General measures
- Avoid wearing tight clothing.
- Regarding sports and sexual practices must be tried individually what is possible.
- Nicotine restriction (abstaining from tobacco use) – smokers have a 1.7-fold increased risk of interstitial cystitis.
- Tea drinkers have a 2.4-fold increased risk of interstitial cystitis
- Limited alcohol consumption (men: max. 25 g alcohol per day; women: max. 12 g alcohol per day).
- Avoidance of psychosocial stress:
- Stress
- Avoidance of hypothermia
Conventional non-surgical therapy methods
- Botulinum toxin A
- Procedure: Botulinum toxin A is injected in small portions into the detrusor vesicae muscle (smooth muscle cells in the bladder wall) and results in inhibition of reactive detrusor contractions.
- Benefits:
- Reduction of detrusor pressure
- Anti-inflammatory (anti-inflammatory)
- Analgesic (analgesic)
- Sacral neuromodulation (SNM/sacral nerve stimulation).
- Procedure: Motor innervation of the bladder is modulated, resulting in a decrease in sensory detrusor stimuli.
- Benefit:
- Reduction of micturition frequency
- Analgesic
- EMDA (“electromotive drug administration“) – Electromotive drug application into deep tissue layersThis procedure is used to repair the GAG layer/bladder protective layer (GAG = glycosaminoglycans). Initially, treatment is weekly, then every one to four weeks, and ultimately symptom-based. The procedure is non-invasive, gentle and has few side effects. The following agents may be used:
- Chondroitin sulfate (physiological component of all tissue layers of the bladder wall layer).
- Hyaluronan (physiological component of all tissue layers of the bladder wall layer).
- Chondroitin sulfate + hyaluronan
- Hydrodistension – overexpansion of the urinary bladder by means of water, in which sterile saline is applied as intravesical therapy. This can already provide relief from symptoms in some of those affected. The procedure must be repeated from time to time.
- Instillations – irrigation treatments of the bladder.
- Hyperbaric oxygenation – This procedure is designed to improve oxygenation as well as microcirculation in the chronically damaged tissue. For this purpose, patients are treated with pure oxygen in a pressure chamber. The therapy includes 30 sessions, one session lasts between 60 to 90 minutes. In the majority of cases, symptom relief is achieved.
Vaccinations
The following vaccinations are advised, as infection can often lead to worsening of the present disease:
- Flu vaccination
- Pneumococcal vaccination
Regular checkups
- Regular medical checkups
Nutritional medicine
- Nutritional counseling based on nutritional analysis
- Nutritional recommendations according to a mixed diet taking into account the disease at hand. This means, among other things:
- Daily total of 5 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits (≥ 400 g; 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits).
- Once or twice a week fresh sea fish, i.e. fatty marine fish (omega-3 fatty acids) such as salmon, herring, mackerel.
- High-fiber diet (whole grains, vegetables).
- Observance of the following special dietary recommendations:
- Metabolic products are excreted with the urine. In the bladder, these have longer contact with the bladder wall due to the damaged GAG layer/bladder protective layer. Therefore, the following foods should be reduced or avoided:
- Alcohol (spirits, beer, champagne, cocktails, wine (red/white)).
- Foods containing potassium
- Carbonated drinks
- Foods rich in histamine (eg, aged cheeses).
- Roasted and tobacco products – testing tea and coffee varieties.
- Spicy foods such as capsaicin-containing plants/spices (peppers, hot peppers, chili, cayenne pepper).
- Synthetic (artificially produced) sweeteners or sugar substitutes.
- Citrus fruits
- Adequate fluid intake – Increased fluid intake dilutes urine, which can provide pain relief.
- According to the recommendations of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), the following water intake should be taken in through drinks (= drinking quantity) and solid food – per kilogram of body weight – to compensate for daily fluid loss:
- Water intake through beverages (drinking amount) = total water intake – (water intake through solid food1 + oxidation water2)1Water intake through solid food = depending on age group between 680 and 920 ml/day2Oxidation water = depending on age group between 260 and 350 ml/day Attention!
- Metabolic products are excreted with the urine. In the bladder, these have longer contact with the bladder wall due to the damaged GAG layer/bladder protective layer. Therefore, the following foods should be reduced or avoided:
- Selection of appropriate food based on the nutritional analysis
- See also under “Therapy with micronutrients (vital substances) – if necessary, taking a suitable dietary supplement.
- Detailed information on nutritional medicine you will receive from us.
Physical therapy (including physiotherapy)
- Myofascial therapy (aims to loosen and mobilize the fascial system of the body) and vibration therapy contribute to the relaxation of the pelvic floor – especially the pelvic floor pain can be relieved.
Psychotherapy
- Learning relaxation exercises
- Detailed information on psychosomatics (including stress management) you will receive from us.
Complementary treatment methods
- Acupuncture – Positive effects on the perception of pain in affected individuals have been recorded.
- Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO; synonyms: hyperbaric oxygen therapy, HBO therapy; English : hyperbaric oxygen therapy; HBO2, HBOT) – Reduction in pelvic pain, urge component, and micturition frequency (frequency of urination) with a concomitant increase in bladder capacity.
- Neural therapy (procedure for the treatment of diseases; this is to influence the autonomic nervous system through the application of a local anesthetic) – for pain relief.
