethra.

Most cases of bladder infections are acute, meaning they occur suddenly. Other cases may be chronic, meaning they recur over the long term. Early treatment is key to preventing the spread of the infection.

Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine. It means a person urinates when they do not want to. Control over the urinary sphincter is either lost or weakened. Urinary incontinence is a common problem that affects many people.

Urinary incontinence is more common among women than men. An estimated 30 percent of females aged 30-60 are thought to suffer from it, compared to 1.5-5 percent of men.

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Acupuncture May Have A Role In Managing Your Symptoms

Waking up several times in the night desperate for the toilet, an increase in the need to go to the toilet or sudden urges to go. Sound familiar? You may have an overactive bladder .Recent evidence points towards acupuncture as a useful tool in the management of overactive bladder symptoms in men and women with minimal, if any, side effects.

Overactive bladder syndrome is the name given to a combination of any, or all, of the following symptoms:

  • the need to go to the bathroom to empty your bladder more often than you usually would
  • a sudden urge to urinate that is very difficult to control and which may result in an ‘accident’
  • your bladder may wake you more than once during the night

Between 12 and 20% of people have been reported to suffer from OAB symptoms in research conducted in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Italy and Sweden1,2,3. It is only slightly more common in women than men .

Interestingly, an increased risk of OAB symptoms as a result of ageing or a higher BMI was more strongly correlated with women1,4.Studies show that OAB can impact negatively on quality of life, sleep, work performance and general well-being, unsurprisingly.

One of the main reasons given for not seeking help or advice was the lack of awareness that effective treatment was available for such conditions5.

Best Cure For Frequent Or Constant Urination

Looking for the best relief for frequent urination or constant urination in Chennai, hereâs why you should reach out to the expert Acupuncturist Dr. Shaji Bharath from the best rated clinic Dr.Bharathâs Acu Heal. He is currently treating patients for a wide range of urological conditions. As a best acupuncture practitioner with 15 years of experience, and having worked with several urologists, Dr. Bharath can create the treatment plan for the best cure for frequent urination or constant urination to manage the condition that’s tailored to your needs, which can break a cycle of frequent urination. As the top acupuncture doctor for urological conditions in Chennai he has witnessed acupuncture doing wonders for people suffering from polyuria. The effectiveness rate increases several times just with one course of Acupuncture. So, take some time to find the right pain management and best remedy for acupuncture approach that suits you. Most of the people swear by acupuncture, citing it as a best cure and a âmiracleâ to improving their quality of life. To contact the top acupuncture doctor in Chennai, Dial: +91 9884746916 or Visit: drbharathsacuheal.com for more details.

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How The Intervention Might Work

Acupuncture works by stimulating points with needles. In TCM theory, acupuncture is thought to regulate qi circulation. For OAB, needling at points on the kidney or bladder meridians could reinforce qi and promote the recovery of bladder function., In Western medicine, the mechanism of acupuncture is as yet unknown.

Acupuncture For Incontinence Not Infertility

Unique Treatment for Overactive Bladder

Research yields mixed results for this traditional Chinese treatment

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 27, 2017 — Acupuncture, a 3,000-year-old healing technique, received mixed reviews in two new studies from China — one focusing on incontinence and the other on a cause of female infertility.

A research team found acupuncture did improve symptoms of stress incontinence — an involuntarily loss of urine, such as when a woman sneezes or coughs.

But in a separate study, another team of researchers determined that acupuncture did not help women who were infertile because of polycystic ovary syndrome . Women with PCOS have a hormonal imbalance that keeps them from releasing an egg during the menstrual cycle.

Acupuncture is a key element of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves inserting thin needles into the skin to stimulate specific body points. Previous research has found it might benefit constipation, depression and morning sickness, among other problems. And some research has found it helpful to boost fertility when the problem is not due to polycystic ovary syndrome, the researchers said.

The bottom line from the two new studies?

For infertility due to polycystic ovary syndrome, however, Shurtleff said acupuncture has not been found effective. He suggested patients consider other options.

More rigorous research on acupuncture is needed in general, he added.

The researchers concluded that acupuncture won’t help infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

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Acupuncture For Bladder Issues

It can be awfully embarrassing to talk about, but bladder problems do happen from time to time. And when they happen to you, it can feel like it consumes your life. Luckily, acupuncture can be helpful for a lot of bladder problems. Heres some info about different issues that we have helped patients with.

Many Gall Bladder Attacks Occur At Midnight

An interesting western medical observation is that statistically more gall bladder attacks occur at or round midnight. Chinese medicine has an explanation for this phenomenon. Ancient Chinese medical physicians attributed a peak energy time of the day for each organ. For example, the peak energy time for the stomach is between 7 am and 9 am which is the best time to eat the biggest meal of the day. The gall balder time is between 11 pm and 1 am. If the gall bladder is overloaded with stones, it would more likely become aggravated around this time and especially if they have had a large rich fatty meal late at night.

Thomas Lin, a well-known acupuncturist in Riccarton, Christchurch worked for many years in a Chinese hospital before moving to New Zealand. He said When we were on night shift, we often used to joke to each other and say, I wonder how many gall bladder attacks we will get tonight at our midnight break .

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What Are The Benefits Of Acupuncture For Urinary Incontinence

Studies suggest that over 80% of individuals with UI do not seek treatment due to the stigma and economic burden. As a result, patients with incontinence are also diagnosed with social isolation, insomnia, and deteriorated mental well-being.

Traditional treatment for urinary incontinence involves behavioral therapies, medications, and surgery. However, theres a high discontinuation rate due to the prescribed drugs financial cost and adverse effects.

Fortunately, theres another safe and effective alternative treatment for UI, and thats acupuncture. Here are just some of the benefits of undergoing acupuncture and how it can increase your quality of life despite an overactive bladder.

Effectiveness Of Acupuncture Treatment

Women suffering from stress urinary incontinence can benefit from ...

Acupuncture is known to have analgesic, neuromodulation or hormonal effects via peripheral and central mechanisms and gives the best remedy for frequent urination or constant urination. Among the possible mechanisms, acupuncture may act as a method of neuromodulation in controlling frequent urination or constant urination. Mechanical stimulation seems to produce signaling via the sensory ganglia and interneurons to the spinal cord which modulates the activity of the motor neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic function, including urogenital activity, such as the detrusor and sphincter muscles. Several studies support acupuncture as an effective treatment option for frequent urination or constant urination.Several reviews for polyuria have focused on acupuncture or included acupuncture as one of the best treatment modalities.

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Description Of The Condition

Overactive bladder is a symptom syndrome defined by the International Continence Society as the presence of urinary urgency , usually accompanied by increased frequency and nocturia with or without urge urinary incontinence in the absence of a urinary tract infection or other obvious pathology., OAB has a serious impact on the quality of life of patients., It can cause anxiety and depression, and it influences patients social interactions and sexual function.

Inclusion And Exclusion Criteria

Studies would be included if they were investigating adult female patients diagnosed with MUI: the symptoms should combine both SUI and UUI symptoms randomized controlled trials or quasi-RCTs comparing any type of acupunctures , electroacupuncture , scalp acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, intradermal acupuncture, abdominal acupuncture, dry needle, fire needle or elongated needle) with surgery, sham acupuncture, medicine, any other non-surgical therapies, or no treatment evaluating outcome variables on amount of urine leakage in 1 h, urinary incontinence episodes, micturition frequency, and nocturia episodes in 24 h, severity of urinary urgency, quality of life, and etc. No limit was placed for time of publication and language.

Studies would be excluded if they were patients with pure SUI or pure UUI comparing one type of acupuncture with another type of acupuncture case report or series, cross-sectional studies, self-controlled studies, case-control studies, cohort studies, other observational studies or laboratory experiments reviews, protocols, secondary analysis, conference abstracts or posters not providing outcome data or information.

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Five Acupuncture Points For Gallbladder Health

Measuring only four inches in length, the gallbladder is an organ small in comparison to many other organs in the human body. It can be found under the liver in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile. Bile is a combination of fat, fluids, and cholesterol that helps break down fat from the food we eat. The bile is then secreted into the small intestine allowing fat-soluble vitamins to be more easily absorbed by the body. And even though the gallbladder has a very specific function, it is not vital for life, as the liver actually produces bile.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the gallbladder has several other functions too. The gallbladder governs decision making and planning. It affects dreams and it controls the sinews of the body. The gallbladder is responsible for passion, action, and assertiveness.

Many peoplehave problems with their gallbladders. This is usually caused by one of twomain conditions, poor diet or excessive stress. A person who experiences severechronic stress and couples that with poor eating habits, can easily becomesick. Greasy, rich or spicy foods combined with added stress lead toinflammation in the gallbladder, as well as stagnation that can contribute tothe formation of gallstones.

There aresome acupuncture points that can be very beneficial when dealing withgallbladder-related issues. Here are five of the most commonly used:

How Acupuncture Helped My Bladder Problems: Part 1

Acupuncture for Overactive Bladder?

I recently suffered from a particularly nasty bladder infection, and having been so busy recently I’ve not really had the time to recover fully. I decided to book myself in for some acupuncture, so today I’m talking about how that helped my bladder problems.

Eileen Durward

Well, this blog seems to have caused a lot of feedback from our website and I have had numerous emails from ladies suffering the same fate as me!

My bladder infection was, I think, a follow on to my fatigue so I have had to work really hard to get myself back into balance.

As women in the menopause we are all guilty of trying to do too much and pleasing everyone, and thus we often forget about ourselves and our needs and this can then result in us getting more and/or worse menopause symptoms. So, I did say in the catch up with you blog post that I was going to do a months detox and take care of myself better. Did I manage it?

Yes and no! I did my month of really healthy eating and no alcohol and I definitely feel better for it now, but life has a big habit of overtaking us and my work and family life have been even busier than usual so my rest and relaxation has been sporadic to say the least hence, I think, my bladder problem taking so long to get better. So I decided that I needed a bit of help.

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Is Acupuncture A Safe Treatment Option

Yes. Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment approach when performed correctly. So, its crucial to book a session with an active professional acupuncturist to reap all of its health benefits. Additionally, its important to talk and be transparent with your practitioner regarding your medical history and health condition.

Characteristics Of The Included Studies

The three included trials enrolled 591 women with MUI. Liu et al.’s study described MUI type of patients , while the other two studies did not distinguish MUI type of patients. Substantial variation was found on design of study and control group among included studies, of which one compared EA with Tolterodine , one compared MA with PFMT and waiting, respectively , and one compared EA with solifenacin plus PFMT . Apart from duration of single treatment session , high heterogeneity was found among treatment regimen in acupuncture group across studies, including type of acupuncture , frequency and total duration of treatment, acupoints selected, intensity and frequency of electric current of EA, etc .

Table 1. Characteristics of studies included in the review.

In terms of outcome variables, amount of urinary leakage was assessed in Liu et al.’s and Zhan et al.’s study by pad test . Number of incontinence episode, micturition, nocturia episodes, urgency and patients using urine pads, as well as improvement degree by the Patient Global Impression of Improvement and patient satisfaction, were only evaluated in Liu et al.’s study using 72-h bladder voiding diary . Quality of life was assessed in all three studies by the International Consultation Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form . Adverse events were reported by Liu et al. and Solberg et al.’s studies . Table 2 summarized the outcomes of included studies.

Table 2. Summary of outcomes.

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