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I am 20 years old and I have had signs of IC since I was 8. It did not get unbearable until about 4 years ago. My doctor has done nothing but give me antibiotic after another. I don't know much about it. I have had two surgerys and my doctor prescribed me Elmiron. I don't like taking it because it makes my hair fall out. I have not been able to keep a job for more than a couple months because it hurts to much to stand or i have a flare up and i miss work . Of course i get fired. I don't know what to do. I can't bare it any more. halp please
In Reply to: Help please posted by Cassie Dement [840.74] on April 23, 2004 at 20:17:35:
Here is an interesting post Isis put up yesterday on IC and chiropractic.
L5 Subluxation: A Cause of Interstitial Cystitis
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by Warren Hammer, MS, DC, DABCO
A painful bladder syndrome called interstitial cystitis is a typical medical diagnosis where, if no obvious pathology can be found, the patient is treated symptomatically and often with antibiotic therapy and even hysterectomy. Failure to respond to treatment is often labeled a "psychosocial disorder" and referred out for psychotherapy.1
Thanks to the current information revolution we are living in, several months ago a 28 year old male entered my office with shoulder anterior pelvic pain, perineal pain, frequency of urination, mild low back and buttock pain. His urologist had not been able to detect any infection related to his urogenital system and his condition persisted despite all types of medical treatment. He stated that although his back pain was not as significant as his urological symptoms, he felt there might be a relationship. He decided to do a literature search and found an article in the British Journal of Urology2 which described the possible causation of his problem.
This article2 states "An identifiable lumbar nerve root compression appears to cause urological dysfunction consistent with interstitial cystitis." Ten patients, nine female and one male, were evaluated for chronic pelvic pain, and cystoscopic and histological appearances were consistent with a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis. All 10 patients stated that their urological symptoms were so severe that they never would have sought neurosurgical consultation, although their back and leg symptoms became worse with standing, sitting or exercise. MRI of the lower spine consistently found in all 10 patients a lateral compression of the L5 dorsal nerve root. Surgical decompression of the lateral foramina of L5 resulted in immediate relief of urological pain in nine patients who had been followed up for six months without a recurrence.
The females in this study complained of clitoral pain and hypersensitivity, pain upon distention of the bladder based on urodynamic evaluation with synchronous cystometrography, EMG and uroflowmetry, dyspareunia in the women and perineal and meatal pain in the man. The patients were cystoscoped under anaesthesia and found to have diagnostic petechial hemorrhages usually seen with interstitial cystitis. The authors of this article point to the autonomic contribution of the L5, S1 and S2 nerves as they leave the vertebral foramina anteriorly to join the hypogastric nerve of the inferior mesenteric plexus. "Together these fibers make up the pelvic plexus which then spreads along the lateral aspect of the rectum to innervate various pelvic organs. The highest density of adrenergic nerves is found in the trigone, bladder neck and proximal urethra, where they serve a sensory function and are involved with vascular innervation."2
My patient's MRI showed a lateral bulge at the L5 level. Orthopedic and neurological evaluation was essentially negative. There was tenderness on palpation at the L5 level. There was a definite fixation at the L5 level. His complaint of back pain was intermittent and not restrictive of activity. He was a weightlifter who was originally referred by the Leahy clinic based on an article in a recent weightlifter's journal on the benefits of Active Release. On his initial visit, his chief complaint was his shoulder. He stated that if I fixed his shoulder, we could then discuss his spinal and pelvic problem with me. I did fix his shoulder, and weeks later after his shoulder improved he presented me with the reference article and his MRI. Two adjustments of L5 eliminated his pelvic and urological symptoms.
References
Alsofrom J. Low back pain in the female: a dx challenge. Medical Tribune (3), 11/27/85.
Gillespie L, Bray R, Levin N, Delamarter R. Lumbar nerve root compression and interstitial cystitis-response to decompressive surgery. British Journal of Urology, 68:361-364,1991.
Warren Hammer, MS, DC, DABCO
Norwalk, Connecticut
In Reply to: Re: Help please posted by DrDave [1460.109] on April 23, 2004 at 23:08:26:
This is very interesting. I cured myself of IC, and I have (had?) a deflated disc (L4/L5). It wasn't herniated as far as Ricky has explained to me, but simply deflated... (perhaps he could explain better, he's a chiro too). He continually moved my L5 during the period when I had IC, but my adjustments seemed to supply only temporary relief (of course, they weren't holding consistently either). Interestingly, a major part of the cure for the IC was staying away from dairy products (I'm allergic), and when I feel like pressing my luck and eating dairy too frequently, my disc pain comes back... if I push it really far, I can feel the beginnings of bladder discomfort again.
In Reply to: Help please posted by Cassie Dement [840.74] on April 23, 2004 at 20:17:35:
Hi Cassie, this will take a LOT of research and getting to know yourself and your body. Start with the IC archives of the bulletin board on this site. You may want to look into food allergies, stress, lgs/candida overgrowth (likely if you have been on anti-biotics for 12 years) as possible causes and/or factors. There are several people who have cured themselves of IC despite its official status of "incurable".
In Reply to: Help please posted by Cassie Dement [840.74] on April 23, 2004 at 20:17:35:
Hi, Cassie.
In my opinion, IF your diagnosis is correct, the antibiotics can only make it worse over the long run.
What have you learned from the IC archives?
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Help please posted by DrDave [1460.109] on April 23, 2004 at 23:08:26:
Thanks, DrDave.
I appreciate your reminding us of this structural cause.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Help please posted by DrDave [1460.109] on April 23, 2004 at 23:08:26:
I can relate to that....I see plenty of correlation with the above article, I'd say it's actually the norm..... low back pain with L5/S1 issues always carry along bladder/prostate symptoms, from mild to severe.... seems that at least every single low-back pain sufferer has to at least get up to pee once per night, and the funny thing is that they don't see it as abnormal, even if they are only in their 40's and drink little or no water....:)
colon toxicity compunds the problem a lot.
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