Effective treatment for symptoms associated with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome is a significant clinical challenge problem due to the lack of insight into disease etiology/pathophysiology, costly and potentially invasive procedures, and a lack of research into potential therapeutics. The primary objective is to determine if a supervised exercise program by a trained exercise physiologist can relieve pain and improve urinary and bladder symptoms in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. This has the potential to open enormous future avenues of research, save both patients and the healthcare system cost, and most importantly improve patients' lives. A second objective of this study is to determine if exercise alters depressive symptoms, often a comorbid diagnosis, in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. A third objective of this study is to examine urinary markers of inflammation before and after exercise in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.
In this study, the efficacy of exercise to improve interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome symptoms and quality of life will be investigated.