IC Naturally - Interstitial Cystitis Network Mail Order Division

IC Naturally - A natural remedy approach to treatment of Interstitial Cystitis by Diana Brady, MA, CNC.

Our Book Review

(Written by Jill Osborne - 04/07/10) I have long been frustrated with most of the books on the market today that discuss IC and alternative remedies. Why? Our knowledge of IC shifts constantly as new facets emerge. For example, ten years ago or more, IC was thought to be bacterial in nature thus health food stores often recommended very harsh, cranberry based supplements that, in the long run, actually irritated IC bladders. Some books reported that IC was the result of an “acidic body” while others suggested that an over intake of salt was the cause, both theories not supported by the IC community. Similarly, I’m very uncomfortable when a patient who does not have medical training gives “medical advice” to their readers. I think that a solid medical background of the author as well as a keen interest and understanding of the latest IC research studies are vital.

Thus, it is with delight that I introduce a new book to you, IC Naturally, written by IC patient Diana Brady MA CNC. Diana, a certified nutritional consultant, has been involved in the IC movement for decades and was one of the original advocates for the use of natural remedies in the management of bladder symptoms. She has been featured in the ICA Update, the International Academy of Nutrition and Preventative Medicine and the Alternative Medicine Women’s Health Series. After several years focusing on family, Diana has come back to the IC movement to share her knowledge of natural and alternative therapies, sharing the protocol that she has developed and recommended to countless IC patients over the years.

The book offers one of the best descriptions I’ve read about the anatomy of the bladder and how injury to the bladder wall creates IC symptoms. Her discussion of the many events that can trigger IC pain is eye opening as she discusses stress, hormones, bladder jarring, mold, allergens, foods, infections, sex, environmental toxins and much more. She explains how mast cells vs. nerves can cause bladder symptoms and/or pain. Fermented food products containing tyramine create flares by triggering mast cells to release histamine whereas stress, some food preservatives, excitatory agents (i.e. caffeine, postassium, msg) and even cold weather stimulate the nerves in the bladder wall thus causing discomfort.

The book provides a thorough description of various natural remedies and how they may or may not apply to the IC patient including vitamins, herbs, minerals, plant compounds, enzymes, homeopathy and more. She does disagree with some conventional opinions about vitamins, suggesting that patients should take B6 when B6 has been noted as being particularly irritating to an IC bladder. I hope that these conflicts will be discussed in her next edition. You, as the patient, should consider any conflicting information carefully.

Chapter four is dedicated to the treatment of IC symptoms and it is this chapter that I found myself occasionally uncomfortable with. The author makes some bold statements and offers a wide variety of product recommendations that I was just unfamiliar with, such as the use of an essiac tea and Moducare (a plant sterol product) to support the immune system. I am entirely unfamiliar with either and have no experience with their use.

She pushed one of my consumer alert buttons by promoting the use of a flexible magnet. Yet, upon further review, there is a marginal case to support their use. The National Institutes of Health NCCAM website offered the following “Preliminary scientific studies of magnets for pain have produced mixed results. Overall, there is no convincing scientific evidence to support claims that magnets can relieve pain of any type. Some studies, including a recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial for back pain, suggest the possibility of a small benefit from using magnets for pain.” (1) Will magnets help reduce IC pain? I have no idea. Please note that patients with any medical devices such as nerve stimulators (i.e. Interstim) or pacemakers should never use magnets because they can interfere the functioning of the device.

I can’t say that her approach is better than, perhaps, the protocol suggested by Dr. Tori Hudson in the Women’s Encyclopedia for Natural Medicine. Neither claim that they can “cure” IC. What I can say is that if you are interested in a more natural approach to treating your bladder symptoms, IC Naturally will give you much food for thought. As always, I strongly encourage you to work closely with your personal medical care provider as you consider various treatment approaches. Only medical providers that work with you directly can and should give you medical advice.

(1) http://nccam.nih.gov/health/magnet/magnetsforpain.htm

239 pages

2009

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SKU	BOOKicn
Weight	0.75 lbs
Price:	$35.99

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