Axonics Therapy for Overactive Bladder and Incontinence

Frequent bathroom trips, sudden urgency, or leakage can quietly reshape your daily routine – and you are far from alone. According to the National Association for Continence, nearly 100 million Americans live with urinary incontinence or another bladder condition. If you are experiencing symptoms like these, it is not a failure of control. In many cases, it reflects a breakdown in communication between your brain and the nerves that control your bladder.

The good news is that treatment options are available, including long-term solutions that do not rely on daily medication.

The Price of ‘Just Living With’ Incontinence

Incontinence – the inability to hold in urine or defecation – comes with costs. Not just those affecting quality of life due to embarrassment or loss of sleep from getting up to go at night, but hard, dollars-and-cents costs. Women with incontinence spend an average of $750 annually on routine care products such as pads and adult diapers, the National Association for Continence reports.

Yet only approximately 10% of the millions of women and men with bladder-control issues seek medical treatment. Many are ashamed to talk about it because it feels like a failure to control, or they just assume it’s a normal part of the aging process. This is not always the case.

If you are among the 90% who have not sought treatment for fecal or urinary incontinence, including OAB, you do not have to just live with it. The condition can be managed in the long term, saving you time and money and improving your quality of life.

Understanding Bladder Control Issues

Bladder and bowel function rely on communication between your brain and the nerves that control these systems. When everything is working properly, your brain signals when it’s time to go, and your body responds accordingly.

With overactive bladder (OAB) or incontinence, that communication can break down. Nerves may send signals at the wrong time, causing sudden urgency, leakage, or frequent trips to the bathroom.

Initial treatment may include lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercises, or medication. If these approaches are not effective or cause unwanted side effects, additional options are available.

What Is Axonics Therapy?

Axonics® therapy is a minimally invasive treatment option for people with urinary or fecal incontinence or overactive bladder who have not found relief with first-line treatments.

It works by delivering mild electrical stimulation to the sacral nerves, which play a key role in bladder and bowel control. This type of treatment is called sacral neuromodulation.

By helping regulate nerve signals, Axonics therapy can restore more normal communication between the brain and the bladder or bowel.

How the Axonics System Works

Here is what that process involves:

• A small stimulator is implanted under the skin in the upper buttock area
• A thin, flexible wire is positioned near the sacral nerve, where it delivers mild electrical pulses
• Patients use a small handheld remote to adjust their therapy settings

Before moving forward with long-term treatment, patients complete a trial period to determine whether the therapy improves their symptoms. In two-year clinical trials, 94% of patients reported feeling satisfied with their results.

Benefits of Axonics Therapy

Axonics offers several advantages for patients seeking a long-term option:

• The implant is small – typically one to two inches
• The procedure is outpatient and typically takes about 20 to 30 minutes
• The device is designed to provide therapy for 10 to 20+ years, depending on the model
• Minimal recharging required, with some models going months between charges
• There are minimal side effects
• The system is MRI-compatible, allowing for full-body imaging if needed
• Patients can adjust therapy settings using a simple, discreet handheld remote

Other Treatment Options for Incontinence

Axonics is one of several minimally invasive approaches to incontinence that your provider may recommend. Depending on your condition, options may include:

• Other nerve stimulation therapies: These include different forms of sacral nerve stimulation and tibial nerve stimulation, which deliver bladder-controlling impulses through a nerve near the ankle
• Injectable treatments: Medications can be injected into the urethral wall to help strengthen it (Bulkamid) or into the bladder muscles to help reduce overactivity (Botox)
• Pessary devices: For certain pelvic floor conditions, this is a small removable device that can be inserted to help support pelvic organs

Your urologist can help determine the best approach based on your symptoms and medical history.

Taking the Next Step

You do not have to live with the daily impact of overactive bladder or incontinence. Treatment options are available that can improve both comfort and quality of life.

Start by speaking with your primary care provider. If appropriate, they can refer you to a specialist, such as those at Spokane Urology, for further evaluation. If Axonics® therapy is appropriate, your specialist will guide you through next steps, including whether a trial period is right for you.

To learn more about our referral process, visit this page or call 509-747-3147.