IC and Getting Upset: 7 Ways to Change the Course of the Disease

The energy science of Ayurveda tells us that all of Nature including ourselves are composed of vibrational frequencies or qualities  These qualities are arranged into energy patterns of Vata Pitta and Kapha  The Pitta energy pattern is one of transformation  Anything that happens in the mindbody that requires transformation is under the guise of this energy pattern of Pitta  For example, enzymes that transform a piece of broccoli into heart, brain, and lung cells are expressions of the Pitta energy pattern  As you’re reading this your Pitta is transforming this information and changing you in a subtle way, hopefully for the better

When people get angry, upset, irritated, or impatient they’re experiencing the Pitta energy pattern  Often the reason why these emotions come up is because there is too much of the vibrational frequencies of Pitta in the physiology, usually the hot quality  And as a matter of fact, the burning experienced with the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) is a result of too much of this hot quality

But we can use this energy pattern of Pitta to energize us to get off point zero and take action  Adding this heat to our mental framework can push us in the direction of transformation  Here are 9 suggestions that we can think of…and perhaps more….to help us move to transforming our problem of the IC bladder pain syndrome into health

 9 Steps to Transforming Mental Lethargy

1 Decide for yourself that a new way of doing things(energy science approach) is worth a try

2  Get angry  “Im fed up with this and can’t take any more of this nonsense in my life”  Engage your Pitta energy to get transformative about doing something about your imbalance

3  Be ready to do the work over time to make a difference  Realize that there’s no quick fix  Nutrition is a piece of the healing puzzle Watching out for incompatible food combinations is part of the healing puzzle  It’s not just one thing that produces the results you’re looking for in energy science work…it’s a culmination of a multiplicity of things that brings about healing of IC because all the self directed work that you is synergistic in producing a result

4 Use breath techniques to energize the physiology and improve motivation  The Kapha energy pattern keeps us stuck in ruts so using breath techniques to reduce this energy pattern can be beneficial

5 Use the neti pot technique to reduce the Kapha energy pattern as in the above

6 Use nasya oil to help shift mental patterns of behavior

7 Get support to help you move along in this direction  The hardest thing that people undertake in their lives is changing lifestyle behaviors that don’t help them in their quest to better health  Having someone to support you in making these changes can be helpful  It is best not to use a friend but someone who is more at a distance so that they can be rigorous in helping change patterns of behavior

8 Avoiding distractions which often take our attention away from the healing task at hand  There are so many things in our lives vying for our attention  Sales at department stores, the new entries on Facebook, responding to emails  The more we can reduce these distractions the more we can pay attention to the work at hand

9 Use your imagination and creativity as to how to do transformative work  For example, asking yourself what you can do to motivate yourself to do healing work can lead you into areas you hadn’t thought of before

IC and the Nutritional Corner: 5 Ways to Avoid Not Being Able to Eat Anything

The molecular/matter and energy science approaches are completely different because how diseases occur physiologically in each model are different So we have to decide which model we want to follow in order to deal with the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) and stick with it

Many people because of their concern about particular foods causing digestive issues eliminate foods from their diet because of the fear that the food is producing an “allergic reaction” In so doing they begin sectoring off food groups such as dairy and grains that are causing the “allergic reaction” when in reality the foods are not causing the “allergic reaction” but rather are not tolerated due to poor digestion

One of the salient differences between the two models is that the molecular/matter science approach is devoid of the concept of agni which is central to the energy science model of Ayurveda  And it is this concept of agni that helps differentiate food allergy versus food intolerance

Food Allergy: An Abnormal Immune Response

Probably less than 6% of the population has a true allergic reaction to a molecule in the food that sets off an anaphylactic reaction or a response that seriously compromises the ability to breathe and can lead to death if not promptly treated   90% of allergic reactions are related to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction

In the food allergy the immune system generally protects the body from harmful foreign proteins by generating a response to eliminate them  Allergy is essentially “immunity gone wrong” where a normally harmless substance is perceived as a threat -an allergen- and attacked by the body’s immunological defenses  In a true allergic reaction, the body produces antibodies (a protein that specifically binds to another protein called antigen -in this case the allergen- to deactivate it and remove it from the body)

Food Allergy versus Food Intolerance:  Why It’s Best to Know the Difference

On the other hand food intolerance from an energy science point of view is a result of poor agni  That is, the body’s digestive power is unable to digest completely the foods that have been ingested  This leads to a number of GI symptoms

Poor appetite               Fear anxiety loneliness sadness        Heaviness in stomach               Confusion

Burps smell of food   Apathy and/or repulsion                     Coated tongue                            Tissue emaciation

Bad breath                   Indecisiveness                                       Restlessness                                Impatience

Constipation/diarrhea  Weakness fatigue                              Foul gas(flatus)                          Emotional eating

Bloating                        Poor complexion                                   Lack of luster                              Insomnia

As we can see the differences between an allergic reaction and poor agni are completely different  Chances are that if we make the assumption of food allergy instead of food intolerance we will paint ourselves into the proverbial nutritional corner

Avoiding the Nutritional Corner

So the treatment of food intolerances from an energy science perspective is to improve agni

1 Eat according to your individual nutritional format….eating foods that are not according to the energy constitutional make up will produce food intolerance symptoms

2 Avoid IFC…this is like putting wet logs on your digestive fire

3 Use CCF tea on a regualar daily basis….this is a simple thing to do to enhance the digestive strength

4 Use of a culinary churan with each meal….there is a list at foods heal.com under nutritional tools

5 Herbs can enhance the digestive strength such as fresh ginger, chitrak, aloe vera

IC and Mast Cells: 3 Acute Ways to Inhibit Formation and Pain

Mast cells are part of the immune system and are found throughout the body particularly in areas of inflammatory reaction  It has been found that those with IC and bladder ulcerative changes(<5% of the IC population) have 5x more mast cells than others with IC  Thus those with the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) may have a common pathway through excess mast cell production  The reason that this becomes important is that the mast cell produces many irritating molecules that may mediate the pain complex that is present

Why Do Mast Cells Concentrate in the Bladder Wall?

There is a functional relationship between mast cell production and the autonomic nervous system which is the part of the nervous system that causes the bladder to function  If the nervous system becomes hyperexcitable or extra nervous then this will in and of stimulate mast cell arousal  This begins the cascade of molecular events that leads to the release of NGF, TNF, histamines, endokrines, and other modulating molecules that cause irritability

So the next question is “Why does the nervous system become irritable in the pelvic area?”  This becomes a problem from the matter science point of view because the model cannot hold the space to allow an answer  But the energy science model can explain the origin of the nervous system behavior based on the qualities that emanate from the lower rectum and come to reside in the pelvic nerves, both somatic and autonomic

This becomes a big deal as it gets to the heart of the origin of the IC bladder pain syndrome

3 Ways to Influence Mast Cell Production by Affecting the Pelvic Nerve Complex

In the energy science of Ayurveda there is a dictum that there is no pain without the Vata energy pattern  So it’s not surprising that all pain syndromes have Vata involvement energetically mediated molecularly through the nervous system

1 Basti downregulates mast cell production by changing nerve plexus irritation  This is a time honored way to deal with Vata imbalance which disturbs nervous tissue  There are many forms of basti both internal and external  Internal basti is done by placing herbal decoctions with oil, usually sesame, into the lower rectum by enema bag  Many people with IC have been poked and jabbed by instruments or tubes going into the bladder  Why would a comfortable placement of a tube into the lower rectum through the anus be such a big deal? So self done enemas can be a major step toward controlling the imbalance in the pelvic nerves and in so doing influence mast cell production and the symptoms of fatigue, cognitive disruption, sleep disorders, mood disorders, and general malaise

2 PeaPure or palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is actually a glial cell modulator(nervous system immune cells) that impacts mast cell formation through its interaction with NGF  Its mode of action is more than likely by affecting the nervous system which induces the mast cells to begin with  Due to the work of Nobel Price Laureate Rita Levi Montalcini who was the first to identify PEA as a mast cell inhibitor in 1993  Based on her work PEA has been extensively used as a analgesic and anti-inflammatory compound since the last decade, especially in the countries were PEA is available, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands  It’s available as a nutraceutical in 400mg tablets

3 LDN(Low Dose Naltrexone) has been shown to be effective in forms of chronic pain syndrome  It is a novel anti-inflammatory agent in the central nervous system, via action on microglial cells and may represent one of the first glial cell modulators to be used for the management of chronic pain disorders  As a daily oral therapy, LDN is inexpensive and well-tolerated

IC and the Synergy of Healing: Adding onto the Energetic Effect

“Ok give me the one thing that’s going to clear this IC thing that I have” typically goes the refrain going through our minds as we try to figure it what to do

And while we have been programmed to believe that it’s that one pill, the one operation, the one piece of advice that’s going to turn the corner, it’s really not that way  It may be that in an acute situation such as appendicitis that the immediate action of removing the appendix fixes the problem  But even in that clinical scenario there is the need for doing things after the operation to fully recover  In the management of chronic diseases such as the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) this process of needing to do more than one thing in order to evoke a healing response becomes even more apparent

The Energy Science Approach to Healing

In order to evoke a change toward real healing the mindbody needs to know that we’re serious about wanting to turn things around for us and move in a different direction  Toward balance in this situation This means that there needs to be not only consistency in our actions but also a willingness to pile on the energetic effects produced by our actions

For example we might feel a tad bit better by introducing nutritional changes that bring about more physiologic balance  Bringing about more balance to the physiology occurs when we stop adding to our imbalances  For example, if we happen to have a Pitta Kapha energy constitutional make up then nuts are not a good choice for us because they carry the vibrational frequencies of heavy, slow, oily, static, and cloudy  When we stop introducing these qualities of nuts into our physiology then the mindbody begins to shed those qualities that we were consistently putting into our mindbody

So we stop adding to the imbalance that is creating our ill health  That’s a good thing…changing our nutrition so we don’t continue to keep ourselves sick  A step toward healing has been made  But there’s another layer  What about incompatible food combinations?  Well, by avoiding them we begin improving our agni  That’s a good thing  Another step has been taken

But then we can add another layer  What about restructuring our day to a favorable time for the mindbody to do certain things…like getting up early to exercise, eating our biggest meal of the day at around noon, going to bed early to take advantage of the night time detoxification duties that the mindbody naturally does if we don’t interfere with them  So another layer has been added to the complex process of energy healing  And we should point out that this healing has not cost anything….only just changing the way we do things

Synergistic Healing

So from an energy science point of view, real healing requires our participation and this layering effect  There are a multiplicity of things to be done to bring physiologic balance and release excess vibrational frequencies that don’t serve us well

This layering phenomenon is actually promoting synergy  It’s not just one thing but the multiplicity of things that are done that bring about the desired effect  Each lifestyle behavior pattern that we add supports and makes stronger the previous pattern that we just put into place  That is, these changes that we make feed on one another creating a grand foundation on which to support the healing of the condition that doesn’t serve us anymore

IC and Prana: 5 Ways to Make Biologic Energy Flow

From present day physics the body can be viewed as an energy field or molecular/matter field  Modern day medicine follows an molecular approach to its study of disease whereas the energy sciences of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine(acupuncture) have developed sophisticated systems of healing to deal with man’s diseases  The areas where the energy sciences have their most impact is in chronic disease and prevention since as we have discussed in the past the origin of disease is well worked out in the Ayurvedic energy science discipline

Because the energy science understands the origin of disease it can be effective in chronic diseases such as the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia)  From an energy science perspective disease is brought about due to an imbalance of vibrational frequencies called gunas or qualities  So in IC the qualities that become out of balance are predominantly the hot and mobile qualities  These qualities become overly abundant in affected tissues producing the symptoms

Srotas:  The Energy Channels

Although the energy science views the body’s anatomy in a similar way as the matter science discipline the channels through which energy flows are arranged conceptually in a different way  The energy channels are called srotas and have specific characteristics that are unique to the energy body  It is through these channels that the qualities move The most common way we alter the qualities of the body is through our nutrition which is why what we eat becomes so important in the management of the IC BPS

But there is a second channel system in the energy body called the nadi system which overlays the srotal system and is more subtle in its expression

The Nadi System

This channel system only carries vibrational energy called prana and is more ephemeral than the above srotal system  Unexplained spontaneous remissions of all forms of disease occur at this level of the energy body  Our nadi system(microcosm) is responsible for the maintenance of our energetic aura(see diagram) and is our connection with the greater energy field(macrocosm)

The common concept shared by these two energy channel systems is agni, the digestive fire, or the ability to take an experience and completely comprehend its meaning  And there are two bridges that connect the two systems such as the autonomic nervous system(fight or flight system) and the endocrine(hormones and thyroid gland) system  The nadi channels are connected to the 5 senses so we can see that doing things to enhance the senses and clear them helps improve flow through them

In yogic classes where asana(posture) is performed the anatomy that is most common discussed and used is the nadi system  Energy nadis such as the ida, pingula, and sushumna are terms often used  There can be healing using the nadi system and the energy science of Ayurveda uses these concepts in therapies

5 Ways To Access the Nadi System

Pranayama particularly kapalabhati because breath use and breath exercises are powerful ways to influence the fight or flight response which is managed by the above autonomic system  From what we have just said not surprisingly this group of exercises can influence agni which is extremely therapeutic in management of disease  Done routinely it can change the course of a disease  Since the breath influences the subtle vibrational energy channels it can help clear the srotas and our aura

Kevala As part of the day in balance(dinacharya) oil pulling has been recognized by Western observers of health that it can bring about dramatic benefits  Kevala influences the nadi channel system and hence has profound energetic consequences to the body

Nasya  This is the application of herbs that are in an oil solution and has direct impact to both the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems  Because this therapy influences both bridges to the nadi system it can have an impact on our subtle energy body, aura, and healing

Karna purna  This is application of oil to the ears which have a connection to the nadi channels and can influence them 

Marma and abhyanga  The application of oils to the external surface of the body stimulates acupuncture points that Ayurveda calls marma  These are subtle energy points that connect to the nadi system and improves pranic flow through the channels