What Are Bladder Spasms?

Anything that affects the bladder or causes unwanted urination can be a serious hindrance on your life. Bladder spasms are especially difficult to deal with. However, understanding what these spasms are and why they happen can be the key to finding the treatment you need.

Definition

• A bladder spasm is a contraction of the bladder muscles. To be clear, the bladder contracts all the time. When your bladder starts to fill, you will notice gentle warning signs that you need to urinate. However, bladder spasms can occur at any time and at random, giving you the sensation that you need to urinate immediately. This is called urgency. If you try to hold the urine, this may result in urge incontinence, where the spasm is so forceful, urine is pushed from your body uncontrollably.

Causes

• Bladder spasms are caused by a variety of things. The most common are urinary tract infections and painful bladder or interstitial cystitis. However, catheter use may also be to blame or certain medications like particular chemotherapy drugs or diuretics. Neurological conditions may also be to blame, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke or spinal cord injury. Surgery to the lower abdomen can also weaken the bladder muscles or the surrounding nerves, resulting in spasms.

Symptoms

• Bladder spasms are typically characterized by an intense feeling of needing to urinate. You may feel lower abdominal pain and pain or burning upon urination. You may also suffer from extreme urgency, which can result in incontinence. Since bladder spasms share symptoms with other urinary conditions, it's important to see your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Treatment

• If you use a catheter, try using the smallest tube possible and changing it often. Avoid drinking things that act as bladder irritants such as sodas, alcohol or coffee. Antispasmodic drugs may also be prescribed to ease the intensity of your bladder spasms, examples of which include proplverine, tolterodine, trospium and oxybutinin. In some cases, electrical stimulation is applied to the nerves controlling spasms to make them relax. Bladder training can also be utilized to help teach your bladder when it is and is not acceptable to release urine. Training begins with very short intervals between trips to the bathroom, then these intervals are expanded slowly over time to normal. Kegel or pelvic floor exercises can be used to strengthen these muscles so bladder spasms do not occur as often, or at the very least, the spasms do not force urine from the body.

Alternative Treatments

• Since medications for bladder spasms may cause unpleasant side effects like dry mouth, some people opt for more natural or alternative treatments. Biofeedback helps you control with your mind specific bodily functions, such as your bladder spasms. Acupuncture is another example, which may help reduce the urgency you experience. Botox is even used to reduce the number of spasms you experience. However, this is only effective in those cases that are related to nerve function.