Healing in Urology

The following sections are included:

• Contents
• About the Editors
• Disclaimer

Healing in Urology is a biography of medical practices. Healing addresses the experience of the health patron (patient) and the outcomes of different approaches to prevent recurrence of the illness. The burden of health treatment to alleviate the physical suffering of these health seekers is taxing on the body and on the pocket. In 2013, the United States spent more $2.9 trillion on health expenditures. Because of this and other factors, the medical field has developed ways to improve health literacy for those with health concerns by broadening the scope of medical treatments to assess the use of alternative forms of healing. An outcome of this has placed accountability on both the health professional and the health patron to take initiative toward innovation.

Eastern Herbal Medicine offers natural and effective solutions to many pelvic and urological conditions for men and women. An overview of Eastern Herbal medicine theory and diagnostics is discussed, followed by herbal recommendations for many conditions such as constipation, pelvic pain, disorders of the libido and orgasm, benign prostatic hyperplasia, incontinence, UTI, Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) and kidney stones. The use of these formulas is based on historical and clinical experience.

Western herbal medicines offer useful and effective treatment options for a number of benign urologic conditions. Western herbs for urinary tract infections (UTIs), overactive bladder (OAB), stress incontinence, pelvic pain syndromes in men and women, benign prostatic hyperplasia, sexual dysfunction, Peyronie's disease, phimosis, low testosterone, and kidney stones are discussed. The use of many of these herbs is based on clinical trial results, and others on historical and clinical experience. The safety and proper dosing of all agents mentioned are provided.

Naturopathy is an alternative form of medicine that employs a spectrum of natural methods that avoid the use of surgery and drugs. This approach can be helpful for people suffering from a variety of urological conditions. This chapter will explore the many avenues healthcare professionals can take in order to address these conditions. It will discuss herbal regimens and supplements along with nutritional counseling to alleviate the symptoms of different these urological illnesses.

Functional nutrition refers to the practice of nourishing the body with important macronutrients and micronutrients to carry out important chemical activities. This practice has had much success in athletic populations to decrease the incidence of pain in both males and females. Clinically, the use of functional nutrition can have important implications in treating urological disorders such as urinary incontinence, painful bladder symptoms (PBS), and pelvic pain. This branch of medicine is used to discover the root cause(s) of these disorders being experienced by the patient. By changing their nutritional behaviors patients can reduce the degree of the pain. This chapter will address different foods and the important nutrients that can be effective in treating urological diseases.

Over the past 15 years the use of acupuncture in the clinical setting has advanced and it is now a more widely accepted, safe and effective procedure. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine, sterile needles into the body based on a system of meridians derived from traditional Asian medicine theories. Acupuncture has been proven to be an effective treatment for a variety of indications proven in large multicenter clinical trials. Indications include post-operative pain, post-operative nausea, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, chronic low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, and migraine headache. In the urologic setting, research and clinical applications of acupuncture for urologic conditions include chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, prevention of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI), treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and as symptom management for a variety of oncologic side effects such as pain, fatigue, and androgen deprivation-induced hot flashes. This chapter will outline the evidence base and highlight the clinical application of acupuncture for numerous urologic conditions.

Manual therapy is noted as the physical treatment of the body to treat a variety of musculoskeletal disabilities. This practice involved the manipulation of the joints in combination with kneading of the tissues. The use of this therapy can have positive results in patients experiencing pelvic and urological disorders. This chapter will address the different disorders and how the tackle them utilizing these techniques.

An alternative method to treating a variety of urological disorders is the use of a physical modality. These modalities can range from the use of heat to sound waves all in an effort to produce a desired effect for the patient such as reducing pain or increasing the flow of blood into a region of the body. This chapter will discuss the use of these modalities along with the concept of biofeedback, which is the process of bringing awareness to the patient and to the provider. Research in this area has proven biofeedback can bring about successful results in a variety of urological disorders.

Yoga has been used as an adjunct treatment modality for fibromyalgia, back pain and other comorbidities associated with chronic pelvic pain (CPP). This chapter introduces practitioners to warmups and yoga postures used to address urological conditions associated with pain and/or weakness. Neuromuscular re-education, decreasing central sensitization, breath retraining, postural awareness, decreasing pain and increasing function are the goals of using yoga as an adjunct treatment for urological disorders.

Osteopathic medicine deals with normalizing and optimizing the health of the patient. A large component of this is by making sure there are no anatomical derangements affecting its ability to function properly. This chapter provides a brief introduction to osteopathy and how it may help in assessing and treating pelvic problems.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been used in modern medicine to treat a myriad of psychological disorders ranging from anxiety to addiction. This practice is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing the thought process and behavior of the patient. Health professionals work with the patient to develop techniques of rational thought with two main branches. These are problem focused and action oriented. As research progresses, scientific research has begun to utilize these skills in other clinical settings. In the urological setting, the use of cognitive behavioral therapy can have profound effects in clinical applications. This chapter will outline the use of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy brain training to change the outcomes of chronic pelvic pain (CPP), an umbrella of urological disorders.

There is evidence that those affected with pelvic pain who are also depressed or anxious may not always respond effectively to standard medical treatment for pelvic pain. In such cases, a multidisciplinary approach to pelvic pain should be considered to treat simultaneously any co-occurring psychological symptoms. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an abbreviated form of psychoanalysis with fewer patient sessions per week and lasting for a shorter duration. It aims to help patients resolve their emotional difficulties of which they may not be fully aware prior to treatment by employing a variety of techniques to explore patients' feelings. People suffering from pelvic pain often develop psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression and/or conflicts surrounding sexuality and body image. Psychodynamic psychotherapy has been proven effective in treating this broad range of psychological symptoms and pain syndromes as an adjunct in the treatment of pelvic pain, urological problems, and sexual dysfunction of various causes in both men and women. This chapter will also describe the patient care issues to which a therapist must be sensitive in the psychodynamic evaluation and treatment of patients with pelvic pain.

The following sections is included:

• Index