Axonics®: Helping the Bladder and Brain Communicate

If those questions hit home for you, you may be suffering from some form of overactive bladder and/or incontinence. You aren’t alone. In fact, more than 33 million Americans experience some form of incontinence or bladder condition, according to the National Association for Continence.

Even though bladder issues, like OAB and incontinence, affect millions of people, most are reluctant to talk about it. They’re embarrassed, or they think it’s just a natural part of the aging process. While symptoms of OAB and incontinence can be more common with age, these conditions do not have to be part of normal aging.

There is something you can do about it. Something without the side effects of medications—meet Axonics®.

The Axonics® system is a minimally invasive alternative therapy for people with urinary (or fecal) incontinence or OAB who haven’t found success with other treatment options like lifestyle changes and medication or for whom medication was not a good fit due to side effects.

How does Axonics® work?

1. As your bladder (or bowel) fills, nerve signals are sent to your brain, alerting you that you need to use the restroom.
2. The brain sends signals back to your bladder (or bowel) helping you to empty them.
3. However, sometimes there’s a miscommunication! That’s where Axonics® comes in. Axonics® Therapy uses a small implant to provide gentle stimulation to the nerves that control the bladder (and bowel). This stimulation can help restore normal communication between the bladder (and bowel) and your brain.

Axonics® is a form of neurostimulation therapy. While Axonics® is specifically for urinary (or bowel) related issues, neurostimulation therapy has been used to treat other conditions as well. For instance, there has been some success in using neurostimulation therapy to treat chronic pain, helping patients reduce their dependence on medications.

What are some of the benefits of Axonics®?

There are numerous things to like about Axonics®, including:

• The Axonics® implant is small.
• The procedure is minimally invasive and outpatient. It generally takes 20-30 minutes to complete.
• The implant provides therapy for at least 15 years. No more trips to the pharmacy to get prescriptions filled!
• Wireless charging is required only once a month, whereas some other devices require biweekly charging.
• There are minimal side effects.
• Axonics® is the first MRI-compatible sacral neuromodulation technology, which means that if necessary, you can still undergo a full-body MRI.
• The implant is controllable by a user-friendly, discreet remote.

Are you interested in learning more about Axonics®?

The first step is to speak with your general physician. If appropriate, they will refer you to a specialist, like those at Spokane Urology, for a consultation. If the specialist determines Axonics® is a good fit, you will be fitted with a temporary system for a trial period before any device is implanted.

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