Supervised Exercise as a Therapeutic Strategy for Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

NCT ID: NCT05699551

Last Updated: 2025-10-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: WITHDRAWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-05-10
• Study Completion Date: 2025-09-30

Brief Summary

In this study, the efficacy of exercise to improve interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome symptoms and quality of life will be investigated.

Detailed Description

Effective treatment for symptoms associated with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome is a significant clinical challenge due to the lack of insight into disease etiology/pathophysiology, costly and potentially invasive procedures, and a lack of research into potential therapeutics. The primary objective of this study is to determine if a supervised exercise program by a trained exercise physiologist can relieve pain and improve urinary and bladder symptoms in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. This has the potential to open enormous future avenues of research, save both patients and the healthcare system cost, and most importantly improve patients' lives. A second objective of this study is to determine if exercise alters depressive symptoms, often a comorbid diagnosis, in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. A third objective of this study is to examine urinary markers of inflammation before and after exercise in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

Conditions

Interstitial Cystitis; Bladder Pain Syndrome

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Exercise treatment group

This group will serve as both their own controls and study subjects for the experimental intervention. They will take surveys to record bladder symptoms and quality of life before undergoing exercise. They will then take the same surveys after exercise and their scores will be compared.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise regimen

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Exercise will take place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12:00-1:00 pm for 6 weeks. Aerobic exercise will consist of walking, beginning with a 10-minute duration, with gradual progression to 20 minutes. Muscle strength, endurance and range-of-motion exercise will then be performed. Muscle strength and endurance training will begin using no weight and performing one set of 6 repetitions. Progression using added resistance in the form of dumbbell weights (1-6 lbs.) and increased sets and repetitions will be applied as Subjects become increasingly fit. For static range of motion exercise, positions will be held for 10-15 seconds in the beginning and increased over time. Exercise will be kept at a moderate level of intensity. Each session will then end with relaxation training.

Interventions

Exercise regimen

Exercise will take place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12:00-1:00 pm for 6 weeks. Aerobic exercise will consist of walking, beginning with a 10-minute duration, with gradual progression to 20 minutes. Muscle strength, endurance and range-of-motion exercise will then be performed. Muscle strength and endurance training will begin using no weight and performing one set of 6 repetitions. Progression using added resistance in the form of dumbbell weights (1-6 lbs.) and increased sets and repetitions will be applied as Subjects become increasingly fit. For static range of motion exercise, positions will be held for 10-15 seconds in the beginning and increased over time. Exercise will be kept at a moderate level of intensity. Each session will then end with relaxation training.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adult females (>18 years and <80 years) with a previously established clinical diagnosis of Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) will be eligible to participate
• Must speak English
• The clinical diagnosis of IC/BPS will be based on the recently published American Urological Association Guidelines definition: "An unpleasant sensation (pain, pressure, or discomfort) perceived to be related to the urinary bladder, associated with lower urinary tract symptoms for more than six weeks duration, in the absence of infection or other identifiable causes"
• The diagnosis will be confirmed by a urologist who specializes in the treatment of patients with IC/BPS

Exclusion Criteria

• Study participants must be fully ambulatory without the use of a cane, walker, or wheelchair
• Study participants must be able to tolerate moderate aerobic exercise. It will also be required that a physician clear any subjects entering the exercise program who have signs and symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, metabolic, or renal disease and have been active 3 days per week for 30 minutes each day
• Any history of bladder cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, vaginal cancer, the current placement of a catheter, urethral diverticulum, spinal cord injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, cyclophosphamide treatment, radiation cystitis, bladder tuberculosis, or are experiencing an active genital herpes episode
• Pregnant women are not eligible for this study

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Stephen J Walker, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Other Identifiers

IRB00092907

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id