icnjill

About icnjill

My Google Profile+ Jill Osborne is the president and founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Network, a health education company dedicated to interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and other pelvic pain disorders. Representing the IC community, she has appeared radio and TV shows including the PBS “Healthy Body Healthy Mind” television series. She serves as editor of the IC Optimist quarterly magazine and has authored dozens of articles on IC. She spends the majority of her time developing new, internet based educational and support tools for IC patients, including the “Living with IC” video series currently on YouTube and the ICN Food List smartphone app!

Daily Fact #20 – Exercise and IC

The question that many pain patients face when contemplating exercise is “will it help or hurt?” The evidence is overwhelming in favor of the former. Exercise can lift the spirits, alleviate depression and trigger the release of our bodies natural pain killers, endorphins. Many patients feel that regular exercise helps relieve symptoms thus requiring the [...]

By |2023-09-21T15:30:21-07:00September 20th, 2023|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on Daily Fact #20 – Exercise and IC

Daily Fact #16 – IC Makes Sleep Difficult

IC patients often experience their most uncomfortable symptoms at night when distractions are fewer and they notice their bladder symptoms more. They may feel a constant need to urinate or an uncomfortable sensation of bladder fullness that is very difficult to ignore. Getting up once or twice a night might be manageable but having more [...]

By |2023-09-17T20:56:30-07:00September 16th, 2023|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on Daily Fact #16 – IC Makes Sleep Difficult

Daily Fact #14: Bladder surgery is rarely used for IC/BPS

In the 2022 AUA Treatment Guidelines, major surgery (cystoplasty, cystectomy) is rarely suggested as a treatment for IC/BPS and only in a very small, select group of patients who have exhausted all other therapies and whose symptoms are directly caused by the bladder. Neuropathic pain, pelvic floor muscle dysfunction will not improve with surgery. It is best [...]

By |2023-09-14T20:27:10-07:00September 14th, 2023|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on Daily Fact #14: Bladder surgery is rarely used for IC/BPS

IC Awareness Daily Fact #12 – Hunner’s Lesions Require Treatment

Approximately 15% of IC patients have profound, extremely painful areas of inflammation in the bladder wall known as Hunner’s Lesions (formerly Hunner's Ulcers). These larger, bleeding wounds in the bladder represent the most severe form of interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome. Research released in 2014 (Van Der AA, et al. ) found that Hunner's lesions [...]

By |2023-09-13T10:13:20-07:00September 12th, 2023|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on IC Awareness Daily Fact #12 – Hunner’s Lesions Require Treatment

IC Awareness Daily Fact #11 – Intimacy and Sex Can Be Painful

Interstitial cystitis patients often find intimacy uncomfortable at times. Men with IC may feel discomfort at the moment of ejaculation while women report their most intense discomfort in the 24 hours after sex. Why? Well, it's primarily about the pelvic floor. Men experience their strongest pelvic floor contraction when they ejaculate while women experience about [...]

By |2023-09-11T14:02:42-07:00September 11th, 2023|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on IC Awareness Daily Fact #11 – Intimacy and Sex Can Be Painful

Daily Fact #19 – The Cost of IC Treatments & Drug Assistance Programs

Drug Assistance Programs Can Help Patients Struggling To Pay For Treatment There is no doubt that the cost of treating interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome are increasing. Elmiron®, the only FDA approved oral medication for IC, can cost some patients more than $1500 per month. (Elmiron® is now linked to retinal disease and blindness). [...]

By |2023-09-19T13:41:47-07:00September 19th, 2022|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on Daily Fact #19 – The Cost of IC Treatments & Drug Assistance Programs

Daily Fact #18 – Stress and Interstitial Cystitis

There is no doubt that stress can trigger an increase in our symptoms, aka an IC flare. Physical stressors (traveling, holding urine for a long period of time or exposure to extreme heat or cold) can trigger pain and discomfort, often in the form of pelvic floor tension and spasms.  Emotional stress (arguments, a death [...]

By |2023-09-17T21:01:41-07:00September 18th, 2022|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on Daily Fact #18 – Stress and Interstitial Cystitis

IC Awareness Daily Fact #4: IC and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

TikTok Video @icnetworkjill iC Awareness Daily Fact 4 The great majority of IC patients have tight pelvic floor muscles which causes ischemia.. and can trigger bladder, prostate, vulvar and rectal pain. #ictok #icawareness #pelvicfloor ♬ original sound - IC Network Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Pelvic floor dysfunction (aka hypertonic, tense muscles) is now a distinct subtype [...]

By |2023-09-01T13:04:44-07:00September 1st, 2022|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on IC Awareness Daily Fact #4: IC and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

IC Awareness Daily Fact #3 – New IC/BPS Guidelines Released

TikTok Video @icnetworkjill IC Awareness Daily Fact 3 - IC is a pelvic pain syndrome and for many of us, it’s not a bladder disease. #ictok #icawareness #pelvicpain ♬ original sound - IC Network What's New in Updated 2022 AUA Guidelines In 2022, the American Urological Association revised their Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment [...]

By |2023-09-03T16:02:43-07:00September 1st, 2022|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on IC Awareness Daily Fact #3 – New IC/BPS Guidelines Released

IC Awareness Daily Tip #2 – Hunner’s Lesions Require Specific Treatment

TikTok Video @icnetworkjillIC Awareness Daily Fact 2 - 5 to 10 percent of IC patients have Hunner’s lesions and they often suffer for years. There is hope. Learn about treatments at icnetwork.org♬ original sound - IC Network Hunner's Lesions Hunner's lesions represent a distinct, small patient group with an estimated 5 - 10% of [...]

By |2023-09-01T12:58:42-07:00September 1st, 2022|Announcements, Daily Facts|Comments Off on IC Awareness Daily Tip #2 – Hunner’s Lesions Require Specific Treatment
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