As part of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, and GERD) fibromyalgia seems to be the most unrelated of all the diseases listed in the syndrome That is, if you understand that from an energy science point of view all disease begins in the GI tract and so IBS and GERD make a whole lot of sense
But fibromyalgia(FM) which at one time was labeled as muscular arthritis seems remotely associated with the pelvic diseases that make up the syndrome However as I have written about in the past the energy science sees this bladder syndrome as being created in the GI tract as an imbalance of qualities or vibrational frequencies that when the pressure is high enough leave the gut and disseminate to the adjacent pelvic plexus of nerves to bring about symptoms
IC involves the nervous tissue of the pelvic plexus of nerves around the rectum , prostate, vagina, and bladder Dependent on which nerves are involved determines which organs will be most symptomatic If the nerves going to the vagina are more involved then the symptoms of vulvodynia predominate and the bladder symptoms are less Or the converse can be true, where most of the symptoms are bladder and there may be no or little vaginal symptoms I have written several blog posts regarding the pelvic innervation involvement
Both IC and FM energetically arise from the colon In IC the imbalance of qualities leads to distribution to the pelvic nerves In FM the classic distribution of these qualities can go to the muscles and and the soft tissues around the joints Symptoms of pain and burning come and go and become migratory, sometimes in one area only to move to another In this way the toxic load associated with Vata and Pitta find their way to muscles of the body
But in another form of FM there can be arthritic like symptoms From an energy science view the nervous system and the joint space are anatomically connected This is because the major function of this tissue layer is to fill space Any space in the body including the joint spaces are part of the nervous system tissue This explains why some people with IC can have arthritis like symptoms and/or muscle like symptoms labeled as FM
Apart from obvious things of eating a nutritional format appropriate for your energy makeup and avoiding incompatible food combinations here are 3 things that you can do to treat FM in either form
1 Massaging medicated oil into the painful muscle points or around the involved joints can be relieving to these areas Mahanaryan oil is a very potent oil used in this type of complex of symptoms
2 The use of ginger powder mixed with mahanaryan oil can be effective to involved tissues because over time the ginger will help to burn off the toxic load that comes to these involved areas with Vata and Pitta
3 Basti As I have written before in previous posts the treatment to get rid of the collected qualities or vibrational frequencies that have accumulated in the above tissue sites whether in the muscle or joint space is to allow them to come back to the GIT This happens when there is a negative pressure created in the colon by the use of medicated basti
As I’ve talked about in the past thepelvic bladder pain of IC is related to the hot and mobile qualities being stuck in the pelvis But why do some 60% of IC patients not go on to severe chronic symptoms? The answer in short form is toxic load in the urinary system that prevents the qualities from naturally being released Kavala is an ancient energy science technique of swishing sesame oil in the oral cavity for a period of time It is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts written 1000’s of years ago Recently this sesame oil swish...
read moreThe debilitating bladder pain of an IC(interstitial cystitis) flare requires you to pull all stops and do everything to get comfortable As I’ve talked about in the past chronic management is baseline work(nutrition, incompatible food combination avoidance, use of cooling herbs in cooking, CCF tea, etc) These therapies help begin release and at times flares are an aspect of release The treatment of flare in this setting takes the management to another level of pain management One of the mainstays of acute treatment is the use of...
read moreOver the last 20 years the interstitital cystitis(IC) complex of pelvic and bladder pain has been successfully treated by urologists with botox Initially used as a way to focally paralyze muscle fibers in the face as a cosmetic application, it quickly crossed many lines of therapy for use in other organ systems in the body to include the bladder The use of the agent in bladder injection therapy is that the bladder and pelvic pain is related to muscle spasm in these respective areas that paralysis of the muscles would reduce the pain Matter...
read moreInterstitial cystitis(IC) is a chronic disease with an unknown cause from the currently practiced matter or molecular science medical discipline And the treatments are random due to this reason From an energy science medical view IC is a painful pelvic syndrome not necessarily localized to the bladder due to the failure of the body to eliminate the hot and mobile qualities from the pelvis usually due to toxic load also localized in the pelvis This disease as in all diseases according to the energy science tradition originates in the gut...
read moreCurrently you live in a society where speed is a treasured gift and impatience becomes an acceptable emotion If something doesn’t happen fast then you can become uncomfortable And it’s not surprising that people with IC can become impatient After all the qualities stuck in the pelvis giving rise to the disease are the mobile and hot qualities These combine to make the mind impatient with the hot quality even leading to frustration and anger For example, if you are plagued with painful interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder flares...
read moreWhen a doctor says, “You have interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder pain syndrome and it’s treatable but not curable”, a depressing cloud of sadness might descend over you at that moment But usually it takes time for this kind of medical opinionated attitude to sink in and it’s an attitude that is pervasive in the matter science medical community And since the expert tells you this, it must be true! But in such a situation of dogma, you have to be like the fish caught in the net and find a hole and swim out Otherwise...
read moreHave you become interstitial cystitis? So bound to the diagnosis, so consumed that health does not factor into your thinking? When you suffer from the debilitating symptoms of interstitial cystitis, there’s a tendency for any one of us to begin identifying with the symptoms of any disease process, and that includes IC In the end often what happens is you take on the identity of IC as if you have become IC The often phrase “I’m an IC patient”, indicating that the “I” is equivalent to the disease In...
read moreIC(interstitial cystitis) bladder pain like any chronic disease produces a described “drain on the body” Symptoms such as those of muscle and joint aches(aka fibromyalgia), vulvodynia, depression,chronic fatigue all begin to show up as the chronicity wears on the mindbody This observation shows our intuitive connection with the energy body which acts like a car battery When the car lights are left on overnight, the battery is drained of its stored energy To see the mindbody as an energy field opens us up to a wide variety...
read moreOne of our readers asked “what is energy work? This very important question because it’s important to know for confidence as to why you are doing what you are doing There are two ways to manage IC pain in my mind The first is the matter science approach which is what everyone in the IC community has experienced You go to the family doc, internist, or urologist and they prescribe pharmaceuticals for your pain These drugs are molecules that have anticipated effects on your body, like a sedative or antidepressant This...
read moreIn acute conditions you know you feel poorly because of the sudden onset of symptoms and because of the short term illness you know what it feels like to feel better But what about the scenario with chronic diseases like IC bladder pain where you get used to feeling poorly I liken the experience to pressure applied to the arm If you apply a sudden blow to the arm it hurts But what about the same pressure applied to the arm over an extended period of time It’s different, right? You see the arm’s sensory...
read moreAs most people with the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) inflammation is the triggering issue around the syndrome And a number of foods energetically will cause inflammation such as tomatoes, hot chiles, salsa, carbonated drinks, and coffee But what about animal foods? Where do they fall in the mix and why?
In the energy science world of nutrition a fatty acid is inflammatory End of story So any fatty meat such as domestic beef, lamb, and the worst offender pork are all on the No No list
Salt is inflammatory as a taste because energetically it carries the hot quality So fish whose meat has lived in saltwater for most of their lives will carry the hot quality due to the salt So saltwater fish such as salmon, cod, halibut, and so on will be problematic except for one exception below
Nondomesticated animal foods Following from what I just discussed nondomesticated meats such as buffalo, venison, moose, elk, and rabbit are excellent sources of animal protein due to the extremely low fat content
Egg whites While egg yolks can be used occasionally(1-2x/wk) egg whites can be used all the time by everyone The egg yolk has. you guessed it, a lot of fatty acids whereas the whites are pure protein You can buy egg whites in the grocery store in container cartons
Shrimp My fav of the list because shrimp even in salt water don’t take on the salt that other seafood do Plus there is a freshwater variety of shrimp that is available as well
Freshwater fish These fish are as good a source of omega 3 fatty acids as their seafood counterparts but without the salt So fish like pike, walleye, trout, bluegill and others are great choices Tillapia is a freshwater fish which is a bottom feeder with many sources coming from China and for several reasons I’m not a big fan of the fish but this is clearly an individual bias
As I’ve talked about in the past thepelvic bladder pain of IC is related to the hot and mobile qualities being stuck in the pelvis But why do some 60% of IC patients not go on to severe chronic symptoms? The answer in short form is toxic load in the urinary system that prevents the qualities from naturally being released Kavala is an ancient energy science technique of swishing sesame oil in the oral cavity for a period of time It is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts written 1000’s of years ago Recently this sesame oil swish...
read moreThe debilitating bladder pain of an IC(interstitial cystitis) flare requires you to pull all stops and do everything to get comfortable As I’ve talked about in the past chronic management is baseline work(nutrition, incompatible food combination avoidance, use of cooling herbs in cooking, CCF tea, etc) These therapies help begin release and at times flares are an aspect of release The treatment of flare in this setting takes the management to another level of pain management One of the mainstays of acute treatment is the use of...
read moreOver the last 20 years the interstitital cystitis(IC) complex of pelvic and bladder pain has been successfully treated by urologists with botox Initially used as a way to focally paralyze muscle fibers in the face as a cosmetic application, it quickly crossed many lines of therapy for use in other organ systems in the body to include the bladder The use of the agent in bladder injection therapy is that the bladder and pelvic pain is related to muscle spasm in these respective areas that paralysis of the muscles would reduce the pain Matter...
read moreInterstitial cystitis(IC) is a chronic disease with an unknown cause from the currently practiced matter or molecular science medical discipline And the treatments are random due to this reason From an energy science medical view IC is a painful pelvic syndrome not necessarily localized to the bladder due to the failure of the body to eliminate the hot and mobile qualities from the pelvis usually due to toxic load also localized in the pelvis This disease as in all diseases according to the energy science tradition originates in the gut...
read moreCurrently you live in a society where speed is a treasured gift and impatience becomes an acceptable emotion If something doesn’t happen fast then you can become uncomfortable And it’s not surprising that people with IC can become impatient After all the qualities stuck in the pelvis giving rise to the disease are the mobile and hot qualities These combine to make the mind impatient with the hot quality even leading to frustration and anger For example, if you are plagued with painful interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder flares...
read moreWhen a doctor says, “You have interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder pain syndrome and it’s treatable but not curable”, a depressing cloud of sadness might descend over you at that moment But usually it takes time for this kind of medical opinionated attitude to sink in and it’s an attitude that is pervasive in the matter science medical community And since the expert tells you this, it must be true! But in such a situation of dogma, you have to be like the fish caught in the net and find a hole and swim out Otherwise...
read moreHave you become interstitial cystitis? So bound to the diagnosis, so consumed that health does not factor into your thinking? When you suffer from the debilitating symptoms of interstitial cystitis, there’s a tendency for any one of us to begin identifying with the symptoms of any disease process, and that includes IC In the end often what happens is you take on the identity of IC as if you have become IC The often phrase “I’m an IC patient”, indicating that the “I” is equivalent to the disease In...
read moreIC(interstitial cystitis) bladder pain like any chronic disease produces a described “drain on the body” Symptoms such as those of muscle and joint aches(aka fibromyalgia), vulvodynia, depression,chronic fatigue all begin to show up as the chronicity wears on the mindbody This observation shows our intuitive connection with the energy body which acts like a car battery When the car lights are left on overnight, the battery is drained of its stored energy To see the mindbody as an energy field opens us up to a wide variety...
read moreOne of our readers asked “what is energy work? This very important question because it’s important to know for confidence as to why you are doing what you are doing There are two ways to manage IC pain in my mind The first is the matter science approach which is what everyone in the IC community has experienced You go to the family doc, internist, or urologist and they prescribe pharmaceuticals for your pain These drugs are molecules that have anticipated effects on your body, like a sedative or antidepressant This...
read moreIn acute conditions you know you feel poorly because of the sudden onset of symptoms and because of the short term illness you know what it feels like to feel better But what about the scenario with chronic diseases like IC bladder pain where you get used to feeling poorly I liken the experience to pressure applied to the arm If you apply a sudden blow to the arm it hurts But what about the same pressure applied to the arm over an extended period of time It’s different, right? You see the arm’s sensory...
read moreAs you know the nutrition is foundational in the management of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, vulvodynia, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) In the energy science tradition of Ayurveda nutrition is specific to one’s energy constitutional makeup(PV, PK, and VK) This is because certain foods produce energetic imbalances which over time will affect the symptoms of the IC bladder pain syndrome So a person with the syndrome who is PK would not choose foods that a PV would choose
Even though food selection differ according to the energy patterns that are defined(see more information at foodsheal.com) here are veggies that can be used by everyone
All should be Cooked
Asparagus
Beets
Carrots
Cilantro
Green beans
Leeks
Okra
Rutabaga
Summer squash
No matter what your energy pattern makeup the above can be consumed freely all the time Try them with a regular diet of kitchari which will promote health and help you to begin clearing painful flares
As I’ve talked about in the past thepelvic bladder pain of IC is related to the hot and mobile qualities being stuck in the pelvis But why do some 60% of IC patients not go on to severe chronic symptoms? The answer in short form is toxic load in the urinary system that prevents the qualities from naturally being released Kavala is an ancient energy science technique of swishing sesame oil in the oral cavity for a period of time It is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts written 1000’s of years ago Recently this sesame oil swish...
read moreThe debilitating bladder pain of an IC(interstitial cystitis) flare requires you to pull all stops and do everything to get comfortable As I’ve talked about in the past chronic management is baseline work(nutrition, incompatible food combination avoidance, use of cooling herbs in cooking, CCF tea, etc) These therapies help begin release and at times flares are an aspect of release The treatment of flare in this setting takes the management to another level of pain management One of the mainstays of acute treatment is the use of...
read moreOver the last 20 years the interstitital cystitis(IC) complex of pelvic and bladder pain has been successfully treated by urologists with botox Initially used as a way to focally paralyze muscle fibers in the face as a cosmetic application, it quickly crossed many lines of therapy for use in other organ systems in the body to include the bladder The use of the agent in bladder injection therapy is that the bladder and pelvic pain is related to muscle spasm in these respective areas that paralysis of the muscles would reduce the pain Matter...
read moreInterstitial cystitis(IC) is a chronic disease with an unknown cause from the currently practiced matter or molecular science medical discipline And the treatments are random due to this reason From an energy science medical view IC is a painful pelvic syndrome not necessarily localized to the bladder due to the failure of the body to eliminate the hot and mobile qualities from the pelvis usually due to toxic load also localized in the pelvis This disease as in all diseases according to the energy science tradition originates in the gut...
read moreCurrently you live in a society where speed is a treasured gift and impatience becomes an acceptable emotion If something doesn’t happen fast then you can become uncomfortable And it’s not surprising that people with IC can become impatient After all the qualities stuck in the pelvis giving rise to the disease are the mobile and hot qualities These combine to make the mind impatient with the hot quality even leading to frustration and anger For example, if you are plagued with painful interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder flares...
read moreWhen a doctor says, “You have interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder pain syndrome and it’s treatable but not curable”, a depressing cloud of sadness might descend over you at that moment But usually it takes time for this kind of medical opinionated attitude to sink in and it’s an attitude that is pervasive in the matter science medical community And since the expert tells you this, it must be true! But in such a situation of dogma, you have to be like the fish caught in the net and find a hole and swim out Otherwise...
read moreHave you become interstitial cystitis? So bound to the diagnosis, so consumed that health does not factor into your thinking? When you suffer from the debilitating symptoms of interstitial cystitis, there’s a tendency for any one of us to begin identifying with the symptoms of any disease process, and that includes IC In the end often what happens is you take on the identity of IC as if you have become IC The often phrase “I’m an IC patient”, indicating that the “I” is equivalent to the disease In...
read moreIC(interstitial cystitis) bladder pain like any chronic disease produces a described “drain on the body” Symptoms such as those of muscle and joint aches(aka fibromyalgia), vulvodynia, depression,chronic fatigue all begin to show up as the chronicity wears on the mindbody This observation shows our intuitive connection with the energy body which acts like a car battery When the car lights are left on overnight, the battery is drained of its stored energy To see the mindbody as an energy field opens us up to a wide variety...
read moreOne of our readers asked “what is energy work? This very important question because it’s important to know for confidence as to why you are doing what you are doing There are two ways to manage IC pain in my mind The first is the matter science approach which is what everyone in the IC community has experienced You go to the family doc, internist, or urologist and they prescribe pharmaceuticals for your pain These drugs are molecules that have anticipated effects on your body, like a sedative or antidepressant This...
read moreIn acute conditions you know you feel poorly because of the sudden onset of symptoms and because of the short term illness you know what it feels like to feel better But what about the scenario with chronic diseases like IC bladder pain where you get used to feeling poorly I liken the experience to pressure applied to the arm If you apply a sudden blow to the arm it hurts But what about the same pressure applied to the arm over an extended period of time It’s different, right? You see the arm’s sensory...
read moreIn essence if we want to direct our lives, we should take control of our consistent actions.
It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives but what we do consistently. Anonymous author
As I have written in a past blog the origin of IC from an energy science point of view is the pelvic quality expression of hot, sharp, mobile, light, dry, rough, spreading, soft, cloudy, and sticky In the past I have simplified these qualities to hot and mobile because they are so dominantly expressed but you should be aware that there is the potential for these other qualities to produce their symptoms as well in the physiology For example it’s not uncommon for patients to report a sharp, spreading, and stabbing pain in parts of the perineum or pelvic area
As I have written the pelvic nerve involvement is the common pathway to the symptom complex of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, and fibromyalgia) and from an energy science perspective the above qualities become involved in the nervous tissue of the pelvis leading to this perplexing group of symptoms
DMSO bladder instillation has long been known to produce symptom relief in some of those with the IC bladder pain syndrome and there are published results of its effectiveness The reason for the symptom improvement is unclear or unstated from a matter science point of view But if we look at DMSO’s properties it has specific skin or mucosal permeability characteristics which has made it an ideal vehicle to carry various materials into the anatomy Much of the urologic concern around safety of use has been focused on bladder wall damage particularly for concentrations greater than the recommended RIMSO 50 It has been suggested that high concentrations of DMSO can lead to permanent bladder wall damage that might eventuate in surgical removal of the the bladder
DMSO has a predilection for nervous tissue and has been shown in an animal model to produce cell death in developing nervous tissue This cell destruction is probable in its human use from what we know from animal models Nonetheless the important observation is that DMSO can seek out pelvic nervous tissue as a target and has potentially damaging effects on that tissue
It is clear that there is systemic absorption from the garlic like odor that is elicited in patients receiving DMSO bladder instillation therapy So it’s quite reasonable to consider that DMSO’s mode of action in the case of IC is to penetrate the bladder mucosa and infiltrate the local pelvic nerves to in effect numb or even destroy the pelvic nerves leading to transient symptom relief
In previous blogs I have discussed the energy science’s explanation of how the IC bladder pain syndrome occurs Vata Pitta and even Kapha qualities move from the colon The Vata qualities have a predilection for nervous tissue as many of the qualities of Vata are shared by those of the nervous system tissue The energy science also tells us that the Vata quality of mobile carries the qualities of Pitta and Kapha into the pelvic nerve tissues as well
The stage is then set for these qualities to begin causing the characteristic symptoms of IC Urinary urgency and frequency(mobile), burning on urination(hot, sharp, spreading), dull ache(slow/dull, heavy, sticky,dense), generalized sporadic pain(cold, light, mobile, dry, rough, subtle) These symptoms occur not only in the bladder and general pelvic area but also lead to those in the vagina and prostate The colon may also have symptoms from the buildup of these qualities and would be interpreted as IBS
So the use of DMSO numbs or destroys the pelvic nerves and gives relief It also serves as an anti-inflammatory which is know to be present energetically in the pelvic nerves But unfortunately it becomes a bandaid which does not address the basic underlying imbalance which remains The pelvic qualities like phantom pain still remain It’s well known that cystectomy and/or prostatectomy does not clear the symptoms of IC or chronic prostatitis This is because the causative qualities are still present in the remaining tissues
There are points in therapy after nutrition and basic lifestyle behavior patterns are completed that basti management as previously described can be instituted to create a reduction of the qualities in the colon so that the qualities in the pelvis can come back to the colon for elimination
Another avenue for temporary relief from symptoms is lower rectal lidocaine administration using basti technique This is routinely done in urologic practice through bladder instillation with the use of other drugs such as steroids and heparin Labeled as bladder rescue instillations the urologist is essentially treating the pelvic nerves not the bladder My patient experience suggests that the rectal route is more effective than the bladder route but both are temporary at best The rectal administration also lasts longer and when the pain does come back it is typically not as severe as before the lidocaine
Our understanding of the etiology of IC with the help of the mechanism of action of DMSO completely supports the energy science model of how the IC bladder pain syndrome evolves
As I’ve talked about in the past thepelvic bladder pain of IC is related to the hot and mobile qualities being stuck in the pelvis But why do some 60% of IC patients not go on to severe chronic symptoms? The answer in short form is toxic load in the urinary system that prevents the qualities from naturally being released Kavala is an ancient energy science technique of swishing sesame oil in the oral cavity for a period of time It is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts written 1000’s of years ago Recently this sesame oil swish...
read moreThe debilitating bladder pain of an IC(interstitial cystitis) flare requires you to pull all stops and do everything to get comfortable As I’ve talked about in the past chronic management is baseline work(nutrition, incompatible food combination avoidance, use of cooling herbs in cooking, CCF tea, etc) These therapies help begin release and at times flares are an aspect of release The treatment of flare in this setting takes the management to another level of pain management One of the mainstays of acute treatment is the use of...
read moreOver the last 20 years the interstitital cystitis(IC) complex of pelvic and bladder pain has been successfully treated by urologists with botox Initially used as a way to focally paralyze muscle fibers in the face as a cosmetic application, it quickly crossed many lines of therapy for use in other organ systems in the body to include the bladder The use of the agent in bladder injection therapy is that the bladder and pelvic pain is related to muscle spasm in these respective areas that paralysis of the muscles would reduce the pain Matter...
read moreInterstitial cystitis(IC) is a chronic disease with an unknown cause from the currently practiced matter or molecular science medical discipline And the treatments are random due to this reason From an energy science medical view IC is a painful pelvic syndrome not necessarily localized to the bladder due to the failure of the body to eliminate the hot and mobile qualities from the pelvis usually due to toxic load also localized in the pelvis This disease as in all diseases according to the energy science tradition originates in the gut...
read moreCurrently you live in a society where speed is a treasured gift and impatience becomes an acceptable emotion If something doesn’t happen fast then you can become uncomfortable And it’s not surprising that people with IC can become impatient After all the qualities stuck in the pelvis giving rise to the disease are the mobile and hot qualities These combine to make the mind impatient with the hot quality even leading to frustration and anger For example, if you are plagued with painful interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder flares...
read moreWhen a doctor says, “You have interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder pain syndrome and it’s treatable but not curable”, a depressing cloud of sadness might descend over you at that moment But usually it takes time for this kind of medical opinionated attitude to sink in and it’s an attitude that is pervasive in the matter science medical community And since the expert tells you this, it must be true! But in such a situation of dogma, you have to be like the fish caught in the net and find a hole and swim out Otherwise...
read moreHave you become interstitial cystitis? So bound to the diagnosis, so consumed that health does not factor into your thinking? When you suffer from the debilitating symptoms of interstitial cystitis, there’s a tendency for any one of us to begin identifying with the symptoms of any disease process, and that includes IC In the end often what happens is you take on the identity of IC as if you have become IC The often phrase “I’m an IC patient”, indicating that the “I” is equivalent to the disease In...
read moreIC(interstitial cystitis) bladder pain like any chronic disease produces a described “drain on the body” Symptoms such as those of muscle and joint aches(aka fibromyalgia), vulvodynia, depression,chronic fatigue all begin to show up as the chronicity wears on the mindbody This observation shows our intuitive connection with the energy body which acts like a car battery When the car lights are left on overnight, the battery is drained of its stored energy To see the mindbody as an energy field opens us up to a wide variety...
read moreOne of our readers asked “what is energy work? This very important question because it’s important to know for confidence as to why you are doing what you are doing There are two ways to manage IC pain in my mind The first is the matter science approach which is what everyone in the IC community has experienced You go to the family doc, internist, or urologist and they prescribe pharmaceuticals for your pain These drugs are molecules that have anticipated effects on your body, like a sedative or antidepressant This...
read moreIn acute conditions you know you feel poorly because of the sudden onset of symptoms and because of the short term illness you know what it feels like to feel better But what about the scenario with chronic diseases like IC bladder pain where you get used to feeling poorly I liken the experience to pressure applied to the arm If you apply a sudden blow to the arm it hurts But what about the same pressure applied to the arm over an extended period of time It’s different, right? You see the arm’s sensory...
read moreChronic prostatitis is a nonbacterial inflammatory condition of the male pelvis and can be considered male intersitial cystitis It is a member of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, and fibromyalgia) because the cause is the same as its other members Imbalances of qualities in the bowel caused by primarily the foods consumed and lifestyle choices that provoke the energy physiology lead to dissemination to the peripheral tissues Like IC itself invariably the pelvic nerves become involved with the qualities of light mobile dry rough and hot leading to observed symptoms
The presence of fever is a key differentiating feature between acute and chronic prostatitis This is very important because the treatment of acute prostatitis is completely different If a man has chills and fever of 100.5F or greater with symptoms of acute prostatitis then he should be on antibiotics and in severe cases hospitalized because the cause is bacterial
It is estimated that greater than 90% of those with chronic prostatitis are of nonbacterial origin, that is, there is no bacteria or infection in the prostate tissue Sounds a lot like IC doesn’t it?
Chronic prostatitis is not associated with fever and similar to interstitial cystitis occurs acutely as flares lasting 2-3 weeks Urological workups including cultures, xrays, and endoscopy are negative In uncommon situations cystoscopy may show bladder mucosal lesions that biopsy negative and are typically not characteristic of Hunner’s ulcers(which are unusual even in IC) Prostatic calculi may produce a chronic bacterial prostatitis but this is unusual There is no association between chronic prostatitis and prostate cancer epidemiologically in the allopathic literature
There is no agreed upon best treatment from the molecular or allopathic model of healing but it is typically treated with antibiotics initially These courses usually last for 3-4weeks or more based on the resolution of symptoms and/or recurrence of symptoms This is often the case since the cause is nonbacterial As the chronicity develops in the clinical course men are often kept on antiinflammatories or even short courses of steroids have been used
Anatomically the prostate lives at the base of the bladder and as you can see by the accompanying picture the urethral tube passes from the bladder to the outside through the penis So the symptoms of prostatitis mirror those seen in women with interstitial cystitis Suprapubic pain, perirectal or perianal pain , low back pain, testicular pain, pain referred to the base or the tip of the penis, pain with ejaculation, urinary frequency, urgency, small volumes of urine passed, and a feeling of incomplete emptying predominate when the man is having an acute flare
Due to the hot quality inflammation like IC produces the symptoms of burning on urination and because the prostate is innervated by the same use nerves affecting bladder function there can be pain with ejaculation This latter symptom may also be caused by the prostate itself becoming involved by the hot quality Sometimes the prostate becomes so inflamed that blood may be seen at the tip of the penis at the end of urination
As in IC there should be a division in treatment based on whether one is treating an acute flare or trying to do maintenance therapy This has been covered in a previous blog post Here are some basic foundational things to do
1 As always use a nutritional format appropriate for one’s energy pattern and avoid incompatible food combinations
2 Consistent daily pranayama practice specifically using kapalabhati can have symptom controlling benefit It has been shown in an Italian study of 231 sedentary men with chronic prostatitis that routine exercise helped symptoms Pranayama is an excellent combined aerobic and anaerobic exercise that stresses the pelvic floor hence strengthening this area of the anatomy which is involved in chronic prostatitis
3 Herbal formulas can be helpful even in the acute stage or flare and gokshuradhi guggulu can be effective in reducing congestion when the gland is involved
4 Basti therapy in both acute and chronic phases can be very helpful in treating the pelvic nerve imblances
5 Lidocaine as in interstitial cystitis transrectally can be helpful in reducing the acute symptoms of chronic prostatitis
Like the IC bladder pain syndrome chronic prostatitis can be healed from an energy science perspective but it requires a disciplined approach and based on how long symptoms have been present determines the length of time of recovery
As I’ve talked about in the past thepelvic bladder pain of IC is related to the hot and mobile qualities being stuck in the pelvis But why do some 60% of IC patients not go on to severe chronic symptoms? The answer in short form is toxic load in the urinary system that prevents the qualities from naturally being released Kavala is an ancient energy science technique of swishing sesame oil in the oral cavity for a period of time It is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts written 1000’s of years ago Recently this sesame oil swish...
read moreThe debilitating bladder pain of an IC(interstitial cystitis) flare requires you to pull all stops and do everything to get comfortable As I’ve talked about in the past chronic management is baseline work(nutrition, incompatible food combination avoidance, use of cooling herbs in cooking, CCF tea, etc) These therapies help begin release and at times flares are an aspect of release The treatment of flare in this setting takes the management to another level of pain management One of the mainstays of acute treatment is the use of...
read moreOver the last 20 years the interstitital cystitis(IC) complex of pelvic and bladder pain has been successfully treated by urologists with botox Initially used as a way to focally paralyze muscle fibers in the face as a cosmetic application, it quickly crossed many lines of therapy for use in other organ systems in the body to include the bladder The use of the agent in bladder injection therapy is that the bladder and pelvic pain is related to muscle spasm in these respective areas that paralysis of the muscles would reduce the pain Matter...
read moreInterstitial cystitis(IC) is a chronic disease with an unknown cause from the currently practiced matter or molecular science medical discipline And the treatments are random due to this reason From an energy science medical view IC is a painful pelvic syndrome not necessarily localized to the bladder due to the failure of the body to eliminate the hot and mobile qualities from the pelvis usually due to toxic load also localized in the pelvis This disease as in all diseases according to the energy science tradition originates in the gut...
read moreCurrently you live in a society where speed is a treasured gift and impatience becomes an acceptable emotion If something doesn’t happen fast then you can become uncomfortable And it’s not surprising that people with IC can become impatient After all the qualities stuck in the pelvis giving rise to the disease are the mobile and hot qualities These combine to make the mind impatient with the hot quality even leading to frustration and anger For example, if you are plagued with painful interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder flares...
read moreWhen a doctor says, “You have interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder pain syndrome and it’s treatable but not curable”, a depressing cloud of sadness might descend over you at that moment But usually it takes time for this kind of medical opinionated attitude to sink in and it’s an attitude that is pervasive in the matter science medical community And since the expert tells you this, it must be true! But in such a situation of dogma, you have to be like the fish caught in the net and find a hole and swim out Otherwise...
read moreHave you become interstitial cystitis? So bound to the diagnosis, so consumed that health does not factor into your thinking? When you suffer from the debilitating symptoms of interstitial cystitis, there’s a tendency for any one of us to begin identifying with the symptoms of any disease process, and that includes IC In the end often what happens is you take on the identity of IC as if you have become IC The often phrase “I’m an IC patient”, indicating that the “I” is equivalent to the disease In...
read moreIC(interstitial cystitis) bladder pain like any chronic disease produces a described “drain on the body” Symptoms such as those of muscle and joint aches(aka fibromyalgia), vulvodynia, depression,chronic fatigue all begin to show up as the chronicity wears on the mindbody This observation shows our intuitive connection with the energy body which acts like a car battery When the car lights are left on overnight, the battery is drained of its stored energy To see the mindbody as an energy field opens us up to a wide variety...
read moreOne of our readers asked “what is energy work? This very important question because it’s important to know for confidence as to why you are doing what you are doing There are two ways to manage IC pain in my mind The first is the matter science approach which is what everyone in the IC community has experienced You go to the family doc, internist, or urologist and they prescribe pharmaceuticals for your pain These drugs are molecules that have anticipated effects on your body, like a sedative or antidepressant This...
read moreIn acute conditions you know you feel poorly because of the sudden onset of symptoms and because of the short term illness you know what it feels like to feel better But what about the scenario with chronic diseases like IC bladder pain where you get used to feeling poorly I liken the experience to pressure applied to the arm If you apply a sudden blow to the arm it hurts But what about the same pressure applied to the arm over an extended period of time It’s different, right? You see the arm’s sensory...
read moreWhen we discuss the energetic management of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, vulvodynia, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, and fibromyalgia), a different world of healing is entered We leave behind our thinking about the body as a collection of molecules that can be manipulated by surgery and Pharma and begin seeing our mindbodies as energy fields This has great value since all disease begins in the energy field way before it becomes manifest in the world of molecules
The energy science of Ayurveda not only gives us a vocabulary(Vata, Pitta, Kapha, Agni etc) by which we can talk about our mindbodies as energy fields but it also gives us lots of ways to take care of our energy mindbodies When’s the best time to get up in the morning or to go to bed, what’s the best time to eat our biggest meal….all based on the concept that we are energetic expressions of Nature Herself The icdiet and the VPK nutritional formats are based on this energetic concept
These practices could be called “healthy” lifestyle behavior patterns because they induce detoxification of the energy mindbody
1 Get up with Nature and go to bed with Nature This means we should be getting up early(between 5 and 7a) and go to bed between 930 and 11p
2 Biggest meal at noon Nature’s most active time of the day is at noon and this is when our digestion is the strongest(even if it’s lousy it will the least lousy at noon time) and so we should take advantage of this simple concept
3 Improve your digestion Using foods that are energetically suitable for us; avoid snacking(fruit is an exception); avoid incompatible food combinations; only consuming what you can hold in your 2 hands at any one meal; using CCF tea and other spices routinely; NEVER eat if you’re not hungry
4 Have a morning routine Splash cold water into the eyes(wakes up the nervous system) do a sesame oil swish(draws Kapha energy in the form of mucous from the nasal passages), use of a neti pot to draw Kapha energy, brush the teeth, and every 2 weeks place garlic oil in the ear canals to prevent wax accumulation Then number 5…..
5 Exercise daily This improves our digestive strength and enhances the upward and downward energy of the mindbody Kapalabhati is a specific energy breathing technique that is very powerful 10 pushups(improves upward moving energy) and 10 situps improves downward moving energy
So there is a deeply rooted understanding of our relationship with Nature and this then helps direct our choices This is what is fundamentally missing with our current matter science discipline of healing…..a lack of philosophy…that is, a way of thinking The energy science of Ayurveda is part of a greater system of thinking which is a philosophy of life
It defines our relationship with that which is around us, that is, our world According to this way of thinking we are part of Nature Herself and Nature is discussed in terms of energy patterns of VPK Then we understand that everything is defined in the visible and invisible world as VPK(that is, there are VPK times of day, VPK seasons, and VPK institutions and companies…..because they are nothing but collections of VPK)
This makes the energy science system of healing different than today’s way of healing
As I’ve talked about in the past thepelvic bladder pain of IC is related to the hot and mobile qualities being stuck in the pelvis But why do some 60% of IC patients not go on to severe chronic symptoms? The answer in short form is toxic load in the urinary system that prevents the qualities from naturally being released Kavala is an ancient energy science technique of swishing sesame oil in the oral cavity for a period of time It is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts written 1000’s of years ago Recently this sesame oil swish...
read moreThe debilitating bladder pain of an IC(interstitial cystitis) flare requires you to pull all stops and do everything to get comfortable As I’ve talked about in the past chronic management is baseline work(nutrition, incompatible food combination avoidance, use of cooling herbs in cooking, CCF tea, etc) These therapies help begin release and at times flares are an aspect of release The treatment of flare in this setting takes the management to another level of pain management One of the mainstays of acute treatment is the use of...
read moreOver the last 20 years the interstitital cystitis(IC) complex of pelvic and bladder pain has been successfully treated by urologists with botox Initially used as a way to focally paralyze muscle fibers in the face as a cosmetic application, it quickly crossed many lines of therapy for use in other organ systems in the body to include the bladder The use of the agent in bladder injection therapy is that the bladder and pelvic pain is related to muscle spasm in these respective areas that paralysis of the muscles would reduce the pain Matter...
read moreInterstitial cystitis(IC) is a chronic disease with an unknown cause from the currently practiced matter or molecular science medical discipline And the treatments are random due to this reason From an energy science medical view IC is a painful pelvic syndrome not necessarily localized to the bladder due to the failure of the body to eliminate the hot and mobile qualities from the pelvis usually due to toxic load also localized in the pelvis This disease as in all diseases according to the energy science tradition originates in the gut...
read moreCurrently you live in a society where speed is a treasured gift and impatience becomes an acceptable emotion If something doesn’t happen fast then you can become uncomfortable And it’s not surprising that people with IC can become impatient After all the qualities stuck in the pelvis giving rise to the disease are the mobile and hot qualities These combine to make the mind impatient with the hot quality even leading to frustration and anger For example, if you are plagued with painful interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder flares...
read moreWhen a doctor says, “You have interstitial cystitis(IC) bladder pain syndrome and it’s treatable but not curable”, a depressing cloud of sadness might descend over you at that moment But usually it takes time for this kind of medical opinionated attitude to sink in and it’s an attitude that is pervasive in the matter science medical community And since the expert tells you this, it must be true! But in such a situation of dogma, you have to be like the fish caught in the net and find a hole and swim out Otherwise...
read moreHave you become interstitial cystitis? So bound to the diagnosis, so consumed that health does not factor into your thinking? When you suffer from the debilitating symptoms of interstitial cystitis, there’s a tendency for any one of us to begin identifying with the symptoms of any disease process, and that includes IC In the end often what happens is you take on the identity of IC as if you have become IC The often phrase “I’m an IC patient”, indicating that the “I” is equivalent to the disease In...
read moreIC(interstitial cystitis) bladder pain like any chronic disease produces a described “drain on the body” Symptoms such as those of muscle and joint aches(aka fibromyalgia), vulvodynia, depression,chronic fatigue all begin to show up as the chronicity wears on the mindbody This observation shows our intuitive connection with the energy body which acts like a car battery When the car lights are left on overnight, the battery is drained of its stored energy To see the mindbody as an energy field opens us up to a wide variety...
read moreOne of our readers asked “what is energy work? This very important question because it’s important to know for confidence as to why you are doing what you are doing There are two ways to manage IC pain in my mind The first is the matter science approach which is what everyone in the IC community has experienced You go to the family doc, internist, or urologist and they prescribe pharmaceuticals for your pain These drugs are molecules that have anticipated effects on your body, like a sedative or antidepressant This...
read moreIn acute conditions you know you feel poorly because of the sudden onset of symptoms and because of the short term illness you know what it feels like to feel better But what about the scenario with chronic diseases like IC bladder pain where you get used to feeling poorly I liken the experience to pressure applied to the arm If you apply a sudden blow to the arm it hurts But what about the same pressure applied to the arm over an extended period of time It’s different, right? You see the arm’s sensory...
read moreGet every new post delivered to your Inbox
Join other followers