Beyond Sitz Baths: Exploring Alternative Physical Treatments for Epididymitis
Epididymitis is a common disease in young adults. When the body resistance declines, escherichia coli, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and other pathogenic bacteria will enter the vas deferens, invading the epididymis retrogradely and causing inflammation. Therefore, the disease is often accompanied by posterior urethritis, prostatitis, and seminal vesiculitis. Epididymitis can be divided into two types: acute and chronic epididymitis.
Acute epididymitis is usually caused by spreading urinary tract infections along the vas deferens to the epididymis. Transurethral instrumentation, frequent catheterization, and transurethral resection of the prostate are all factors that cause epididymitis. Acute epididymitis may turn into chronic epididymitis if the treatment is not complete.
Escherichia coli, the most common pathogen, and proteus, staphylococcus, enterococcus, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and chlamydia trachomatis, can cause acute epididymitis. Most pathogenic bacteria enter the epididymis through the vas deferens retrogradely. In addition, bacterial invasion of the epididymis can also cause epididymitis through lymphatic or trans hematogenous infections, but it is rare.
In addition to surgical treatment and drug treatment, patients can take physical therapy.
The so-called physical therapy can mainly treat epididymitis through physical factors, which means restoring the original physiological functions with non-pharmaceutical methods targeting the local or systemic function lesions. The effects of physical therapy, such as sitz baths, on epididymitis treatment are apparent,
Sitz baths on for epididymitis:
Patients with epididymitis can be treated with sitz baths. Epididymitis can be treated with TCM warm baths because warm baths can improve local blood circulation through the heat of the water to promote the movement of qi and blood, dredge the meridian, promote blood circulation, and remove blood stasis.
Medicinal bath refers to pouring warm water into the decoction of proper herbal medicines for sitz baths. The action mechanism of medicated baths is that the drugs act on the muscle surface and local and affected areas of the body and dredge the meridians and blood vessels through absorption, reaching the inner organs and providing effects from the inner to the outside.
Medicated baths can act on dredging meridians, promoting blood circulation, clearing stasis, and dispelling wind dispersing cold. It can also work on clearing heat and detoxifying, relieving swelling and pain, adjusting Yin and Yang, and coordinating inner organs. Moreover, medicated baths can activate qi and blood and nourish the whole body to reach health effects. Modern pharmacology has also confirmed that the amount of some immunoglobulin in the blood can be increased after medicated baths.
Exploring alternative physical treatments for epididymitis
1.Hot compress is also effective to treat epididymitis. A local hot compress can promote blood circulation, relieve swelling and pain, and promote inflammation to subside. It is suitable for epididymitis patients with swelling and pain symptoms in the testicles. Patients can use hot towels, hot water bags, or warm paste for hot compresses. Don't use something too hot, or it will burn the skin.
2. The patients can also hold up the scrotum. Epididymitis in bed rest should use hold up the scrotum with a scrotum supporting bag when lying in bed, which can reduce swelling and pain symptoms.
3. Medium frequency electrotherapy is a common physiotherapy method, including audio frequency electrotherapy, interference electrotherapy, and modulated medium frequency electrotherapy. These three kinds of electrotherapies can accelerate the blood circulation at the treatment sites, stimulate the nerve endings at the treatment sites, reduce pain, and eliminate inflammation relatively quickly, showing significant effects on the auxiliary treatment of epididymitis.
4. Laser therapy can also assist in the treatment of epididymitis. The use of laser specificity to treat diseases is called laser therapy. This therapy relieves swelling, eases pain, and resists infections, which can alleviate the symptoms of epididymitis caused by testicular swelling, pain, and so on.
Recommended Readings:
Does Epididymitis Start from the Tail of the Epididymis?
Testis Becomes Smaller After Epididymitis Cure, What to Do?
What Causes Backache And Testicular Pain? Epididymitis?
