Painful Bladder Syndrome also known as Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS), and also Interstitial Cystitis (IC) can cause discomfort and interruptions in daily life for both women and men.
Painful Bladder Syndrome is a chronic condition that causes feelings of pressure or pain to the bladder and an increased need to urinate. In some cases, it can cause severe pelvic pain.
Symptoms of painful bladder syndrome may vary in type and severity depending on the person and the situation, with some people experiencing more painful flare-ups due to factors such as menstrual cycle, emotional stress, diet, or sitting for a long period of time.
The precise cause of painful bladder syndrome is not known, but we do know of some issues within the body that may cause a chain reaction that leads to painful symptoms.
A break in the bladder’s protective lining (known as the epithelium) which allows harmful substances found in urine to leak through and cause irritation to the wall of the bladder.
Faulty nervous system response which sends pain signals to the brain for functions that are not ordinarily painful.
Pelvic Floor Hypertonia; as the bladder sits on a spastic pelvic floor sling, this can contribute to both urinary symptoms and irritation of pelvic nerves that are squeezed by the spastic pelvic floor musculature.
Interstitial cystitis can be linked to chronic conditions such as endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. As of now, there are no known lifestyle risk factors, but there are hereditary risk factors.
More common in women than men
Appears to most commonly affect people with fair skin and red hair
More likely to have painful bladder syndrome if it has affected another member of your family
Higher risk if you have recently suffered an infection of the bladder
Diagnosing painful bladder syndrome and the issues that are causing it requires an in-depth examination of both the nerves and muscles within the pelvis, learning of your medical history, and getting a full picture of your symptoms and lifestyle.
Here’s what you can expect when you are a patient at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine:
Step One – First, our providers will ask questions about your medical history and listen to your symptoms to get a full picture of what is going on with you.
Step Two – Next, an external exam of your hips, abdomen, and posterior sacrum.
Step Three – Next, your pelvic nerves are evaluated externally with a soft cotton tip.
Step Four – Next, with your consent, gel is placed on a gloved finger and an internal exam is performed to allow us to evaluate the nerves and muscles within the pelvis. There is no speculum required as we are evaluating the pelvic floor muscles and nerves not the organs.
Step Five – Sometimes patients will need Imaging to help us understand if there is an associated cause of the pelvic nerve and muscle pain and dysfunction found on exam.
Step Six – Oftentimes, treatment can be started the same day as there is no down time. Our patients have been suffering with pelvic pain symptoms for 6+ months. We like to get them on the road to feeling better as soon as we can as the longer the symptoms are present the harder it is for us to resolve them.
Once a proper diagnosis has been given, we offer a proprietary office-based procedure to treat painful bladder syndrome. This treatment consists of a series of pelvic nerve and muscle treatments to directly target the spastic pelvic floor muscles, and target the irritated nerves that innervate the bladder. Depending on the symptoms or condition causing your painful bladder syndrome, other modalities may be needed in addition to our treatment.
Experiencing painful bladder syndrome can be very difficult, but our team of pelvic pain specialists will listen to you, validate your experiences and symptoms, and partner with you on your rehabilitation journey.
There are no known measures to prevent the onset of painful bladder syndrome, but symptoms can often be managed by avoiding foods or activities that have been observed to increase the severity of pain symptoms.
If left untreated, bladder pain syndrome may cause the wall of the bladder to stiffen, causing a long-term decrease in bladder capacity. Pain with intercourse can negatively impact your sex life and romantic relationships, and pain and frequent need to urinate can cause major disruptions in your sleep schedule and everyday routine.
Other conditions, such as endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome, may contribute to interstitial cystitis. There are also some conditions, such as urinary tract infections and prostatitis, which may cause frequent urination and bladder pain.
Some studies show that IC is 4x more likely to occur in someone who also has endometriosis. There are similarities in symptoms, but there are key differences in the symptoms. With Interstitial Cystitis, we tell patients to be aware of the symptoms related to Frequent Urination, Recurring Infections, Urinating in Small Amounts, at High # of Times, and Burning with Urination. Both conditions often cause pelvic pain and painful intercourse.
Unfortunately, IC is a chronic condition with no cure. With the PRM Protocol, endometriosis patients can experience increased pelvic function and decreased pain.
After the PRM Protocol, 88% of patients stated they missed 0 days of work due to their pelvic pain in the last 3 months.
After the PRM Protocol, 75% of patients stated their pelvic pain symptoms affected them 0 Hours per week while at work.
After the PRM Protocol, 96% of patients did not need to go to the ER for their pelvic pain in the past 3 months.
75% of our patients note a statistically significant improvement in pain and function.
Next, we’ll conduct a full pelvic exam. Externally, we will look at your hips, abdomen, and posterior sacrum. Internally, we will evaluate the nerves and the muscles within the pelvic area. This full exam is necessary , as it will help our pelvic pain specialists understand the connection between your symptoms, and your nerve and muscle pain and dysfunction. There is no speculum, so the exam is gentle and more comfortable than that of, for example, gynecological exams you may have experienced in the past.
We will discuss our findings with you and come up with a comprehensive treatment plan TOGETHER. We want you to know that your pain is validated and that we are here to work with you on getting you back to the life you deserve.
You’ll meet with one of our pelvic pain specialists, who focuses solely on pelvic pain. We’ll start by reviewing your full health history, including a discussion of your symptoms. This will help us to understand what you’ve been experiencing, so we can work to identify the source of your pain.
Next, we’ll conduct a full pelvic exam. Externally, we will look at your hips, abdomen, and posterior sacrum. Internally, we will evaluate the nerves and the muscles within the pelvic area. This full exam is necessary, as it will help our pelvic pain specialists understand the connection between your symptoms, and your nerve and muscle pain and dysfunction. There is no speculum, so the exam is gentle and more comfortable than that of, for example, gynecological exams you may have experienced in the past.
We will discuss our findings with you and come up with a comprehensive treatment plan TOGETHER. We want you to know that your pain is validated and that we are here to work with you on getting you back to the life you deserve.
