Home Remedies & Alternative Treatments For Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome is a long-lasting and chronic condition, which causes painful urinary and bladder symptoms. Even though none of the experts knows the underlying cause of IC, but they believe, IC takes place from conditions, which cause pain and inflammation in different organs of the human body.⁽¹⁾

In most cases, IC patients do not have any symptoms. However, when the symptoms of interstitial cystitis take place, they are intense pain in the pelvic region, which you feel beneath the bellybutton, sudden yet strong urge to urinate and need to urinate often than normal. Moreover, you have to wake up many times during the nighttime for going to the toilet.⁽²⁾

Interstitial cystitis may sometimes result in many big complications, like stiffening and scarring of the urinary bladder, reduction in bladder capacity, and glomerulations i.e. pinpoint bleeding.⁽³⁾

IC can lead to scarring and stiffening of the bladder, decreased bladder capacity, and pinpoint bleeding, called glomerulations.

Many people suffering from interstitial cystitis have obtained relief by the following home remedies-

Diet Changes: Elimination or reduction of food items, which irritate your bladder help you to relieve pain and discomfort related to interstitial cystitis. These are caffeine and chocolate products, carbonated beverages, citrus products, and foods, which contain vitamin C in high concentrations. Besides, you should avoid artificial sweeteners, as they aggravate interstitial cystitis symptoms.

Bladder Training Method: Bladder training method involves timely urination i.e. going to the bathroom as per the clock instead of waiting for the requirement to go. The training helps you to control urine urgency based on certain relaxation techniques, like breathing deeply and slowly or distracting with any other activity.

Wear Loose Clothes: You should avoid wearing belts and other clothes, which put pressure on your belly.

Reduction of Stress: You should try certain stress reduction methods, like biofeedback and visualization.

Exercise: You should try simple and easy exercise to reduce your interstitial cystitis symptoms.⁽⁴⁾

Herbal Supplements: Most of the prescribed medicines recommended by today’s doctors have their origins from dietary supplements, natural herbs, and biological products. Hence, doctors recommend certain herbal remedies as supplements to deal with interstitial cystitis. These are dietary supplements, anti-yeast diet, diet-based therapies, herbal products obtained from enzymes and plants. Also, a few of the doctors recommend legal medical marijuana i.e. cannabis and probiotics.

Massage Practices: Massage practices involve a hands-on approach to work physically with your body. These are chiropractic manipulation, massage therapy, Alexander technique, osteopathic manipulation, reflexology, physical therapy, and psychological integration.

Energy Medicine: Energy medicines are responsible to leverage the concept that every person has a subtle field of internal energy, which he or she emits. Energy medicine practitioners thus believe that disturbance in any of the energy field causes disease. For this, experts recommend for-

• Acupressure
• Acupuncture
• Ayurveda
• Reiki or energy healing therapy
• Biofeedback
• Magnet therapy
• Therapeutic touch and many more

Mind And Body Medicines: Mind and body combination of medicines focus on the way, in which your body and mind interact. In the case of interstitial cystitis patients, doctors suggest art therapy, hypnosis, guided imagery, mindfulness meditation, music therapy, movement therapies and prayer, Pilates, writing therapy, yoga, and support groups.⁽⁵⁾

To conclude, we should say that lifestyle changes, like changes in the diet, overcoming or reducing stress, wearing loose clothes, bladder training, and similar others help individuals a lot to manage their symptoms related to interstitial cystitis. Furthermore, depending on the symptoms and the underlying IC condition, doctors may prescribe certain alternative treatment medicines or procedures to manage the condition and lead a quality life easily.

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Also Read:

• Does Interstitial Cystitis Cause UTIs & Does Vitamin D Help IC?
• Is Long-Term Antibiotics Treatment Good For Interstitial Cystitis?
• What Is End-Stage Interstitial Cystitis & What Is The Best Treatment For IC?
• Can Bladder Cancer Be Mistaken For Interstitial Cystitis?
• What Activities/Exercises Relieve Interstitial Cystitis?
• Does Interstitial Cystitis Cause Smelly Urine & Can A Urine Test Detect IC?
• Can Interstitial Cystitis Go Away On Its Own & What Are Its Natural Remedies?