There’s a sensation familiar to too many women and men…the urgent need to empty their bladder, along with the burning that accompanies doing so. Even worse is the ongoing ache above the pubic bone that falsely signals a need to go. If untreated, a common urinary tract infection (UTI) can progress to a fever with chills, or even a kidney infection. The cure seems simple – a urine culture followed by 10 days of antibiotics – and the UTI clears up…except when it doesn’t. For some, that first UTI becomes a nightmare of recurrent infections. The cycle continues: bladder health seems to be restored, but suddenly, the painful symptoms return. Even worse is when the symptoms are there, but the culture shows a negative result. No infection. No bacteria to treat with antibiotics.
Interstitial Cystitis
At this point, many women are diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. Interstitial Cystitis is the name given to a permanently inflamed bladder, a chronic disorder diagnosed usually after a cystoscopy or bladder biopsy. Treatment is frustrating and often ineffective, ranging from avoiding irritating foods and drinks (e.g., coffee, tea, citrus fruits, etc.), to methods that enlarge the bladder wall or fill the bladder with a solution meant to soothe symptoms…but the vicious cycle continues. It begins to feel utterly hopeless.
Enter Ruth Kriz, a nurse practitioner who says she was failed by the medical profession. After years of recurrent UTIs and a diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis, Ruth says she lost faith in what she was being told about her condition. Fortunately, she knew researchers who were working on different culturing techniques. With better testing, Ruth discovered that she did have an infection, and there was a treatment available.
A New Way to Treat Recurring UTIs
Ruth discovered through her own journey with bladder infections and discomfort is that up to 50% of urine cultures are wrong. If you’re someone who has been left with an Interstitial Cystitis diagnosis after many episodes of recurrent UTI’s, you could very well benefit from advanced testing called MicrogenDX. With this testing, Ruth found that the culprit was a chronic, imbedded infection in the walls of her bladder. Standard testing didn’t catch it, as the bacteria was encased in a biofilm – a community of bacterial cells that stick together and adhere to the bladder wall. Bacteria then creates a protective slime that shields them from antibiotics and the body’s natural defenses.
Once Ruth knew the truth about the embedded infection, she was able to get the right diagnosis and undergo a treatment that worked. She even devoted the next part of her career to helping other people like herself find healing. I’ve worked closely with Ruth, learning from her years of study and incredible ability to offer relief to people suffering from this misdiagnosed condition.
Although Ruth has now retired, I continue to offer my patients this groundbreaking and successful protocol, MicrogenDX Testing. Once the advanced testing has identified an infection, the next step is treatment. In some cases, we use a catheter to deliver a bladder distillation, which may contain antibiotics or antifungals along with biofilm dissolvers. The treatment may need to be repeated, but the good news is, it works! This time-tested method has a success rate over 80% among those suffering. However, when the bladder has suffered from repeated infections and a tortured urinary tract…healing needs to go beyond just the bladder.
Help for Both Women and Men
Urinary problems are some of the most common reasons people consult their doctors. Incontinence is a common issue for women that can begin with menopause, pregnancy, or childbirth, with as many as 30% of women experience incontinence when laughing, coughing, sneezing, or lifting heavy items. Men can suffer from urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction due to aging, surgical prostatectomy, being overweight, or chronic coughing.
At Shalva Clinic, we treat clients who struggle with these symptoms and illnesses with The Emsella Chair. It is a noninvasive treatment to stimulate pelvic muscle contractions, and it is effective for men and also women. By using electromagnetic energy to stimulate and strengthen the pelvic floor, this treatment awakens deconditioned pelvic floor muscles, lessening urine leakage. The Emsella Chair can also be an effective treatment option to reduce erectile dysfunction for men, since a stronger pelvic floor means an improved ability to maintain erections. Over time, men should see a reduction in incontinence and a greater blood retention in the penis with this treatment.
The Importance of Pelvic Health
Your pelvis is home to organs like your bladder, your uterus or prostate, and your rectum. The bowl-shaped complex of bones in the pelvic space also supports the intestines and the internal sex organs. That physiology in the root of the body is often the first to get out of balance. A complete review of your pelvic health can reveal a lot about the proper road back to health.
As the next step in a healing journey from chronic UTIs, Interstitial Cystitis, or any other disorder, a closer look at your overall pelvic health may be in order. At Shalva Clinic, our emphasis on Integrative Pelvic Healthcare searches for the main cause of any dysfuction. Chronic illness of any kind can depress the immune system, so, at Shalva Clinic, we focus together on whole-body health, supporting your immune system so that your bladder and your body can truly repair and recover.
Dr. Ellen Lewis is a naturopathic physician and the medical director of Shalva Clinic. She has dedicated much of her professional life to understanding the issues related to pelvic health and developing scientific strategies for helping men and women heal. Hundreds of her patients have found relief from their conditions based on Dr. El’s range of practices to restore balance in the pelvis. Dr. El is sought after for her warm and personal support for patients suffering from pelvic floor issues, vaginal and urinary disorders, and her strategies for optimizing energy and health. She is an expert in healing HPV and cervical dysplasia through Escharotic Therapy. Dr. Lewis provides cutting edge treatment that goes beyond standard care for her patients all over the world.
You can reach Dr. El in Westport at (203) 916-4600, and in New York City at (212) 686-0079.