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.
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.
Schedule your appointment for an in-person evaluation with a pelvic pain specialist today.
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