What is PTNS?

Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation is a treatment for overactive bladder and symptoms associated with urinary urgency, urinary frequency and urge incontinence. Other treatment options include behavior medication, pelvic muscle strengthening, drug therapy and surgery.

For this treatment, a small slim needle electrode will be temporarily inserted near your ankle and will then be connected to a battery-powered simulator. The stimulator’s impulses will travel through the tibial nerve and then to the sacral nerve plexus, the nerves controlling bladder function.

Treatment

During treatment, you will sit in a chair with your leg elevated. A clinician will clean your ankle, and find the right place to insert the needle electrode (you may feel a small tap as the needle pierces the skin), attach a grounding pad to the arch of your foot and connect components. The clinician will turn on the simulator and adjust the setting. You will feel sensation in your ankle of foot. Your toes may flex or fan. Let your clinician know if the sensation is to strong of if you are uncomfortable.

You will remain comfortable seated during the 30-minute treatment. The clinician will adjust settings during treatment if needed. At the end, your clinician will disconnect you and you resume normal activities.

You will continue treatment for 12 weekly, 30 minute sessions. If you respond, additional treatments will be needed to sustain results.

Risks

Potential side effects include discomfort and pain near the stimulation site, redness/inflammation at or near the stimulation site, local bleeding, toe numbness or stomach ache.

Individuals with pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, prone to excessive bleeding, with nerve damage that could impact either percutaneous tibial nerve or pelvic floor function, women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should refrain from having this treatment