Interstitial Cystitis: Urologist or an Integrative Neurolgist?

Integrative neurology combines the knowledge of medical neurology (the study of the brain and nerves) with complimentary techniques like acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal therapies.

It doesn't seem to make sense, going to a neurologist for a bladder problem.

These conditions are normally treated by a urology specialist not an integrative neurologist.

Sometimes the urologist gives the "all clear", yet bladder symptoms remain.

What was once considered a pelvic organ problem in some patients may actually be a type of neuropathy in the nerves that attach to the pelvic organs.

In this group of patients, integrative neurology techniques like acupuncture and laser can often offer dramatic pain relief.

The research further suggests that some patients with cystitis have a unique form of inflammation associated with the nerves, called neurogenic inflammation.

This unique form of inflammation doesn't typically respond well to standard treatment.

This new clinical model of interstitial cystitis also suggests that there are anti-inflammatory nerves that can be used to suppress neurogenic inflammation.

These anti-inflammatory nerves are called the descending anti-inflammatory pathway. Stimulating them suppresses inflammation. It's really a complex system, but the take-home message is that sometimes we can stimulate one set of nerves that turn off the inflammation in the pelvic organs caused by over-activity in other, pro-inflammatory nerves. So for women with interstitial cystitis and men with chronic prostatitis that haven't responded well to typical urological treatment, integrative neurology techniques can offer substantial pain relief.

Dr. George Kukurin is licensed as a chiropractor in the states of Arizona, Pennsylvania and California. He is also licensed to practice acupuncture by the state of Arizona. Dr. Kukurin is also board certified as a Chiropractic Neurologist To attain this prestigious status he was required to attend an approved three year post-graduate program in neurology, which is the study of the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

He completed his post-graduate neurology training through the Parker College in Dallas Texas. Upon completion of this training, Dr. Kukurin had to pass a two-day long rigorous board examination. He scored in the upper 5% of his class on these examinations, obtaining a 100% perfect score on the clinical portion of the testing. To maintain elite status with the Board of Chiropractic Neurologists; Diplomat Neurologists, like Dr. Kukurin, must keep their knowledge and skills of neurology updated by attending a minimum of 30 hours of post-graduate training in neurology every year from an approved and accredited neurology program.

He has a keen interest in diseases of the nervous system, like peripheral neuropathy, movement disorders, spinal stenosis and headaches. He is a former faculty member of the Post-Graduate Neurology Department of Parker College. He has published several textbooks including "Integrative Neurology: Hope and Help for People Suffering From Neuropathy" that contains over 300 scientific references for the treatment of neuropathy through the use of Integrative Neurology and Alternative Medicine techniques like acupuncture, laser therapy, herbal and nutritional medicines.

Some of the treatment techniques he developed have been published in peer reviewed medical journals and are indexed in the National Library of Medicine. The results patients have obtained using his treatment approaches have appeared on FOX and ABC affiliate newscasts. He has been practicing as a chiropractic neurologist for over 20 years. He sees patients in offices located both in Phoenix Arizona and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.