Tense Muscles cause IC

**bluegoo06** · 07-22-2010, 02:59 AM

I think IC is caused by stress. An intial trauma occurs, and you put all your stress to a specific part of your body, in our cases, bladder / pelvic. THis stress causes your muscles to be constantly tense. You dont even realize it. The constant constriction of muscles, causes nerves sensitivity and inflammation. The inflammation causes your bladder to be more sensative to foods. So, I think PFD happens more likely before IC and causes the IC. I am going with this theory, and starting a PFD Pt program with Healing Pelvic Pain book and trigger point massages. MY IC started in the most stressful year / time of my life, Lost a job, car accident (back issues now and a crooked pelvis), fire in my house, moved 1000 miles for a new job . I have highly believe I have tense muscles, I know I do in my back from the car accident, and my pelvis is crooked, very likely it caused tense muscles in the pelvis with the misalignment and stress.

What are your thoughts?

**Briza** · 07-22-2010, 04:05 AM

hi yes I do believe mine was caused by stress and tension stored in the pelvic floor, the contraction of all the muscles there including the bladder causing the irritation and inflammation inside my bladder. When I developed my first symptoms it was following many years during which I was undergoing a lot of stress in my life.

any time I have made major efforts to reduce stress in my life I have either seen improvement or gone into remission. I have been in remission for a year next month, after taking time off from work and then when I did return I changed careers to something much less stressful.

now on the rare occasion when I feel my pelvic floor tensing up I use new-learned skills to handle my stress and get myself relaxed again. I am happy to have found alternatives to medications to deal with my stress. I am comfortable saying that as long as I manage my stress properly that I do not feel that there will be a return of my IC symptoms.

***kadi*** · 07-22-2010, 04:21 AM

I think that may be true for some of us, but not all. My IC began when I stopped a birth control pill I'd been on for 10 years (I was on it to manage out of control cramps & pms). My mom's IC began when she stopped her hormone replacement estrogen therapy. My grandmother had intermittent IC. My pelvic floor problems came about after I got IC, probably from my muscles cramping from having so much bladder pain for an entire year. Pelvic floor work has definitely helped my pelvic pain, but has not eliminated my IC or even reduced my dietary restrictions due to IC.

**bluegoo06** · 07-22-2010, 04:33 AM

I definately can agree that IC is not always caused by tense muscles (maybe also a contributing factor in many), but in my case I believe it to be true. There are many methods of making IC / PFD etc manageable, and i believe IC is definately a lot of self discovery / self help in getting each personal case of IC managed.

Brizza, are you able to eat anything you want now? Do you have any dietary restrictions when you manage your stress ? Did it take a while for your muscles to "heal" when you started your stress reduction techinques?

***ICNDonna*** · 07-22-2010, 04:39 AM

I absolutely do not believe my IC was caused by stress. To me that goes backward to the theory that the cause of IC is psychological. I do, however, believe that stress definitely increases interstitial cystitis symptoms, just as it does any other physical problem. I strongly suspect my IC was present for years before it reared its ugly head --- during the recovery period from an abdominal hysterectomy. In my case, I suspect the IC would have eventually showed itself, but the trauma of the surgery brought it out. Mine is not an unusual experience.

Many years ago I participated in a survey of IC patients; the result indicated that many IC patients developed IC following a major surgery.

Donna

**Briza** · 07-22-2010, 05:03 AM

well....then I guess I will be the first to say that my poor emotional health IS what caused the tension in my pelvic floor which in turn caused my IC. I don't see how that is backward if that is the case???

Some people store stress in their shoulders, their necks, etc. Others in their pelvic floor. Tense muscles are painful. You should see how tense muscles and spasms caused my vulvar tissues to burn and become visibly raw and inflamed. Certainly the same could have been happening to my bladder lining when it was spasming.

Stop the the tension, stop the spasming and the pain and burning in both areas went away for me.

There is absolutely nothing in my personal background or my family's medical history that in any way leads me to believe that I was "predisposed" to develop IC.

Wow it is amazing to me that anybody's theory about the development of their own symptoms would be called "backwards." Doctors and researchers certainly have not been helpful in finding out the cause of IC.

Donna it is great that you have determined what you think caused your IC. I am bothered that you consider my theory of the development of mine backwards.
The title of this thread is Tense Muscles Cause IC...would be nice if those of us who believe this to be the case could discuss it here without the moderator of this board telling us our theories are backwards.

**Briza** · 07-22-2010, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by bluegoo06

I definately can agree that IC is not always caused by tense muscles (maybe also a contributing factor in many), but in my case I believe it to be true. There are many methods of making IC / PFD etc manageable, and i believe IC is definately a lot of self discovery / self help in getting each personal case of IC managed.

Brizza, are you able to eat anything you want now? Do you have any dietary restrictions when you manage your stress ? Did it take a while for your muscles to "heal" when you started your stress reduction techinques?

yes i can eat anything i want now and have for some time. i started out fairly cautiously, reintroducing coffee and vinegar and some of my other worst irritants but as time has passed i have been able to relax about it. i still keep well hydrated with water.
rest and taking off work for a year helped me so much. later when I discontinued my meds including xanax is when I started other stress managing things...seeing a counselor, meditation, stretching, exercsie, developing some new friendships based on support and mutual respect, weeding out the old ones. basically a housecleaning of my life lol.
but yes, it took some time to heal. I would say it was about two years of steady improvement til I got to full and unmedicated remission.

best of luck to you!

**bluegoo06** · 07-22-2010, 05:46 AM

The fact that I believe stress was a major cause of my IC does not mean that is a psychological condition. A psychological condition is something that would be treated by a therapist or a social worker. I believe IC has huge mental aspect to it. I do not believe that anyone on this forum is MAKING up thier pain or discomfort nor that anyone can wish thier or think thier symptoms away. I believe my IC came mostly from stress. I had a car accident which caused severe muscle tension. This severe muscle tension has caused me phyiscal and emotional pain. I have no doubt that this severe stress hasnt caused the physical aligments or severely contributed . From all of the events I have through this last year, i have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I have always been an anxious person anyway, and I believe my IC symptoms are related entirely to stress with the added effect of the car accident and perhaps surgury. I had surgury to widen my urethra back in March ( the best decision i have ever made, it is amazing not to have to go the bathroom every hour, or get UTI after sexual activity), that could have also affected my symptoms or increased them. My symptoms did not start immediately after the surgury, and they are way to random to be pin pointed as entirely diet related.

I go to a therapist for my depression and learning anxiety management. IC is a vicious circle, you get anxiety from the illness, which causes more tension and makes things worse etc. I am trying to get my life back in order and make sense of this illness. I refuse to take any medications for my IC, i have a mild case, it came out of no where.

I am glad for you donna, that you know exactly what you caused your symptoms, I unfortunately do not, the surgury I had was outpatient and not nearly as "serious of a surgury " as yours.

**Briza** · 07-22-2010, 06:00 AM

blue there is a book i read some time back called The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociatoin, and Disease. The author relates stressful incidents such as childhood abuse, sexual abuse, auto accidents, natural disasters, and other extreme traumas that can be linked to the development of conditions such as PFD, IC, Fibro, IBS...you know, the can't find a cause conditions.
The book makes much sense to me definitely for my own case as a trauma survivor and IC, VV, PFD patient. When I read the book I finally could make sense of my symptoms and conditions, and see that they were all musculoskeletal in origin.
Oh, I also see a chiropractor and massage therapist regularly. Expensive but worth every penny to be medication free. I think it is fantastic that you are exploring other options for symptom relief. I wish I had done that long ago but you know I wanted relief right here right now lol. Doing the personal work is much harder than taking a pill but wow now I am seeing the benefits of putting in the time. And no side effects.

***ICNDonna*** · 07-22-2010, 06:33 AM

When I first developed IC I was told by my physician that the cause of my pain was "in my head" --- I walked out of his office never to return! I then saw the urologist who diagnosed my problem as interstitial cystitis and assured me that it is a physical condition.

Donna

**bluegoo06** · 07-22-2010, 06:48 AM

donna, I have no doubt in my mind that your symptoms and pain are not real. I know that your IC is not in your head. But, for me personally , a lot of my IC seems to be triggered / related to stress. Ic is so vast and variable no one treatment / cause is the same for all. One day there will be a cure to help us all and IC will be broken down into more specific catagories so more of us will find relief. I am glad that you found a management program to help your Ic and symptoms. I am hoping to do the same. Please dont take offense to my theories and beliefs of what I believe to cause my IC. This forum is so great because it is non judgemental and caring. These things will continue to allow all of us to cope and conquer IC.

**Pac168r** · 07-22-2010, 02:57 PM

My IC started after a DC for a failed pregnancy. I bled for a month after, and felt like my muscles were "off". I asked my obygn and she said it was normal. I never thought it was...it felt wrong. My firm belief is that surgery started my IC.

Now to add to the stress theory...my husband wasn't there for me during this time..he went to work when I had surgery & withdrew from me after the loss of the child. He blamed me...screamed at me, treated me awful. Six years later, I am divorced, husband is gone & IC is in remission. Coincidence?

***kadi*** · 07-22-2010, 06:16 PM

I think a lot of us get uncomfortable when someone suggests that IC is stress induced because many of us were labeled as "psych" cases, blamed for our condition, and left to suffer until we found doctors willing to treat our physical problem.

I can say that I am very relaxed all summer long as a teacher & have virtually no stress during the months of July & August. It makes no significant difference to my symptoms. The only difference is that I don't care so much about having them then...

**Zygala87** · 07-22-2010, 11:15 PM

I mentioned this before so excuse me for repeating. My belief is some of us have the gene for IC and at some point be it stress on mind or body IC comes forth. I believe this is true for cancer and other conditons. My youth was a total horror story. My mature years were most comfortable and Blessed. For no reason that I can see IC hit me like a bus when I was into my 60's. I think it will be some time before we really know what causes IC. I hold great hope with all the new research going on. If not for me, for our young people. Just my own opinion. Hugs, Ziggy

**VickiB** · 07-23-2010, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by kadi

I think a lot of us get uncomfortable when someone suggests that IC is stress induced because many of us were labeled as "psych" cases, blamed for our condition, and left to suffer until we found doctors willing to treat our physical problem.

I agree. I was one of those left to suffer.

When stress is mentioned as a possible cause I don't get the impression it is meant that the symptoms therefore are imaginary. Stress has been shown to play a role in causing high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, heart attacks, etc, -all very real physical conditions.

While I don't believe stress is a cause for everyone, I personally can't discount the possibility that it could be a cause for some. I think along the same lines as Ziggy, that we have it in our genes and then something sets it in motion. For me, I believe that 'something' was a series of UTIs.

Vicki