Our physicians and advanced practice providers know a wide variety of tips and tricks women can use at home to prevent and relieve bladder pain problems, and these tips are also well-known to our nurses and medical assistants in the clinic. Our physical therapists also serve as experts in these tricks when women want to have a more in-depth conversation about how to prevent and treat bladder pain at home. Read about some of these at: https://www.voicesforpfd.org/interstitial-cystitis/treatments/
Our physical therapy team consists of 6 dedicated physical therapists who specialize in not only pelvic muscle release and balancing, but balance of the pelvic muscles to relieve stress, strain, and pain in both the bladder and the surrounding muscles. Learn more about physical therapy at: https://www.voicesforpfd.org/about/physical-therapy/
There are a variety of medicines that can be put directly into the bladder through a small catheter in the clinic (bladder instillations) or taken by mouth at home, either as needed or every day, to help with bladder pain. Our providers are experts in helping women find the right treatments for them. Learn more about medications for painful bladder at: https://www.voicesforpfd.org/interstitial-cystitis/treatments/.
The University of New Mexico has been at the forefront of discovering that stress makes symptoms of bladder pain worse and that stress-relieving practices aid in this. We have a wide variety of resources and referrals for women who want to use this type of treatment.
This clinic procedure is offered to patients with severe bladder symptoms of frequency or urgency due to their bladder pain, and can also help relieve pain in many patients. Read more about this simple office procedure at: https://www.voicesforpfd.org/assets/2/6/Botox.pdf
This procedure is not needed by most patients but is offered to women not improving with the treatments above. It is done in the operating room with the patient asleep, and consists of stretching the bladder walls gently with fluid pressure to alter the nerves and relieve pain. At the time, we also looked for Hunner’s lesions, which can be treated with steroid injection or heat therapy at that time in the operating room. Learn more about options at: https://www.voicesforpfd.org/interstitial-cystitis/treatments/
This is offered to patients who have not had relief from the former treatments above. Sacral neuromodulation is outpatient surgery 1-2 weeks apart, where the first surgery places a small wire in the buttock to stimulate nerves in the tailbone, and the patient wears the wires for 1-2 weeks at home to “test drive” how it works for bladder pain and urgency/frequency. The second surgery places a small coin-like battery under the skin of the buttock if the patient likes the improvement with the stimulation. Read more about this at: https://www.voicesforpfd.org/about/surgery-and-procedures/
MYPAICE Trial: We are about to finish a study comparing the usual treatment for bladder pain to the same treatments with the addition of at-home yoga and meditation practice, where women are randomly assigned to the usual treatment or the usual treatment with the yoga/meditation. Contact the research team at (505) 967-8428 to learn more.
Pain IMAP Study: We are recruiting women with various pelvic pain problems to answer surveys regarding how they make choices and how they feel about certain treatments for pelvic pain, including pain in the bladder. Contact the research team at (505) 967-8428 to learn more.