Quality, Value, and Efficacy of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a difficult condition to treat, and few treatments have been demonstrated to be effective. Patients are therefore often willing to try treatments that traditional medicine does not offer, such as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The purpose of this paper is to review the current CAM treatments for IC/BPS.

Several modalities have been explored in the treatment of IC/BPS. Dietary modification with the elimination of arylalkylamine-containing foods has been shown to reduce symptom flares. Different nutraceuticals have also been studied. Promising results were shown for calcium glycerophosphate taken before the ingestion of foods responsible for symptom flares. The glycosaminoglycan layer appears to be damaged in this condition, and therefore intravesical and oral therapies targeting this layer have the potential of improving symptoms. Mind–body interventions including yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and hypnosis can improve symptoms, relaxation, and help patients in feeling more empowered. Manipulative approaches such as myofascial physical therapy, transvaginal biofeedback, and intravaginal Thiele massage can improve pelvic floor hypertonicity. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy and acupuncture with or without moxibustion are associated with a reduction in pain.

Different areas of complementary and alternative medicine have been studied for the treatment of IC/BPS, including biologically based therapies, mind-body interventions, manipulative and body-based approaches, and whole medical systems. These therapies have shown promising results. However, most of them have a small number of participants and do not provide high-quality evidence regarding their effectiveness. Randomized, placebo-controlled studies should be conducted to establish the efficacy of CAMs.