Interstitial cystitis (IC) is overwhelmingly more common in women than in men, with an epidemiologic incidence that is estimated to be as high as 510 per 100,000 women. The condition is characterized by urinary frequency, urgency, and pelvic pain.
Not always localized to the pelvis and bladder, pain may occur in the lower back, vagina and lower abdomen and is often aggravated at the onset of menstruation as well as after intercourse.
Principally a diagnosis of exclusion, IC may have a profound impact on an afflicted individual's quality of life and may be associated with psychological disorders including depression and/or anxiety.
IC is a poorly understood, chronic condition and its cause is unclear. The goal of treatment is generally to reduce pain and urinary frequency, and treatments may include multiple weeks of bladder instillations, stress management, anti-inflammatories, nerve stimulation, antidepressants, anticholinergic-antispasmodic agents and even surgery.
Many individuals suffering from interstitial cystitis seek complimentary and alternative care including acupuncture, pelvic floor therapy and diet modification and hormone balancing.
You can support your suffering from IC by addressing adrenal health and diurnal cortisol levels. Cortisol, our body's own natural anti-inflammatory agent, is produced endogenously by the adrenal cortex and secreted in highest amounts in the morning with a gradual tapering of levels throughout the day.
Cortisol's anti-inflammatory nature assists in keeping chronic inflammation and pain at bay. Unfortunately alterations of this diurnal cortisol pattern, as seen in individuals with phase 1, 2 or 3 adrenal fatigue, may alter the body's ability to control inflammation, allowing chronic inflammatory conditions such as IC to ensue.
Research has demonstrated just how important optimal cortisol levels may be in controlling the symptoms associated with IC and findings indicate that diurnal cortisol patterns in IC patients may have significant treatment implications.
IC patients with sub-optimal morning salivary cortisol levels less than 12.5 nmol/l were found to be over 12 times more likely to report urinary urgency than those patients with levels above 12.5 nmol/l! Patients with higher total daily free cortisol levels reported decreased overall symptomatology.
-------------------- 2 Corinthians 12:9-11
9 But he said to me, �My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.� Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ�s power may rest on me. Posts: 1445 | From Poconos, PA | Registered: Jul 2004
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