Healing Methods

I firmly believe that the main way I healed my IC was through diet. However, I also believe a lot of natural supplements and alternative medicine helped me along the way. There is no ONE answer for healing, it is a combination of a lot of different healing & detox techniques that work together. This is holistic healing.

Here is a list of all the things I tried and how they helped me.

Nutrition
The IC Diet: I believe that this diet list is a good, general list on foods that may hurt the bladder. However, I do not think it is a good diet to follow. If you really want to heal, you need to cut out a lot more things that this list deems as IC safe. I don't think they are IC safe at all, in fact, they may be causing your IC in the first place!

Natural, vegan diet: Free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, processed foods, meat, dairy, corn, soy, wheat (gluten).

Raw food diet: Eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts.

Acid/Alkaline Balance: Eating an alkaline diet.

Anti-Candida diet: Low in sugar, no refined sugar, no yeast, NO alcohol, low fat.

Herbs
Marshmallow Root herb: Catherine Simone discusses this herb in her book. It is amazing! I found it at Whole Foods in loose form and put it into a tea ball and make tea out of it. I could feel it's soothing effects almost instantly.

Peppermint leaf: This became my GERD medicine. If I had any heartburn at all, this would instantly soothe it. Peppermint is good for any stomach/digestive issues, supporting your immune system, and relaxation.

While I was healing, I was too afraid to try much else besides these two types. But now, I can tolerate a large variety of teas! Herbal tea is an extremely beneficial, healing tool, and their are tons of good herbs out there that may help you out! I encourage you to look into other herbs specific for your needs.

Natural Supplements
Cysta Q: This is a blend of natural supplements including bioflavonoids made specifically for bladder health. It's had good results in many studies. I took it for about 4 months and still take it every now and then. It seemed to help, but I feel as if I no longer need it.

Probiotics: These are live microorganisms, or good bacteria, that aide in healthy digestion. They are found naturally in yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi and some other foods. I eat it and also take it in pill form. Probiotics help with gas, cramping, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, and other digestive issues. They also help balance out the bad bacteria in your gut that may contribute to problems such as a lowered immune system, candida overgrowth, IC, IBS, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.

Spirulina: My favorite superfood. It has lots of protein & vitamin b12 (good for vegans) and is very alkalizing. It has also been proven to help with IC.

Exercise
Yoga: I have slowly but surely become obsessed with yoga. Ever since I have started, it has had many positive benefits on my life. Yoga has taught me how to listen to my body and recognize the pain, where it is coming from, and how to deal with it. It has taught me how to control, minimize, or simply look past the pain. It has taught me to breath, relax, and manage stress (which also decreases pain), which has carried on into my everyday life. And it has taught me many different stretches that help relieve pelvic pain. Since I'm a poor, (recently graduated!) college student, I don't pay for classes and just do yoga in my room or out in the backyard. Yoga mats are cheap! The book I would recommend to beginners is Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein. Stein is a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic pain and this book provides a couple different programs along with great information. It was recommended to me by other IC patients and I love it.

Any exercise in general is good for you. I know it's hard to think about working out when you're in so much pain, but it will make you feel better! Start slow. Fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity will help heal your body. Get outside, get some sun, run, swim, bike, climb, jump, walk, stretch. Everyone needs physical activity, even the thin, the sick, the old, the young.

Others
Massage: Great way to release toxins and it feels oh-so-good!

Baking Soda: Drinking a little bit in water helped calmed some really bad flares!

Heating pad: My best friend. He keeps me warm at night. I use him daily. :)