Exercise Can Manage Pain Effectively

It is hard to believe how much you can reduce your pain with yoga poses that target the pelvic region. You simply have to try it. We find that twenty minutes of gentle exercise can be equally as effective as taking pain killers such as Vicodin to reduce pain. That means, after twenty minutes of exercise, the pain is very significantly reduced. In our experience the best exercise to reduce pain is leg lifts. We also like "legs up the wall," in which you lie a comfortable distance from the wall with your legs elevated and allow the muscles in the pelvic region to relax.

To do leg lifts, simply lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Work with one leg at a time. Straighten your leg and hold it one inch off the floor, then lift your extended leg until both thighs are parallel. It's not necessary to lift your leg until it is pointing straight up. Lift and lower your leg ten to twenty times, then change to the other side. It's simple!

Other exercises we recommend: pelvic tilts and rocks are great. If you are familiar with yoga, you might know the Cat and Cow pose. Rolling in and out of Bridge pose is also wonderful. Walking is great. However, vigorous exercise can produce acid, so keep an eye on your time and your exertion and just do the amount that works for you. Since 80% of all IC patients have some form of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, these excercises as well as Kegels should be done daily as one line of defense.

Dasani Water Warning

Dasani bottled water is now being sold, often exclusively, at movie theatres and airports. Dasani water lists potassium chloride as an ingredient added to improve the taste. Potassium chloride is also instilled into the bladder of patients to determine a diagnosis of IC. If a patient experiences pain with a potassium chloride instillation, a diagnosis of IC is given. The IC sisters strongly reccommend you avoid Dasani water and check the ingredients in bottled water before making a selection. www.nationalnews.com published an article stating that Dasani water contains cancer causing chemicals. Bobble is a portable water bottle with a filter attached that will filter the tap water you fill it with. The Bobble water bottle is sold at Target and will offer an alternative to potentially dangerous bottled waters while reducing plastic waste.

Potassium Chloride

Imagine being hurt by organic garbanzo beans! Canned goods are always a crap shoot. Fresh is always better. Goya's organic garbanzo beans are preserved with potassium chloride. When a pain incident followed their consumption we googled this chemical substance and found out two interesting things. Potassium chloride is actually used to diagnose interstitial cystitis. Water is introduced into the bladder, then a potassium chloride solution. If pain is experienced with potassium chloride, IC is diagnosed. Incidentally, potassium chloride is also the third drug administered in a lethal injection. We say avoid it.

Northern Toilet Paper

IC Sisters recommends that you avoid Northern toilet paper. We have had two incidents of serious pain that were made better by dropping Northern toilet paper. We do not know what kinds of chemicals they are using to bleach or soften their product, but whatever it is, it is irritating. Also on the topic of external sources of irritants, be mindful not to use harsh deodorant soaps. As bladder pain can transfer down the urethra it is often hard to detmine if the source of pain is stemming from the bladder or external causes. Using a mild soap and gentle tp can reduce urethral sensativity greatly.