If you’re constantly looking for the nearest bathroom, waking up multiple times at night, or dealing with unexpected leaks, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep living this way. Dealing with incontinence issues like overactive bladder (OAB) can impact your confidence and your quality of life.
Axonics therapy offers a solution. Instead of just masking symptoms, it targets the misfiring nerve signals that cause them. This minimally invasive treatment helps restore better bladder control. For many people, it means fewer bathroom trips, fewer leaks, and finally being able to focus on life, not their bladder.
What is Axonics Therapy?
Axonics therapy is a medical treatment known as sacral neuromodulation. It targets bladder control problems at the nerve level. It works by sending gentle electrical signals to a group of nerves located near the base of your spine, known as the sacral nerves. These nerves help regulate how your bladder functions, including things like:
- When you feel the urge to go
- How well your bladder holds urine
- How completely your bladder empties
When the nerve signals are off, the bladder may become overactive or struggle to empty properly. Axonics helps regulate those signals, improving your ability to manage urinary symptoms.
Who Can Benefit From Axonics Therapy?
You may benefit from Axonics if you’ve already tried medications, bladder training, or lifestyle changes without achieving lasting relief. It may be a good treatment option if you’re dealing with:
- Overactive bladder (OAB): frequent, sudden urges to urinate, often with little warning
- Urge urinary incontinence (UUI): leaking urine when the urge to go is overwhelming
- Urinary retention: difficulty fully emptying your bladder, leading to frequent bathroom trips
What Symptoms Does Axonics Improve?
People who respond well to Axonics often experience improvements in:
- Constant or frequent urges to urinate
- Waking up multiple times at night to go to the bathroom, called nocturia
- Accidental urine leakage due to urgency
- A slow or hesitant urine stream
- The feeling that your bladder is never completely empty
- The need to plan your day around restroom availability
How Does Axonics Work?
Axonics involves a small, implantable device placed just under the skin near your upper buttock. Once in place, it sends mild electrical signals to your sacral nerves. This helps improve bladder function by targeting misfiring nerve signals.
Axonics is different from medications, which only manage symptoms. Axonics targets the root issue: the disrupted communication between the brain and bladder.
Trial Phase- Test Period
Before committing to the permanent implant, you’ll do a short trial. A temporary wire is placed near the sacral nerves and connected to a small external stimulator. You’ll wear this for about a week or two to track symptom changes. If your bladder symptoms improve during this test phase, you and your doctor can move forward with the long-term device.
Implant Procedure
Following a successful trial, a small device is placed under the skin through a simple outpatient procedure. The device is discreet and usually not visible under clothing. Most people return to normal activities within a few days, avoiding strenuous movement during the initial healing period.
Are There Long-Term Benefits of Axonics?
Yes, Axonics can provide a number of symptomatic relief and lifestyle benefits, such as:
- Reduced urinary urgency and frequency
- Fewer accidents or urine leaks
- Better bladder emptying
- Improved sleep with fewer nighttime bathroom trips
- Less need for bladder medications
Axonics is considered safe and effective for long-term symptom management. That said, not everyone responds the same way, which is why the trial phase is so important before moving to the permanent implant.
One of the most convenient features of the Axonics system is that it’s rechargeable. This means you won’t need frequent surgeries to replace the battery. The device is designed to last over 15 years, making it a long-term solution with minimal upkeep. The device is also MRI-safe under certain conditions.
If you’ve been living with bladder control problems and other treatments haven’t worked, Axonics could offer the relief you’ve been hoping for. A simple trial may help you discover a new level of bladder control and freedom from symptoms.
Don’t continue to live with the unwanted symptoms of OAB – call (541) 334-3350 to schedule an appointment today!