Half the female population get at least one bout of cystitis in their life and women are eight times more likely to have cystitis than men. If you've had it, you will know that it can be very uncomfortable, and can hurt very time you pee.
Causes of Cystitis
Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder, most commonly caused by a urine infection. Symptoms include frequent, and often quite painful, weeing. Occasional fever and pain in the lower abdomen accompany severe cases, while urine can be cloudy or odorous due to the bacteria causing the infection.
Bacteria around the anus can travel to the urethra and into the bladder, (in women, the urethra is closer to the anal passage). You may also be at risk if you are sexually active, pregnant or have diabetes mellitus.
Remedies
Over the counter remedies range from cranberry tablets to a course of antibiotics - but these are not always suitable and results depend on the severity of the cystitis and your ability to absorb medicine.
So when I detected the first twinge of cystitis - the unmistakable sharp pinch around my bladder - I opted for acupuncture, which I had heard, acts quickly.
Acupuncture & Cystitis
Miranda Duncker, a member of the British Acupuncture Council followed a process that allowed her to gain insight into my health situation before targeting the cystitis directly. After a thorough consultation, she took my pulse to assess the quality and quantity of energy (Qi) in the acupuncture meridians. Miranda used twelve pulse positions - six on each wrist - which correspond to a specific meridian and are associated with a different organ.
Diagnosis
"I always take all 12 pulse positions to establish the overall state of Qi in the body. In the case of cystitis I particularly focus on the bladder pulse and it’s paired organ the kidney which together form the water element", she explained.
Next came a tongue check. "Like the pulse, it is another diagnostic tool. Different areas of the tongue are associated with different meridians and organs," Miranda also explained that in general terms, the pulse indicates what is going on in the body there and then, whereas the tongue registers longer term changes in the body.
Noting the colour, shape, coating and texture of my tongue, Miranda observed that I had slight tooth marks around the edge of the tongue. "This happens when the tongue is slightly swollen and so presses on the inside of the teeth and commonly due to spleen Qi deficiency."
Acupuncture, like other Chinese medicines do not separate an individual’s energy from disease or disorder. Disease is always seen as a manifestation of an imbalance (insufficiency or blockage) of the individual’s energy so to treat any disease, one has to look at the energy body for clues. Miranda said of cystitis, that, like other infections, "it can be caused by an external pathogen attacking the body or by an internal imbalance, or a combination of both. But regardless of cause, cystitis is commonly described as damp heat in the bladder."
"Spleen Qi deficiency commonly leads to accumulations of damp heat (evidenced by swollen tongue) which can obstruct the function of the bladder. Because the kidneys and bladder are paired,
an insufficiency of kidney Qi can compromise the function of the bladder, and lead to the formation of heat in the bladder," Miranda said.
Another contributing factor to the diagnosis was that I was tired and working hard. "Hard work, particularly of a mental type, drains spleen Qi," she said. So all in all, how I was feeling, my tongue and pulse points all suggested an undernourished and overworked spleen meridian. Diagnosis made - my cystitis was likely caused by an insufficiency of Qi in both the spleen and kidney meridians - Miranda got her needles ready.
Treatment
Prognosis made, Miranda stuck eight needles into me:
- Four in my ankles on the spleen and kidney meridians
- Two in each arm in the three heater meridian which is responsible for communication between different areas of the body and the regulation of the body as a whole, and is frequently used to clear pathogens from the body
- One in my lower abdomen in the alarm point of the Bladder. This category of points are used when there is a problem with the organ with which they are associated rather than the meridian – in my case an infection.
- One in my abdomen - just above the alarm point, this point regulates the bladder, kidneys and spleen to nourishing effect.
The needles were left in for 20 minutes, and while the Qi was circulating around my body, I closed my eyes and relaxed. There was a definite throbbing in my right arm but otherwise I was nonplussed.
On finishing, Miranda suggested I drink lots of water and void overly hot things like ginger or chili as adding more heat to a damp heat condition wouldn't be wise.
Results
I am both amazed and thrilled to say that directly following the treatment I felt better, but several hours and lots of water later, the unmistakable cystitis pinch had cleared up. The next day it threatened an attack, but was, once again, flushed out. And I felt better all week for having had my energy levels boosted.
Miranda holds a BSc (Hons) in Oriental medicine and trained as an acupuncturist at The International College of Oriental Medicine. mirandaduncker.com