By Xiaomei Cai, L.Ac., Ph.D. and Qineng Tan, L.Ac., Ph.D.
Are you struggling with urinary incontinence (UI), leaking urine, or wetting the bed at night? Acupuncture and TCM can help relieve urinary urgency and help with bladder control problems.
Bladder problems are common in people or all ages and genders, but urinary incontinence becomes more common as we get older.
Women, especially, may begin to notice changes in their urinary frequency and control as early as their 40s. Recent data suggests that 30-50% of women between the ages of 45-60 experience bladder control issues.
There are many issues that can impact bladder control:
- Nerve damage, or other nervous system-related issues
- Pregnancy trauma or trauma from pelvic surgery
- Weakness in pelvic floor muscles
- UTI – urinary tract infections
- Perimenopause and menopause changes in estrogen levels
- Enlarged prostate (BPH)
- Constipation can put pressure on the bladder
Functional Incontinence or Stress Incontinence?
Nerves are a critical part of bladder function; messages from the brain let the bladder sphincter know when it is a good time to release urine. Functional incontinence is a condition that occurs when central nervous system signals between the brain and the bladder are not linking up correctly.
“Stress incontinence” may sound like it has something to do with anxiety or emotional pressures, but in this case, the term “stress” refers to mechanical stress. When there is internal physical pressure on the bladder, from things like laughing, coughing, sneezing, or any exercise that uses the abdominal muscles, the bladder can suddenly leak.
Stress urinary incontinence is more common in women, because changes in hormones during pregnancy, childbirth, perimenopause and menopause can have a dramatic effect on the tone of the pelvic floor muscles and all of the connective tissues that keep the bladder, the urethra, and other pelvic organs in place.
Urinary Retention
While it is less common, urinary retention is also a bladder control problem. In this condition, the bladder is not completely emptying when you urinate.
Acute urinary retention occurs when there is a sudden inability to urinate, even though the bladder is clearly full. This can cause serious pain and should be addressed with a medical provider immediately.
Chronic urinary retention can begin to happen gradually over time. Signs of chronic urinary retention include:
- Having trouble when starting to urinate
- Feeling like you need to urinate again when you just went
- Feeling like you always need to urinate
- Getting up multiple times during the night to urinate
- Weak flow of urine when peeing
Urinary retention can also be caused by central nervous system issues, sagging pelvic tissues, physical obstructions like an enlarged prostate or stones in the urethra, or some medications, like muscle relaxers.
Acupuncture treatment can help with urinary incontinence and retention by working on multiple levels to positively impact the central nervous system and toning the pelvic muscles.
Typical Treatment for Bladder Control Problems
Unfortunately, many people do not seek professional help for overactive bladder symptoms or incontinence, perhaps because they feel embarrassed, they think that it’s “normal,” and/or because they aren’t aware of what types of treatment for bladder control problems are available.
Medical practitioners will often suggest lifestyle changes that may help control bladder symptoms, such as managing your intake of liquids, avoiding constipation, and losing weight.
Pelvic floor physical therapy, which seeks to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, may also be recommended. Gentle exercises can help reduce pelvic pain and pressure, and may help reduce the sensations of urinary urgency.
For many people, these natural interventions are not enough to solve the problem. Bladder training (sometimes called “timed voiding”) by scheduling when you go to the bathroom, not drinking anything all evening, and doing Kegels at stop lights are difficult habits to maintain, especially if you’re not feeling any results.
Acupuncture treatment can help support these practices in meaningful ways, so that you will notice improvement.
In more severe cases, surgery (known as “sling surgery) may be suggested. This surgery typically involves the insertion of synthetic “mesh” to support the pelvic organs. While this helps in some cases, unfortunately, some people experience serious complications after this procedure.
Acupuncture and TCM offer an alternative treatment for urinary incontinence that can help naturally improve bladder control.
Can Acupuncture Help Incontinence?
According to TCM theory, urinary incontinence is generally considered to happen due to a weakness of the kidney Qi. Strengthening the Qi of the kidneys with acupuncture and herbs helps to improve the function of the bladder.
Urinary function depends on a complex working together of the various nervous systems within the body. The autonomic, somatic, and parasympathetic nerves are all involved in stimulating, controlling and relaxing the different muscles and sphincters that allow urine to be held and released appropriately.
While TCM views organ systems in a different way than conventional medicine does, acupuncture points have been used for centuries to influence the nervous system at the brain-body connection level, as well as to help with specific, localized muscle functioning.
Acupuncture treatment that targets specific acupoints can help reduce contraction of the bladder muscles, to prevent leaking of urine and sudden feelings of urgency.
Acupuncture also has an analgesic effect, which means it can reduce pain and related sensations. Thus, it can help relieve the physical feelings associated with urinary urgency and pelvic pressure.
This can help with the process of “bladder training,” as it may allow you to wait longer before going to the bathroom and have a clearer awareness of the bladder fully emptying when you do.
Electroacupuncture, in particular, has been shown to help reduce leakage and improve the functioning of the urethra and bladder, reducing the symptoms of stress incontinence.
Acupuncture Near Me for Bladder Control in Los Angeles
Drs. Tan and Cai at Art of Wellness Acupuncture in West Lost Angeles have over 35 years of experience helping patients with bladder issues, due to pregnancy, childbirth, perimenopause, enlarged prostate. This condition can be frustrating and embarrassing. The acupuncturists at Art of Wellness are caring and easy to talk to. They can help you feel comfortable and more confident in your daily life and sleeping through the night, without urinary problems like urgency and leaking.
*This article is for education from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine only. The education provided by this article is not approved by FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure human diseases. It should not stop you from consulting with your physician for your medical conditions. Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on Qi, which is an invisible force that usually cannot be observed by modern science. Because science focuses on testing ideas about the natural world with evidence obtained through observation, these aspects of acupuncture can’t be studied by science. Therefore acupuncture and Chinese herbs are often not supported by double-blind, randomized trials, and they are considered alternative medicine therapies in the United States.
