Wednesday, 24th of December 2008 An overactive bladder is caused when the bladder muscles involuntarily contract causing the urgency to urinate even when the bladder is not full. Symptoms include increased frequency, accidental leakage and strong sudden urges to go to the bathroom. It has been estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians over the age of 35 have experienced an overactive bladder and we spend millions of dollars on products to help control this problem.
It has been found that acupuncture is effective in treating an overactive bladder according to a study reported in the July issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2005.
“Several studies support acupuncture as a potentially successful treatment of urinary urgency, frequency, and urgency incontinence,” write Sandra L. Emmons, MD, and Lesley Otto, MD, from the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland….Women who received four weekly bladder-specific acupuncture treatments had significant improvements in bladder capacity, urgency, frequency, and quality-of-life scores as compared with women who received placebo acupuncture treatments.”
In the Herald Times Dec 22, 2008, it was reported that a patient who received acupuncture for an overactive bladder had success right from the first treatment. In this case, the patient was treated with PTNS (Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation) which stimulates the nerves that send signals to the bladder muscles. The needles are connected to a stimulator sending electrical impulses to the nerves of the bladder. “According to research, PTNS works in about 70 percent of cases, Glandt said.”
To read the rest of the article:
http://www.htrnews.com/article/20081222/MAN04/812220457
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