Acupuncture Treatments for Recurrent Cystitis
Cystitis is a common inflammation among women to the point where it is safe to say that very few women have probably never experienced it in their lifetime. Women are more susceptible to this infection than men because they have much shorter and straighter urethrae, which results in a greater likelihood for germs to enter. There are many cases where women develop this inflammation in the bladder after sexual relations as bacteria around the vagina or anus can enter the bladder through the urethra. When you experience cystitis, you tend to frequently have the urge to urinate and during this process, you often feel pain while in some cases, the urine can be mixed with blood. Bladder inflammation is luckily quite easy to diagnose and treat, and usually is healed with antibiotics after one week. However, a new problem can arise if the inflammation returns even after being treated.
This was the case with patient A who visited last winter. At first, she took antibiotics and was quickly treated, but the inflammation would return after one to two years. The problem was after that period, she noticed that the inflammation became much more frequent and even with the antibiotics, her discomfort continued. It appeared that she needed treatment that was more radical in order to successfully get rid of the recurring inflammation, but is this possible with Eastern medicine?
We started by asking several questions about her condition and measured her pulse. We discovered she always felt exhausted, her lower abdomen was always cold, she easily became cold and her pulse was very weak. These were all common symptoms of people with frequent bladder infections.
From an Eastern medical point of view, the solution to this problem is not that difficult. Infection, after all, means that germs from the outside are breaking through our body’s defense system, so we can just reinforce the defense system rather than solely focus on the bacteria itself. If you look at antibiotics that destroy and eliminate the bacteria itself, Eastern medicine makes more effort to keep the bacteria out in the first place. Acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine have the ability to achieve these results and strengthen the body’s defense system.
Patient A received treatment for acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine. After the treatment, the patient’s anxiety about bladder inflammation was eased and she remained in good health. Sometimes, we recommend surgery for very frequent bladder inflammations and some patients have undergone these surgeries. However, these surgeries would not target the body’s resistance to bacteria. We recommend that you always leave surgical operations as your last remedy and give Eastern medicine a try to treat your conditions.