Application of electrical stimulation technique in the treatment of voiding dysfunction

  Electrical stimulation refers to the stimulation of pelvic tissues and organs or the nerve fibers and nerve centers innervating them with electrical currents of specific parameters to improve urinary storage or voiding function by altering the functional state of the bladder/urethra through direct action on the effector organ, or by influencing the nerve passageway activity. With the deeper understanding of the lower urinary tract nerves and nerve reflex pathways, as well as the continuous improvement of electrical stimulation instrumentation and treatment methods, electrical stimulation technology has now become one of the treatment methods for lower urinary tract dysfunction diseases, and is increasingly becoming the main treatment method for some voiding dysfunction diseases.  Sites of electrical stimulation: 1, nerve center, mainly refers to the relevant spinal cord segments that control urinary storage and voiding; 2, spinal nerve; 3, peripheral nerves, such as pelvic nerve, pubic nerve, etc.; 4, effector organs, such as pelvic floor muscle, bladder forced urinary muscle, etc.  Stimulation methods: 1, continuous stimulation, refers to the electrical stimulation method by the instrument according to a certain pattern of uninterrupted distribution of constant electrical stimulation parameters. It is mainly used to simulate or replace the uninterrupted bioelectric control of the nerve to the organ, such as sacral nerve root buried electrical stimulation.  2. Intermittent stimulation, in which the stimulation current is intermittent and each stimulation lasts for a certain period of time, such as the stimulation of sacral nerve root stimulation issued to promote urination.  3.Multiple stimulation, the stimulation current often needs to be repeated several times to achieve the therapeutic purpose, each time a certain duration. Such as the stimulation to induce the urethral sphincter or bladder forced urinary muscle diastolic stimulation.  4, single stimulation, only a single time that can achieve the purpose, such as stimulation of the forced urinary muscle to induce urination.  Commonly used treatment methods: 1, pelvic floor muscle electrical stimulation, mainly applied to various types of urinary incontinence; 2, bladder forced urinary muscle electrical stimulation, mainly applied to forced urinary muscle contraction weakness or forced urinary muscle instability. By setting different current parameters, many different kinds of forceps dysfunction can be regulated; 3, sacral nerve root electrical stimulation, mainly applied to bladder storage or voiding dysfunction, such as neurogenic bladder dysfunction, or severe non-neurogenic bladder dysfunction that is difficult to control by other clinical methods; 4, others, such as pelvic nerve electrical stimulation, spinal cord electrical stimulation, etc., can be used according to the patient’s condition.