What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a double-blind, sham-controlled randomized trial to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for interstitial cystitis in 21 patients.
What They Found
Three of 14 patients (21.4%) in the hyperbaric oxygen group showed a moderate or marked improvement in global response, compared to no patients in the control group (p < 0.52).
Hyperbaric oxygenation significantly decreased urgency intensity from 60.2 mm to 49.9 mm and pain intensity from 43.1 mm to 31.2 mm (p < 0.05).
The Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index score sum also decreased from 25.7 to 19.9 points in the active treatment group.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with interstitial cystitis might consider discussing hyperbaric oxygen therapy with their healthcare providers as a potential option for symptom relief, especially if other treatments have been ineffective.
However, given the limited evidence from this study, it should be approached cautiously and not as a standard treatment.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada, nor did it involve Canadian researchers or patients.
Study Limitations
The study was limited by a small sample size of 21 patients, which likely contributed to the lack of statistical significance for the primary outcome.