Acupuncture Helping UI/OAB?!?

[ILuvLA]

All: Allow me to share my young/early journey with acupuncture and how it has greatly helped with my urinary incontinence!

The jury is still out, but I must admit that I have been going to an acupuncturist for some 7 weeks now and I've noticed quite a marked change for the better.

Let me give a quick recap: I'm urinary incontinent. There was a surgery some years ago that caused an unrelated urinary stricture. After some time and healing, things returned to pre-op normal. Later still, a couple of UTIs led to bouts of incon; but they would eventually subside and go away. Then, all of a sudden (due to old age?), the stress incon and then OAB started and, combined with the scarring from the stricture, took their toll and relegated me to 24/7 diapers due to unpredictable urinary continence.

Meanwhile, I had heard about acupuncture being able to help with UI; but I never considered it for myself ... until recently ... After doing some research on accup helping cases of stress incon and OAB, I decided to visit a local acupuncturist. The results have been nothing short of amazing!

The first visit/treatment seemed to have awaken bladder nerves that I had long since forgotten how they worked. On my 3rd session, the acupuncturist "hit" something because her needle insertion caused me to want to void and void "now", but I was in control and didn't void. It's been 5 sessions now and I'm nearly ready to switch to thin/light-duty pull ups; and then on to just pads! I haven't had a OAB spasm in nearly 10 days; and the urge incon has improved significantly.

All this to say that at first, I was really skeptical about acupuncture helping at all; especially for a "mechanical" problem related to an old stricture. However, I was proved wrong! And while I and the acupuncturist do not think that I will get a 100% complete reversal due to the stricture scar tissue, I have to admit that there has been a very great improvement for the better!!

I've got a few more sessions to go, but if things continue as they have been, then I want to give an enthusiastic and positive shout-out for acupuncture in being able to help with incontinence.

I'll post more as time marches on ...

ILuvLA

[Wetters]

That's very interesting, and thanks for the info. I plan to look into it. At this point, do you have an idea as to whether or not the results are permanent, or will you need to have future treatments every few weeks/months, or whenever? As you may know, the benefits of Kegels aren't very long-lasting, but then again the exercises are not invasive, painful or difficult, work well in a multitasking scenario, and don't cost anything. As to the cost of the treatments, does your med ins. pay all or a portion of the cost? Thanks.

Wetters

[ILuvLA]

Permanency: I've read/heard mixed data on this. My acup says her practice has been that it's rarely permanent. Rather, that a person will go on a maintenance mode of about one visit every 8-12 weeks.

Insurance: While some insurances do cover acupuncture, mine does not. But cash is still king and the cash payments are rather affordable. Especially if I'd only need to see her once every couple of months.

BTW ... One other interesting thing I forgot to mention. If you do go this route, try to use the largest bore needles you can handle. I didn't learn until the 3rd session that larger diameter needles are more effective. For me, there wasn't any change in the level of discomfort/comfort. But the affects were astonishing.

[Porkchop]

I am glad you found a solution, hope it works for you!! Wish I wasn't so phobic with needles to try it!