The accidental leak - losing bladder control
When most people think of acupuncture, they think of pain or addictions. While those are two of the most widely used applications of acupuncture, there are many, many, other conditions successfully treated with acupuncture. Overactive bladder, leaky bladder, difficulty in urinating, bedwetting, incontinence, and other bladder conditions respond quite impressively to acupuncture.
In a study done at the Department of Urology in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2013, and printed in the Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, they found that acupuncture was more effective in treating overactive bladder than the drug solifenacin (Vesicare). While the drug produced impressive results - 86.9 percent effectiveness, acupuncture results were 90 percent. Pretty similar. However, while acupuncture produced zero side effects, Vesicare's list of side effects include constipation, painful or burning urination, dry mouth or extreme thirst, difficulty breathing, extreme exhaustion, vomiting, stomach pain, and dry or blurry eyes.
In another study conducted at Whipps Cross University Hospital and University College of London Hospital, researchers found similar improvements. They concluded that not only was it an effective treatment choice for overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), but it "is well tolerated with no side effects or complications," and that acupuncture "should be considered as a potential alternative to our current therapeutic regimes" for patients with OAB.
Acupuncture has also been found to induce the release of bladder ATP and intravesical pressures, which helps to alleviate urinary retention. Urinary retention caused by an enlarged prostate also shows promising results.
In October of 2010, an article entitled Acupuncture as a Treatment for Nocturnal Enuresis, printed in Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical, revealed a study that found that acupuncture was effective in treating nighttime bedwetting. Quote: "Acupuncture can influence spinal micturition centers and parasympathetic innervation to the urinary tract and is known to modulate brain function via the descending serotonergic system." In common English, that means that the acupuncture was able to affect the parts of the brain that control urination, and in particular, help with nighttime bedwetting.
Incontinence can also be helped with acupuncture. There are four main types of incontinence: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, and functional incontinence. Further, there can be additional causes depending on if the person is a man or a woman. Acupuncture has been found effective for most causes of incontinence, in various studies and in clinical application. Acupuncture stimulates biochemical changes in the nervous system that enhances many of the body's homeostatic mechanisms, the urinary system being one of them.
Acupuncture also helps with the stress mechanism, helps the person to relax, and depending on the points used, relaxes smooth muscles (helpful when you can't urinate). Acupuncture has been proven effective for many different bladder conditions. When enhanced with nutrition or nutritional supplements, the results can be quite amazing!
Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with more than 35 years of experience. She is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health-care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d'Alene clinic.
Visit Carling's website at www.vitalhealthandfitness.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. She can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.