Airing Pain

This edition has been funded by a grant from the Women’s Fund For Scotland. Interstitial cystitis, aka painful bladder syndrome, is a poorly understood bladder condition that causes long-term pelvic pain and problems with urination. The charity Bladder Health UK estimates that 400,000 people in UK live with the condition. Of them, 360,000 are women. Anne Cameron, retired nurse and now coordinator for Bladder Health UK in Scotland, explains the varied symptoms and treatments available, and how certain factors can make the path to diagnosis far from smooth for some women. Jen stresses the importance of support groups in alleviating feelings of stress and isolation, and Pat describes how she overcame her initial reservations to try different self-management techniques, including yoga and mindfulness. Dr Shona Brown is a clinical psychologist and part of the multi-disciplinary team at the EXPPECT pelvic pain clinic in Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary. She describes the impact of pelvic pain on patients’ e