⚡️ Do you constantly rush to the bathroom, feeling like your bladder is calling all the shots in your life? You might be dealing with an overactive bladder.
📌 Overactive bladder is a condition where your bladder muscles decide to contract even when your bladder isn’t full. This results in sudden urges to urinate, frequent trips to the restroom, and the occasional embarrassing accident.
While medications designed to relax the bladder remain a frontline treatment option. We can use acupuncture and electrostimulation to address the tibial nerve. Some experts will call it “Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation”,utilized by medical doctors and urologists and developed based on acupuncture.
❤️ What causes an Overactive bladder?
Several factors may contribute to its development. These include nerve problems that disrupt the regular communication between the brain and the bladder, bladder muscle abnormalities, certain medical conditions such as urinary tract infections or bladder stones, and certain medications. Other factors, such as advancing age, hormonal changes, and obesity, may also increase the risk of developing an overactive bladder.
❤️ Treatment Protocol
The tibial nerve innervates the sacral plexus at the base of the spine, which controls the bladder and pelvic floor and is responsible for its function; this nerve runs down the medial side of the leg. Electroacupuncture will be performed at the location of the tibial nerve at medial malleolus areas for 20-30 mins using acupuncture needles with non-painful electric stimulation 2-3 times per week. The treatment series is usually 10-12 sessions, then re-evaluate. If I don’t have the expected result, I will analyze TCM diagnosis, which requires targeting the root course of the patient. Then, I will prescribe Chinese herbal medicine, which is also very effective for this symptom.
❤️ Contradiction: We do not use electroacupuncture treatment on patients with a history of epilepsy or seizures, severe heart disease, or patients with pacemakers. Electroacupuncture holds promise as a non-invasive and potentially effective treatment for overactive bladder. Stimulating specific acupuncture point near the tibial nerve areas with a gentle electrical current may help alleviate symptoms and improve bladder function.