Symptoms of Overactive Bladder (OAB) affect 1 in 6 adults as they age. OAB is characterized by a frequent and urgent need to urinate, often accompanied by incontinence (uncontrolled leakage of urine). It occurs when the nerves controlling bladder function become overactive or uncoordinated. There is often an overactivity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which causes the bladder to contract too frequently or prematurely, leading to the urgency and often times incontinence. This may be due to abnormal signaling from the bladder wall or the nerves themselves. Common signs of overactive bladder include:
- Urinating frequently (more than 8 times) during the day
- Sudden strong urges to urinate
- Having to wake from sleep to urinate more than twice each night
- Leaking urine before you get to the bathroom
- Unconscious leakage of urine
Although overactive bladder is common in men and women as they age, it is a very treatable condition. There are effective therapies available so you don’t have to live with OAB and let it affect your quality of life. Often it is initially treated with lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, bladder re-training and pelvic floor strengthening. When lifestyle changes fail to deliver the results you want, oral medications are the next step. There are several medications that can help control symptoms but unfortunately, sometimes they may cause undesirable side effects or do not work as intended. When that happens, oftentimes people discontinue use of medication and think they have tried all their options, but that is not the case.
How Can InterStim Therapy Help?
The good news is that an implantable InterStim device can help. InterStim therapy is FDA-approved in the United States and has been used for over 20 years, providing relief for many individuals. Also referred to as sacral neuromodulation, it is used primarily for managing overactive bladder, fecal incontinence, and non-obstructive urinary retention. InterStim therapy involves the use of a small device called a neurostimulator, which is placed under the skin near the sacral nerves in the lower back.
These nerves control the muscles of the bladder and bowel, and they help regulate abnormal activity and reduce symptoms such as urgency, incontinence, and retention. This therapy aims to restore normal function to the sacral nerves by delivering electrical pulses to the nerve. These electrical pulses from the neurostimulator can be controlled from an app on a smart phone. InterStim therapy can be helpful when other first-line treatments, like medication or lifestyle changes, have not been effective and it offers a solution for those individuals seeking a long-term resolution to incontinence.
Before implantation of the device, patients undergo a trial phase, where a temporary wire is placed near the sacral nerves to see if the therapy improves symptoms. The lead is connected to an external device that sends electrical pulses. If the trial phase is successful, a permanent device is implanted under the skin, usually near the lower back or buttocks. It is the size of a small pacemaker and is powered by a battery. The device can be programmed and adjusted externally, allowing for fine-tuning of the nerve stimulation to appropriately adjust the therapy to fit each individual’s needs.
With InterStim therapy, many people experience a significant improvement in symptoms, such as reduced urgency, frequency of urination, and incontinence episodes. Ideal candidates for InterStim therapy are those individuals who have who have chronic incontinence that significantly impacts quality of life and those who have tried and failed conservative treatments (e.g., medications, pelvic floor therapy).
Watch stories from Real Patients who have used InterStim therapy to treat Overactive Bladder or Fecal Incontinence.
