Other treatments

Bladder distensions (a procedure which stretches the bladder capacity, done under general anaesthetic) have shown some success in reducing urinary frequency and giving pain relief to patients. However, many experts still cannot understand precisely how this can cause pain relief. Unfortunately, the relief achieved by bladder distentions is only temporary (weeks or months) and consequently, it is not really viable as a long-term treatment for Interstitial Cystitis: it is generally only used in extreme cases.

Surgical interventions are rarely used for IC. Neurostimulation techniques are not FDA approved for IC.