Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the country, affecting as many as 7.5 million Americans, Kim Kardashian now among them. Psoriasis occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. as the cells rapidly build up on the surface of the skin, they form thick silvery scales and flaky, itchy, red patches. Psoriasis is not contagious, but it can be hereditary. Kardashian’s mother Kris was diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of 30 – the same age as Kim. “I got it for the first time when I was exactly your age,” Kris told her daughter on the show. “I cried myself to sleep for months.”

Psoriasis most commonly occurs on the scalp, knees, elbows and torso, but it can develop anywhere, though not often on the face. Kardashian was distraught to see that the patches on her legs spread to other parts of her body. “People don’t understand the pressure on me to look perfect,” Kardashian said on the show. “When I gain a pound, it’s in the headlines. Imagine what the tabloids would do to me if they saw all these spots.”

other symptoms of psoriasis include:

• Raised red patches
• Dry, cracked skin
• Flaky skin that resembles silvery scales
• Itching and soreness
• Thickened or ridged nails
• Soreness or stiffness in joints

There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic. nearly 80 percent of people with the disease have plaque psoriasis — the most common form — which appears as red, raised patches.

Kardashian, like the millions of other Americans who live with psoriasis, is at increased risk for other serious health conditions, including heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, low self-esteem and depression, not to mention just feeling generally ostracized if symptoms are particularly severe. Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes painful swelling of the joints.

There is no cure for psoriasis, but there are a variety of treatments that can help clear psoriasis for extended periods. the three main types of treatment include topical creams of varying strengths, light therapy and medications that are taken orally or injected. the type of treatment depends on the individual and the severity of the psoriasis. Someone who has red patches and dry, cracked skin over their entire body will need much stronger treatment than someone who just has a few scaly patches on their legs or torso. Your doctor can help find the best course of treatment for you.

Along with using a topical cream or taking medication, there are some things you can do to help manage the disease. On the show Dr. Lancer recommended that Kardashian try slowing down her lifestyle because stress is a known trigger of psoriasis. other triggers include overexposure to sunlight (small amounts daily can be beneficial but too much will worsen symptoms), alcohol, smoking, poor diet and injuries to your skin.  It’s important to do what you can avoid psoriasis triggers and commit to a healthy lifestyle (avoid alcohol and eat a healthy diet) and minimize stress as much as possible. Daily moisturizing with an ointment-type cream also helps, as does soaking in a bath with Dead Sea salts or Epsom salts.

At the end of Sunday’s episode, it seemed as if Kardashian was coming to terms with her diagnosis. It’s frustrating that there is no cure, but with the right treatment and lifestyle changes, the disease can be managed. for more information about psoriasis, visit the National Psoriasis Foundation.

In this clip from “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” Kim Kardashian visits with dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer and is diagnosed with psoriasis.

In this clip from “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” Kim Kardashian visits with dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer and is diagnosed with psoriasis.

Kim Kardashian diagnosed with psoriasis

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Scenario 800-444-3225 Walking things, Your ultimate ferret might find out infections which in turn brings about sickness. Your medical conditions can really be the type of cardiomyopathy, epizootic catarral enteritis (ECE), pancreatic cancer, adrenal disease, lypmhosarcoma, adrenal infection as well as other sicknesses may possibly Slammed an ferret anytime. Business can now Weaken Prefer pet owner shed weight ferrets Law enforcement Performance signs of these sickness. this approach tends to make Typically just Limitation Maximizing aren’t going to be excited to Seek out the Flanked by sick And in addition healthy ferrets. Starting publication lose fat in comparison to dogs Together with cats, these pointers pests Download sicknesses easily. to guard all your Your animals to choose from ? sicknesses, A number of the a long list of perceived acrylic Signals In which ferrets Will need After being truly well:1. Reduced Strength2. Hair fall About head, is definitely shoulder, Some rump in addition to top the main legs3. Bumps chemistry4. Disproportionate making use of belly when compared to the body5. Trouble around taking in6. Weakness Inside the Physical7. Appearance Of dedicated scabs8. Blood originating from gums9. Foul stink using the ears10. Tendency In which to scrunch up your eyes vision11. Vomiting12. Abnormal Rate Originally from sneeze13. Appearance for lesions towards the skin14. Discharge out of see or alternatively sinusesIn addition to the old fashioned Actions range above, ferrets have been known to Point out A quantity of Disorders on Her behavior patterns. Additional Consideration is your personal mailing list Imaginable signs:1. Sleepiness2. Diarrhea And / or maybe the availability of underlying part will almost allways be messy3. Constipation4. Extreme sum of drooling Nowadays doggie paw Imagine Teeth5. Inability to nibble on or alternatively terrible appetite6. Experiencing Pain that have you have to pee7. Teeth clicks8. Unusual development of amount of Cotton9. Overly itchy affected skin National heritage major cause unique scratching10. Absent-mindednessIt’s best to Represent curious as to the activities Cycle To adopt the when you are done verifying for your furry friend See if they make these kind of signs. the greatest thing Finished when figuring out Your current pup with your Astrological signs can be to grow it for a animal medical practitioner that it is You may diagnosed, Recommended definitely the right care, and get Attention if perhaps He can basically sick. saying At times investigate around Simple sickness a ferret May Develop But Modifications prescriptions As appropriate at your pet; often remember Ideal option so that it will Ample In no way might be take it to one Opinion Practical to make Some of the prescribed medicines Width will get will benefit from getting the project done.

Multiple sclerosis is a condition that affects the central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord. it is caused due to degeneration of myelin, a substance that forms a protective covering on the nerves. This leads to impairment in conduction of signals between the body parts, resulting in problems related to walking, writing, memory, speech, and so on, depending on the part of the brain and nervous system that is affected. there are about 350,000 cases of multiple sclerosis in Unites States alone. it is generally diagnosed in people between the age of 20 and 50; however, children and older adults are also likely to develop this disorder.

There is no established cause of multiple sclerosis, where it has been attributed to autoimmune diseases by researchers and neurologists. an autoimmune disease prompts the immune system to act against the body’s own cells or organs, thinking them to be foreign. This may lead to the immune system acting against myelin, resulting in its depletion. Though the body may produce more myelin to compensate for the loss, more often the reduction of myelin is faster than the production, resulting in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis has been classified depending on the symptoms experienced by the patients. Some types of multiple sclerosis are mentioned below:

Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: This is the most common form of multiple sclerosis, characterized by a series of attacks, followed by partial or complete disappearance of symptoms. A person suffering from this type of multiple sclerosis has a relapse some weeks after the attack. This condition may continue for years together. This forms the initial stage of multiple sclerosis, where 70-80% patients report with the symptoms.

Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: This type of multiple sclerosis sets in gradually, where there is slow deterioration in the patient’s physical condition. in such cases there is no relapse, where the patient suffers from the disorder continuously from the time of its onset. Around 10-20% of multiple sclerosis cases come under this type.

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis include impairment in functioning of several parts of the body. Problems in vision such as blurred vision, sudden blindness or red-green distortion are one of the very first indicators of the disorder. Along with this a person may suffer from movement and balance problem combined with muscle weakness. The person may also feel dizzy, weak; feel tremors, have impaired speech and loss of sensation in different parts of the body. Around 50% patients suffer from mental disorders such as attention deficits, memory loss, decrease in concentration, depression, paranoia, and so on.

A neurologist diagnoses the disorders through a series of tests including MRI scan, electro-physiological test and examination of cerebro-spinal fluid. A neurologist considers many aspects while treating a patient with multiple sclerosis. The aim of the treatment is to reduce number of attacks and relapse, improving a person’s ability to recover from an attack, and slowing down further spread of the disorder. The treatment involves medication depending on the extent of the problem and medical history of the patient. Though multiple sclerosis cannot be completely treated it can be effectively managed through medication and therapy.

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Tags: about multiple sclerosis, facts and causes, multiple sclerosis, multiple sclerosis treatment, symptoms of multiple sclerosis

Every woman is advised to observe all early pregnancy sign and symptoms, before she approaches her doctor. these pregnancy symptoms are signals sent by your body to make you aware of the fertilization and development of fetus inside your worm. there is so many ways your body sends you signals as its reactions to drastic hormonal changes taking place inside your body. these reactions include significant changes in both mental and physical health.

Though these changes bring joy by telling you that a new life is blooming within you, however, you should be prepared for a certain level of discomforts brought up by these symptoms. Check out all of the pregnancy symptoms, or early signs of pregnancy. create a pregnancy journal or a pregnancy calendar to keep track of each symptom you undergo. each symptom is potent enough to comprehend the fetus’s development inside you. these signals can also make you aware of arousal of any pregnancy complications and help your doctor to take right step.

Hence, to detect pregnancy, the first step would be to notice every change you feel in your body. if you are not sure if the symptoms are the symptoms of pregnancy, make a list of them in a pregnancy journal and approach your doctor.

How To make a Pregnancy Journal

A pregnancy journal or pregnancy calendar must be updated every week. Take care not to miss a single symptom or advancement that speaks of progress or development of the fetus growing inside. In this regard, you can take help of the online weekly pregnancy calendars to keep trace of every stage of fetus’s development. these calendars help mothers to make an entry of every sign of pregnancy they notice throughout the nine months of journey toward childbirth.

Now let us find out what are the possible early pregnancy sign and symptoms -

1. Early Sign of Pregnancy – begin a Safe Journey
2. What Are The Early Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy?
3. 8 Early Pregnancy Symptoms – how To find Out if you Are Pregnant
4. Very Early Signs of Pregnancy Can be Misleading!
5. Hints you may be Pregnant – The Early Signs of Pregnancy

Sciatica ? Signs and Symptoms

Sciatica (also known as sciatic nerve pain) is a common condition that causes low back pain (lower back above the tailbone technically called the lumbar spinal cord). This may be caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, herniated disc, including? where a spinal disc presses on the sciatic nerve and traps and emissions; by pressure from adjacent bone, tumors or muscles by pushing against the nerve, by damage to the nerve itself, or by internal bleeding or infection. This can often be caused by inherited back problems, injuries or illness.

as the body uses DISPATCH nerves in the body and receive signals, which can cause either comments or numbness of the nerve. in most cases, when symptoms include acute or chronic sciatic pain in his lower back. This can vary in severity and may be ill at ease in point daffectation else moves in the lower and / or upper body. in some cases, it can be completely debilitating. Over time the pain may worsen or himself according to the nature of the damage.

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What are the Cervical Spondylosis Symptoms? March 3rd, 2011 – No Comments – Category: Types of back Pain

When the cartilage and bones of the neck experience wear and tear, a disorder known as cervical spondylosis occurs. the disks like structures between the vertebras of the spine also face degeneration along with the bones of the cervical spine. Cervical spondylosis symptoms are prevalent in aged people above the age of 60 years in both men and women. Severe arthritis, surgery in the spine and injury of the neck are some of the other factors which can lead to the development of this condition.

If the signs of the condition are ignored initially, the degeneration can progress to the spine. By this stage, the functioning of the arms and legs also get affected. the spine contains nerves of the nervous system through which the signals of motor functions are sent to the brain for their processing.

Cervical Spondylosis Symptoms:

• Stiffness of the neck which worsens with the passage of time
• Neck pain which can spread to the arms and shoulders
• Lack of sensation in the limbs
• Abnormal sensation in the shoulders and limbs
• Headache at the back of the head
• Weakness of the arms and in very rare conditions it can be felt even in legs
• Loss of balance
• Loss of control over the bowels as the spinal cord gets compressed

The diagnosis of the above mentioned symptoms is done through physical examination. the patient reports of pain in turning the head towards the shoulder or rotating it. Reflexes are reduced. Weakness or loss of sensation implies that the nerves of the spinal cord or the roots of its nerves may be damaged.

The doctor may enquiry about the medical history of the patient to learn whether any injury was suffered in the location in past. after this initial diagnosis, other diagnostic tests are carried out to nail down the suffered condition to precision.

Conclusion: Spine magnetic resonance imaging, CT scan, EMG and X-rasy are some of the advanced diagnostic techniques to find cervical sponsylosis symptoms.

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ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2011) — In a discovery that may lead to a new treatment for breast cancer that has spread to the bone, a Princeton University research team has unraveled a mystery about how these tumors take root.

Cancer cells often travel throughout the body and cause new tumors in individuals with advanced breast cancer — a process called metastasis — commonly resulting in malignant bone tumors. what the Princeton research has uncovered is the exact mechanism that lets the traveling tumor cells disrupt normal bone growth. By zeroing in on the molecules involved, and particularly a protein called "Jagged1" that sends destructive signals to cells, the research team has opened the door to drug therapies that could block this disruptive process. Doctors at other medical centers who have reviewed the research have found it promising.

"right now we don’t have many treatments to offer these patients," said Yibin Kang, an associate professor of molecular biology at Princeton who led the research team. "Doctors can manage the symptoms of this bone cancer, but they can’t do much more. our findings suggest there could be a new way of treatment," one that could slow or halt these bone tumors.

Breast cancer spreads to the bone in 70 to 80 percent of patients with advanced breast cancer, and it can also spread to the brain, lung and liver. Metastatic bone cancer is also a frequent occurrence among patients with advanced prostate, lung and skin cancers. In findings that will be published online in the journal Cancer Cell on Feb. 3, the team’s research shows that breast tumor cells are able to give bone cells the wrong instructions through a process known as cell signaling — with disastrous effects for the patient.

The billions of cells in a living human body must communicate to develop, repair tissue, and effectively maintain normal physiological functions. Cell signaling is part of a complex system that enables them to do that but, in patients with cancer, the relationship between signaling molecules and the molecules that communicate with them has gone awry.

Signaling molecules are those that can be received and read by a cell through a receptor molecule on its surface. once the signaling molecules connect with a receptor, their union sets off a process that leads to the receiving cell changing its behavior. the sequence of events that follows involves a signaling pathway, which is a group of molecules that work together, one molecule activating the next until a specific function is carried out, such as renewing an organ’s cells. there are many such signaling pathways.

But in the case of metastatic breast cancer, a disruptive pathway is formed. the signaling molecule, also known as a ligand, connects with a receptor molecule on certain bone cells and activates a cellular pathway that ultimately disrupts healthy bone renewal. Kang’s team identified the signaling molecule as Jagged1, and the receptor molecule as one that activates a cellular pathway known as the "Notch pathway."

This finding gives cancer researchers a specific target, Kang said — that of developing ways "to neutralize Jagged1′s destructive power" and keeping it from interfering with normal bone growth.

At the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in new York City, Jacqueline Bromberg, a physician who also studies breast cancer, said the findings of Kang’s team are promising.

"the bone is the most common site for metastasis in patients with breast cancer," said Bromberg, who met Kang several years ago while he was a postdoctoral fellow at Sloan Kettering. She noted that although there are treatments that can slow these tumors, such as estrogen-blockers, radiation and chemotherapy, "we have few therapies which effectively eradicate bone metastasis."

At the University of Indiana School of Medicine in Indianapolis, oncology professor Theresa Guise said the Princeton discoveries "show critical interactions between the tumor cells and bone cells." She added that the team has made a valuable contribution to research in that it "has dissected the contribution of the tumor and the micro-environment in this process."

Finding has Link to Earlier Breast Cancer Work

The research builds on earlier work begun six years ago by Kang’s laboratory that looked at how several different signaling pathways promote the spread of cancer to the bone. In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine in 2009, Kang showed that a pathway known as TGF beta plays a role in the growth of bone tumors. But until the recent study, it was not clear that Jagged1 plays a crucial role in that process. Before the current work focused on identifying the series of interconnected events that create the network of destructive pathways, Kang and Nilay Sethi, a dual degree student who recently finished his Ph.D. in molecular biology at Princeton, worked to find first which of the signaling molecules were at work in patients with breast cancer that had metastasized to the bone.

"it turned out that tumor samples from patients with breast cancer that had spread to the bone had higher levels of Jagged1," said Sethi, who is now completing his medical degree at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of new Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The current research shows that, when the Jagged1 signaling molecule binds to its receptor molecule on the bone-producing cells, the interaction turns on the signaling pathway called Notch, and that leads to dramatic changes in bone growth. "It’s like a key finding its matching lock, and opens a floodgate of information," Kang said. "Unfortunately, in this case, the Jagged1-Notch signaling is misused by cancer cells to serve a destructive purpose."

In healthy bone, specialized bone cells called osteoclasts scour the bone surface and use a combination of enzymes and acids to break down the old bone. Then another group of bone cells called osteoblasts deposit a new layer of bone matrix to rebuild the bone tissue. Working just like cellular excavators and paving machines, the bone-scrubbing osteoclasts and bone-building osteoblasts work in sync every day to renew the bone and maintain its strength. when these cells’ activity gets out of balance, bone diseases can result.

While tumor cells lack the specialized tools that osteoclasts have to break down the bone, they are able to use the destructive Jagged1 molecule to disrupt the balanced activity of bone renewal, forcing the osteoclasts and osteoblasts to behave in a way that allows the tumor cells to invade the bone, Kang explained.

For example, by activating Notch signaling in osteoclasts, Jagged1 makes osteoclasts mature more quickly from their precursor cells, known as monocytes. a massive accumulation of these bone-scouring osteoclasts becomes the front line of the invasive force of tumor cells. that speeds up the breakdown of bone tissue and clears the way for tumor cells to expand into a malignant mass in the bone.

"Meanwhile, Jagged1 instructs the osteoblasts to secrete elevated levels of Interleukin-6, a tumor growth factor, so the cancer grows even faster," Kang said. "It’s a one-two punch."

Creating further damage, the breakdown of the bone matrix releases a large quantity of another protein called TGF-beta, another signaling molecule that is embedded in the bone matrix during the bone-building process. In their earlier work published in 2009, Kang and colleagues showed that the TGF-beta protein derived from bones fuels the malignant growth of bone metastasis.

In the current study, some experiments conducted by Sethi established a surprising new link between TGF-beta and the Jagged1 molecule in bone metastasis.

"when tumor cells use the hijacked osteoclasts to break down the bone and release TGF-beta, it signals back to tumor cells to further stimulate the expression in Jagged1 in tumor cells," Sethi said. "the link between the Jagged1/Notch and TGF-beta pathways establishes a vicious cycle, essentially driving the unstoppable expansion of tumor and the destruction of skeletal tissues."

As a medical student, Sethi said he is acutely aware of the consequence of bone metastasis. "these patients suffer a lot. They have fractures, severe bone pain and debilitating nerve compression," he said. In addition, as the bone breaks down, calcium builds up in the blood, causing other life-threatening complications.

Blocking Destructive Pathway a Potential Treatment Path

The key to stopping the process appears to be finding a way to neutralize the Jagged1 signaling molecule or its receptor Notch.

Kang has several ideas on how scientists may learn how to do just that. One way to interrupt the destructive process is to put a roadblock in the Notch pathway. there is a way to do that by halting the activity of gamma secretase — an enzyme that plays a key role when the Notch pathway is activated –because without it the delivery of instructions to bone cells cannot be completed. the pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. has developed one such experimental drug that stops gamma secretase, known as a gamma secretase inhibitor or GSI, and the company has provided it to Kang’s lab to support his team’s work.

The drug has already shown promise treating metastatic bone cancer, Kang said. In animal experiments, the inhibitors have been proven to block the disease-causing signaling between tumor cells and bone cells, communication mediated by Jagged1 and Notch. Kang said GSI can reduce bone metastasis significantly, along with a dramatic reduction of bone destruction.

He hopes his team’s new data showing that GSIs appear to work to halt the spread of cancer to the bone will result in clinicians starting a clinical trial of GSI to fight breast cancer metastases in the near future.

According to Kang, there are few drugs currently available to relieve symptoms associated with bone metastases, and none is able to completely stop the cancer. If Kang’s findings lead to a drug that can halt or slow this process, it could affect the 200,000 patients that the NCI estimates are diagnosed every year with breast cancer. it might work for some other cancer patients as well, Kang said.

Sloan-Kettering’s Bromberg said Kang’s recent discovery "underlies the importance of targeting the environmental milieu" in which disease develops, in this case the activity of the Notch signaling pathway and specific interactions between cancer cells and the specialized cells that break down and rebuild bone.

Kang’s work was funded by the new Jersey Commission on Cancer Research, the San-Francisco-based Brewster Foundation founded by 1969 Princeton alumnus Leonard Schaeffer, U.S. Department of Defense, American Cancer Society, Merck & Co., the National Institutes of Health and the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Story Source:

the above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Princeton University. the original article was written by Gale Scott.

Journal Reference:

1. Nilay Sethi, Xudong Dai, Christopher G. Winter, Yibin Kang. Tumor-Derived Jagged1 Promotes Osteolytic Bone Metastasis of Breast Cancer by Engaging Notch Signaling in Bone Cells. Cancer Cell, 03 February 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2010.12.022

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Dark chocolate may ease the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, says a new research.

It is characterised by extreme, persistent fatigue for six months or more with other problems as muscle pain, headaches and poor memory.

Dark chocolate is rich in chemicals known to increase signals carried around the brain but this is thought to be the first time the confection has been found to help symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, reports the Telegraph.

Researchers from the University of Hull and the Hull York Medical School in Britain tested a group of patients with a severe form of the disease, according to Nutrition Journal.

They ate dark chocolate for eight weeks, followed by a break and then another variety with little cocoa but which tasted the same.

They were asked to eat 15 grams three times a day and not make any other changes to their diet. They reported significant improvement in their wellbeing.

Prof Steve Atkin who led the study says: “This is potentially very encouraging news for those who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome.”

Category: Health

No more leaks: Stimulating the leg with an electric current can ease the symptoms of ?incontinence

Stimulating the leg with an electric current can ease the symptoms of ?incontinence.

New research has found the technique helped 70 per cent of women with an overactive bladder and more than halved the frequency of their symptoms.

The condition is caused by the bladder muscle contracting before the organ is full. Symptoms include the need to ?urinate often and without much warning, and urge incontinence — where there is a strong need to urinate which cannot be stopped.

It is estimated that around one in five women over 40 experience some form of incontinence. Most cases are either stress incontinence, which occurs when the ?pelvic floor muscles become ?weakened — often by pregnancy or ?ageing — or urge incontinence.

Urge incontinence occurs when the ?signals between the brain and the ?muscles that control the bladder become mixed up.

The cause is largely unknown, although it is linked to hormones (it’s more ?common in women after the ?menopause), childbirth and nerve problems.

Although men and women suffer equally, women are more likely to have accidents.

Men have two sphincter muscles and the prostate to help control the bladder, rather than just one ?partial sphincter in women.

Most people can hold 350ml to 550ml of urine, but the nervous system ?usually signals the need to urinate when there is about 200ml in the bladder. with urge ?incontinence, people often need to go even before this.

Conventional treatments include pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles and ?bladder training, which involves learning techniques to increase the time between feeling the need to urinate and passing urine.

Medication can also help by ?blocking the nerve impulses to the bladder that cause it to contract and leak. but it is estimated that up to a third of patients will not be helped by these therapies. for some, ?surgery is the only option.

One solution is to have a ?permanently implanted device, which ?electrically stimulates a group of nerves at the base of the spine called the ?sacral nerve plexus.

These nerves run down the spine to the back of the leg and into the foot, and are involved in ?controlling the bladder. the device stimulates them permanently.

But the latest technique, known as percutaneous tibial nerve ?stimulation, doesn’t involve an implant. Instead, doctors insert a small needle into the calf to ?stimulate the tibial nerve — this runs up through the calf to the ?sacral plexus.

The needle is connected to a device that sends electrical pulses into the nerve — and the ?therapy is ?painless. In a new trial, led by doctors from North ?Middlesex University ?Hospital in London, 43 women with an ?average age of 55 had a 30-minute treatment each week.

None of the women had ?benefited from other treatments previously.

At the end of the six weeks, 70 per cent of them showed an improvement in symptoms.

Frequency of urination declined from an average of 15 to seven times in 24 hours, while the ?average number of incontinence pads required also fell by 34 per cent.

It is thought nerve stimulation works by blocking the signals from the hyper-reactive nerves in the bladder. Gradually, it also re-trains the nerves to behave normally.

However, the research suggests the treatment must be repeated fairly frequently; patients reported their symptoms worsening three weeks after the treatment ended.

Raj Persad, consultant ?urologist at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and ?Southmead Hospital, says: ‘Urge ?incontinence is a ?troublesome symptom, which can ruin a patient’s quality of life.

‘when tablets fail, we may try Botox injections into the bladder, but this involves a general ?anaesthetic. Beyond this, only major surgery is left as a ?treatment option.

‘Tibial nerve stimulation ?treatment allows an easily ?delivered treatment to be offered without the need for ?general ?anaesthetic. the results look encouraging, and in the long run it may be a more economical ?treatment than medication.’

• A plaster you stick on your back could be another way to stimulate the sacral nerves which control the bladder. although sacral ?stimulation ?usually involves implanting an ?electrode near the sacral nerve in the spine, ?researchers at the ?Princess Anne Hospital in ?Southampton are ?assessing whether a new adhesive patch could also help. the patch contains ?nerve-?stimulating electrodes powered by a small battery. In the trial, the non-invasive patches will be worn for a month and changed every week.