What is percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation?
PTNS is an outpatient treatment for a wide variety of urogynecologic symptoms. Those symptoms include:
- Overactive Bladder
- Urinary frequency
- Urinary urgency
- Nocturia
- Urge incontinence
- Mild non-obstructive voiding dysfunction.
This treatment works on the Sacral Nerve Plexus which is a group of nerves that controls bladder function and some bowel function.
What should I expect during percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation?
PTNS treatments are performed in the office with the patient sitting in a chair and their ankle propped up comfortably. A small, thin, acupuncture-type needle is inserted into the skin on the inner side of the patient’s ankle. The needle is attached to a grounding pad that is placed on the bottom of the patient’s foot/heel which completes the circuit. It is important that the needle is placed in the correct location to make sure the patient receives optimal results. Once the needle is in the correct location, the stimulation will be increased to a comfortable/tolerable level. The treatments work to stimulate the nerves through gentle electrical impulses (neurostimulation). Each session lasts 30 minutes.
The treatment course is one treatment session every 7 days for 12 consecutive weeks. It is important to complete the whole treatment course to receive the best results and to determine how well this treatment has worked. Some patients may not see any improvements of their symptoms until the 8th week. After the 12 weekly treatments some patients move to different options on the pathway or do PTNS treatments once a month for “maintenance.”
With all treatment options there are risks and benefits. Please talk with your urogynecologist to see if this would be a good option for you.