Do You Know The Six Steps of Treatment For IC/BPS?

This new “Living With IC” video was inspired by an IC patient who phoned our office last week. Diagnosed in 2004, she had been remission for ten years when her symptoms suddenly returned last month. She was in a lot of pain, not sure what triggered her flare, anxious for her future and had lost touch with her urologist. Her first phone call was to the IC Network to learn about her treatment options.

I spent most of an hour talking with her about how our understanding of IC has changed in the last ten years, the role of the pelvic floor muscles and how they can trigger IC flares, new therapies and the six step treatment protocol now commonly used in the USA. (Interestingly, her symptoms were far more suggestive of pelvic floor tension rather than bladder wall injury.)

In 2016, we are blessed to have a tested treatment algorithm that puts that patient safety first. The AUA Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis were established to encourage consistency in patient care. Prior to their release, patients were often at the mercy of clinicians who had no interest in IC. Some suggested that IC was a mental and emotional disorder despite decades of research showing profound bladder damage in many patients. Patients who visited multiple urologists were often given contradictory information and treatment suggestions. The AUA Guidelines finally offer clinicians and patients consistent, simple plan that works for many patients.

If you feel that you’ve tried everything, I challenge you to watch this video! If you’re not sure what to do next, this video will provide information that you can use today to talk with your doctors about your treatment. And, most importantly, what I hope this video shares is that the foundation of care is Step One, aka self-help. If you aren’t doing the basics to care for your bladder at home, you could be making your bladder worse. From following diet modification to learning to relax muscles, there is ALOT that you can do at home to calm your bladder symptoms AND nurture bladder health and healing.

ICN Living With IC Video Series

The ICN “Living With IC” Video series has been viewed more than 500,000 times by patients and family members. From basic tips on diet to the last IC research, our goal is to provide clear information in a hopeful and encouraging manner. We want patients to remember that they are not alone. There is always hope!

If you have any topics that you would like to see covered, please send us an email! We’d love to hear your ideas, thoughts and feedback on these videos!

Watch more videos here!