StimGuard Enrolls First Patient in Office-Based Chronic Tibial Nerve OAB Incontinence Stimulation Study Utilizing the World’s Smallest Wireless System

StimGuard, a privately-held, pre-commercial stage medical device company, today announced the initiation and the first patient enrollment in a clinical trial of the world’s first miniature implantable device for the treatment of urgency urinary incontinence resulting from refractory overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome. The StimGuard device utilizes wireless technology and is placed through an introducer device the size of a needle at the tibial nerve to activate the afferent micturition (neural urinary) pathways. The clinical trial of this novel approach will launch this winter. Read more.

Source: Business Wire, December 15, 2016

Women Who Have Not Given Birth Also Experience Urinary Incontinence, Study Finds

Women who have not given birth often end up under the radar for research on urinary incontinence. In a study of this group, however, one in five women over 45 years say they experience this type of incontinence. “This confirms that problems are found in all groups, and that women have a weakness of the pelvic floor even if they have not previously given birth,” says Maria Gyhagen, gynecologist at Södra Älvsborg Hospital in Borås and researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University. Read more.

Source: News-Medical.net, November 9, 2016

Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI)

You may find yourself hurrying a lot to find a bathroom if you have an overactive bladder.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition in which the bladder can spasm and cause a sudden, intense and frequent urge to urinate. In some cases, these urges can lead to episodes of involuntary urine leakage, which is called urge urinary incontinence (UUI) or “UUI-wet.” Overactive bladder contractions that send you running to the bathroom quite frequently, without any leakage is referred to as “UUI-dry.”Continue reading→

Mixed Incontinence

Make sure you discuss your diagnosis with your doctor to rule out mixed incontinence.

In some cases, urinary incontinence can be a combination of both stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and urge incontinence. It is important to realize that if you have mixed incontinence, but only treat one of the two types, you will still have incontinence. In other words, both types of incontinence must be treated to see desirable results.Continue reading→

Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS)

percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation female patient

A female patient is using Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) to help control her urinary incontinence. An electrode is placed only at the ankle area.

Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimuation (PTNS) is a low-risk, non-surgical treatment. PTNS works by indirectly providing electrical stimulation to the nerves responsible for bladder and pelvic floor function. During PTNS treatment, the patient’s foot is comfortably elevated and supported. Also during treatment, a slim needle electrode is placed near the nerve at the ankle known as the tibial nerve. A device known as the Urgent PC Stimulator is connected to the electrode and sends mild electrical pulses to the tibial nerve. These impulses travel to the sacral nerve plexus, the group of nerves at the base of the spine responsible for bladder function. Continue reading→

Prescription Drugs for Overactive Bladder (OAB)

There are several prescription drugs for overactive bladder (OAB).

The FDA approved medications, or drugs, currently available on the U.S. market for the treatment of urinary incontinence are for a specific condition called overactive bladder (OAB). Some are also used for OAB with urge urinary incontinence (UUI). You may have seen advertisements on television or in magazines for these medications. Most of the prescription drugs for OAB partially calm the bladder muscles that cause abnormal contractions, thereby reducing the frequency and severity of the overwhelming urge to urinate. Some of these drugs may also increase the bladder’s capacity to hold urine and delay the initial urge to void. This class of drugs is referred to as antimuscarinics.

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Avoiding Bladder Irritants

Citrus fruits may be bladder irritants for some people – but not everyone.

There are a number of foods and drinks that most people eat or drink every day that can irritate the lining of your bladder. We call these bladder irritants. These foods and drinks may cause people with sensitive bladders to have to go to the bathroom more often and need to get to the bathroom sooner. Sometimes this may cause incontinence.

An easy way to check if any food or drink is causing bladder problems is to do a special diet, called an “elimination diet”. Stop eating and drinking all the foods and drinks listed in our “10 Bladder Irritants You Can Avoid” below for two weeks. Also take out any other foods or drinks that you think may be causing a problem.Continue reading→