Acupuncture for Overactive Bladder

Acupuncture Treatment of Overactive Bladder

Research has shown acupuncture to be effective at reducing symptoms of overactive bladder.

Acupuncture helps reduce the symptoms of overactive bladder by relaxing the nerves and muscles associated with the bladder.  Overactive bladder may be caused from bladder spasm creating the sudden need to urinate or a sudden feeling of urination when the bladder is filling, although it is not totally full. Contraction of the pelvic floor muscles may also be a factor.  Acupuncture helps to reset these functions to treat overactive bladder.

Acupuncture offers a holistic approach to health and wellness.  Acupuncture seeks to understand the imbalance of the interactions between the organs, muscles, and tissues.  Once the imbalance is corrected, the root of the problem is improved and body can work to heal itself.

Acupuncture Understanding of Overactive Bladder

In acupuncture and Chinese medicine, overactive bladder falls within a syndrome of frequent urination. This can be caused by many factors such as an injury to the pelvic floor while giving birth, congenital issues, an injury, and factors in your life, such as stress, grief, and pain.

The root of this imbalance can be in the kidneys, spleen, urinary bladder, or liver, and, more often than not, these imbalances are interconnected.   In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are said to “govern water.”  In other words, the kidneys are in charge of water metabolism and urination. Just like in western medicine, the kidneys filter out the urine. But unlike western medicine, kidney qi (or energy) also contributes to the ability to hold urine in the bladder. So problems with the kidney qi may cause overactive bladder.