Urinary Disorders

There are many problems that can arise in the urinary system including urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, incontinence, nighttime urination, and urgent, painful, and frequent urination. Causes of urinary disorders range from bacterial infections, enlarged prostate in men, bladder prolapse or cancer to complications from diabetes, kidney stones, or sexually transmitted diseases. In other words, symptoms of urinary discomfort can mean more serious problems that require further investigation and a holistic perspective. Tao of Wellness administers natural Chinese medical treatments such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, among others. The quick goal is to get you feeling better, but the more important goal is the healthy function of your entire body.

How We Successfully Treat Urinary Disorders

The urinary system consists of three sections. The lower section includes the bladder which holds the urine, and the urethra that transports the urine out of the body through the vaginal opening in women, and with the help of the prostate gland through the penis in men. Above the bladder is the middle section, which consists of the ureters that carry the urine to the bladder from the kidneys. Finally the upper section is comprised of the kidneys that filter water waste, while aiding in water and nutrient absorption. It is a complex set of plumbing, pumps and filters that require intricate balance that are easily upset by other factors.

Tao of Wellness is an integrative health center that works collaboratively with the other healthcare practitioners on your team. We work closely with your urologist and other specialists to pinpoint the source of your problem. At your initial consultation you will first meet with one of our doctors to review your specific urinary concerns and also discuss your entire medical history, dietary habits, past and current illnesses, surgeries and anything else pertinent to your health. Then you will undergo evaluation methods unique to Chinese medicine including face and tongue mapping, pulse reading and body palpation. Once this is complete, only then can a Chinese medical diagnosis be given and a customized treatment plan be designed for you, including acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and nutritional therapy. After all your questions are answered, your treatment will begin.

Our Customized Therapies for Overcoming Urinary Disorders

Customized Treatment Program
There is no single program for everyone who suffers from a urinary disorder. At Tao of Wellness your acupuncturist will work with you in developing a plan that is personalized just for you.  Your therapies will be performed at our offices but you will also learn self-healing tools for your daily life. What you do every day at home will have a lasting impact on how you recover and how you remain healthy.

Acupuncture
Over thousands of years effective acupoints for urinary problems have been discovered throughout the body. The expertise of our practitioners is applied in choosing the right points for each patient’s unique condition. Regardless of where acupuncture is applied, you’ll find that it’s a very relaxing experience. The same calming and mood-elevating neurotransmitters, like endorphins and serotonin that are released from your brain during exercise, are secreted during a session of acupuncture. Studies have shown that acupuncture can strengthen the urethra to relieve incontinence and frequent urination. Swelling in the bladder or prostate can be reduced to assist in urgency and voiding problems. With regular acupuncture, especially when in combination with other Chinese medical therapies, your body will begin to heal and restore itself to normal and healthy functions. Learn more about acupuncture.

Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal medicine has a long history in treating bladder disorders. There are many herbs traditionally used to help ease discomfort in the urinary system. Poria, pearl barley, and Oriental water plantain are just a few herbs readily used to treat urinary disorders. There is likely no single herb that will cure any and all conditions but rather it is through the synergy of the right herbal combination that will help resolve your condition. Based on your unique symptom presentation, a customized herbal combination will be given to help ease your symptoms and overall condition. Learn more about Chinese herbal medicine.

Nutritional Therapy
People often overlook nutrition when thinking about physical health. What you eat and drink can either be therapeutic or toxic to your body. We will explore your diet and offer advice on how to use your food as medicine to treat your urinary condition. 

Nutritional Consultations
Certain stimulants that many people use regularly like caffeine, sugar, spicy foods, acidic foods, fatty meats and dairy products can aggravate urinary conditions. It is important to begin keeping a food journal to better understand any relationships between what you are consuming and what symptoms you experience. Every patient receives a general nutritional guidance but undergoing a Nutritional Consultation goes much further. Working with our doctors certified in Chinese nutrition will allow you the flexibility to move beyond just counting calories, fat, protein and carbohydrates. Selecting and preparing foods to specifically improve your urinary condition will be a process that’s a right fit for you. If you’re used to eating out every day and you don’t have much experience preparing your own food, then we’ll work on new ways to care for yourself. Nutrition is a powerful healing tool in your arsenal to better your health and the quality of your life.

Nutritional Supplements
Taking supplements like Vitamin C with bioflavonoids can reduce inflammation in the body. Beta carotene and zinc support healthy immune function and promote healing of mucous membranes in the urinary tract. Probiotics can also help maintain healthy immunity in the mucous membranes. These are just some of the supplements that may be helpful for your urinary condition. Just like herbal and dietary therapies, supplements work best when they are customized specifically for each patient’s unique needs. When it comes to selecting and dosing supplements, it’s always best to work with a licensed professional and our doctors are here to help you formulate a safe and effective nutritional supplement plan for you. Learn more about nutritional therapy.

Mind Body Exercise
Exercise is key for health and longevity. Inappropriate or excessive exercise can actually make symptoms worse for certain people. Too much high-impact exercise like running or excessive weight lifting may adversely affect the bladder and the pelvic floor potentially worsening urinary issues. If you’re suffering from urinary disorders, the right type of moderate exercise is certainly helpful for you. It can be enormously helpful to incorporate mind-body exercises like tai chi or qi gong. When stress is a daily experience, the endocrine and nervous systems are no longer balanced, which can easily trigger inflammation in the urinary system. Tai chi and gi gong help regulate the nervous and endocrine systems to return balance and reduce inflammation. At Tao of Wellness you’ll find our doctors certified as instructors in several styles of tai chi and qi gong. Your practitioner will work with you in determining the right practice as an enhancement to your other exercise and nutrition regimens. Learn more about tai chi and chi gong.

InfiniChi Energy Therapy
InfiniChi is Chinese medical energy therapy in the Tao of Wellness tradition. This is a series of non-touch techniques that aims to guide your mind and energy to a place of calm and harmony. The main tenet of Chinese medicine is to assist the body to heal itself and InfiniChi is no exception. The imbalances in your body and mind are assessed by your certified InfiniChi practitioner, and while you rest, the balances are restored so the healing of the pain or inflammation you experience can begin to take hold. You’ll have the opportunity before and after your treatment to communicate the changes you feel. Your doctor will likely prescribe simple practices of breathing or visualization exercises at home to keep the healing process working for you in between treatments. Learn more about InfiniChi.

Urinary Disorder Patient Success Stories

Symptom-Free After 10 Years
Sara had been suffering from interstitial cystitis (IC) for over 10 years when she came to Tao of Wellness. She experienced recurrent episodes of pelvic discomfort, frequent and urgent urination, as well as fatigue, allergies, eczema, anxiety, and pain in her neck and shoulders. She had been taking prescribed medications for her IC symptoms but discontinued them after suffering side effects. She began her weekly acupuncture and daily herbal therapy at Tao of Wellness and immediately began feeling better. As her stress level, sleep pattern, and diet fluctuated, her IC symptoms also fluctuated during the course of her treatments. With careful monitoring, finely adjusting her treatments, and modifying Sara’s lifestyle, she has been able to regain comfort and control. Thanks to this holistic approach, Sara is now symptom-free from her IC.

Natural Healthcare for Urinary Disorders

Tao of Wellness was established in 1976 as a resource to address urinary disorders. We strive to support you in mind and body, and invite you to make an appointment for your health and wellbeing. It would be our pleasure to serve you.

Urinary Tract Infection

The urinary tract is made up of the organs and tubes of the urinary system, including the kidneys, urinary bladder, ureters and urethra. An infection can occur in any or all of these parts. Most urinary tract infections (UTI) occur in the bladder. However, if left untreated or if particularly virulent, infections can spread upstream to the kidneys. Kidney infections are far graver and can lead to more serious problems. UTIs tend to start from exterior exposure of bacteria through the urethra (the tube that connects the bladder with the outside of body). The bladder is the first organ the pathogen meets, and so this is usually where symptoms begin such as burning with urination, frequent or scanty urination, discolored or cloudy urine, foul-smelling urine, pain in the lower abdomen or low back, chills, fever, nausea, and vomiting. At Tao of Wellness we use traditional therapies like acupuncture, herbal medicine and nutritional therapy as safe and effective ways to help treat UTIs.

How We Successfully Treat UTIs

UTIs are not new. People have been suffering with them since humans walked the earth and they tended to affect more women than men due to the shorter length of the female urethra. Traditional Chinese Medicine has time-tested remedies to help ease the initial discomfort of a UTI and also rid the body of the pathogen. Acupuncture helps boost immune function, and specific antibacterial Chinese herbs are used to attack the pathogens that caused the infection–providing the relief without the side effects of most prescription medications.

Regardless of how long you’ve suffered or what medications and supplements you’re already taking, Tao of Wellness works with the most challenging of patients with UTI. We’re an integrative health center that works alongside the other specialists on your medical team. You’ll start by setting up an initial consultation. One of our doctors will review your current condition in addition to your medical history. We want to know besides your acute condition what other symptoms you’re also experiencing as Chinese Medicine also considers how your urinary symptoms are related to the rest of your health. After your consultation you’ll be offered an individualized treatment plan for your UTI that may include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and nutritional therapy. Your doctor will then answer any questions you have before beginning your therapy.

Our Customized Therapies for Overcoming UTIs

Acupuncture
There are acupuncture points all over the body to treat UTIs. Acupuncture has been found to be an effective modulator of the immune system. Local acupuncture points around the area of the bladder in the lower abdomen activate white blood cells—your troops to join the fight against the invading bacteria. A large part of acupuncture is about effective circulation. These white blood cells, in addition to the other immune modifiers carried within your blood, can be more effectively distributed to the problem area via acupuncture. Other acupoints will be chosen to alleviate pain and restore proper water metabolism, helping your body heals itself and restore normal urinary function. Learn more about acupuncture.

Chinese Herbal Medicine
There are many different types of Chinese herbs to address UTIs. Poria and pearl barley improve the flow of urine. Phellodendron and skullcap have been found to inhibit bacteria, while rhubarb and peony can help alleviate pain. Our practitioner will help custom-formulate a Chinese herbal remedy for your unique symptom presentation, ensuring a quick recovery. Learn more about Chinese herbal medicine.

Nutritional Therapy

Nutritional Consultations
Each patient receives general nutritional guidance but undergoing a Nutritional Consultation offers much more. Our doctors certified in Traditional Chinese Nutrition will customize an eating plan, complete with meals and snacks, from an array of UTI-healing foods. Common anti-inflammatory foods that also ease urination include many juicy fruits and vegetables including celery, cucumber, and cranberry. For those with recurrent UTIs, research has shown that consuming unsweetened cranberry juice or taking cranberry extract can reduce future episodes by 20%. There are many other food combinations that our doctors may recommend and we look forward to helping you eat your way back to health.

Nutritional Supplements
Over-the-counter UTI products are plentiful and to get the right one at the right dose requires the help of experts. Tao of Wellness is committed to supporting you by providing the right combination of supplements to add to your healing regimen. Cranberry extract is very popular and its active ingredient, D-Mannose, are readily available as well. Vitamin C and other antioxidants can reduce inflammation, as can the tropical fruit enzymes papain and bromelain. As well, probiotics may be taken orally by anyone to support proper balance of bacteria, or vaginally in women to combat common yeast infections that occur after a round of antibiotics are prescribed to fight the UTI. Instead of being overwhelmed by the wide array of supplements touted for UTIs our expert practitioners will help choose the appropriate supplements for you. Learn more about nutritional therapy.

Natural Healthcare for Urinary Tract Infection

Tao of Wellness was established in 1976 as a resource to address urinary tract infections. We strive to support you in mind and body, and invite you to make an appointment for your health and wellbeing. It would be our pleasure to serve you.