Help ease your child’s incontinence with the help of a pelvic floor therapy pediatric program.
Children dislike wetting the bed just as much as their parents hate dealing with soiled sheets and blankets. Being a bedwetter can be embarrassing for the child. It’s a true test of patience for the parents, that’s for sure.
During the toddler years, most children learn how to use the bathroom. Children are typically ready to be potty trained when they can communicate to their caregivers that their diapers are wet, demonstrate an interest in using the restroom, or keep their diapers dry for longer periods. This typically takes place between the ages of 3 and 4 for the vast majority of children.
As children get older, it’s not uncommon for them to experience occasional leaks during the day or night and constipation. Constipation that doesn’t go away, leakage from the bowel or bladder, or both can have a negative impact on a child’s ability to participate in daily activities and their mental health.
When children reach the age where they attend school, they need to have complete control over their bowel and bladder functions. Teenagers prone to having accidents during the night might steer clear of sleepovers away from home out of fear that they will have an “accident” while they are sleeping. Some younger children feel anxiety whenever they have to use the restroom at school can make accidents more likely to occur. Some children avoid urinating or defecating, which can put them at risk for serious health complications.
What steps should I take to get my children ready for a pelvic floor therapy pediatric program?
If your children are driven to stop the leaks, it may help the therapy work better. Children need to have their parents’ support during therapy sessions and at home to bolster the education and skills they have gained through therapy. You should encourage your children to learn as much as possible about their medical condition and ask questions about it.
Remind your children that the treatment plan for their therapy is tailored specifically to meet their individual requirements. At home, you should practice the new skills or healthy habits for the bowel and bladder that were introduced during therapy, just like you would with homework from school.
What kind of effects does constipation have on children?
The abdominal and pelvic regions of children are more compact than those of adults. The bladder may be compressed or prevented from completely emptying during urination if the rectum and colon are filled with stool. Additionally, it may reduce the amount of urine the bladder can store. The stool may exert pressure on the bladder, resulting in squeezing and leaking that children cannot control or prevent.
Constipation is frequently caused by more than one factor, which can make it challenging for parents and other caregivers to diagnose.
A physical therapist can evaluate your child’s breathing to ensure that your child is breathing from the abdomen rather than the chest. When you breathe from your abdomen, the diaphragm is able to descend below the level of the ribs, which causes the pelvic floor to rise. When the diaphragm moves upward, this stimulates the pelvic floor to move upward, which in turn creates pelvic contractions.
Kegel exercises are a component of pelvic floor therapy. These exercises are designed to raise awareness of how to properly contract and release the pelvic floor muscles, which in turn enables the bladder to empty completely. When going to the bathroom, a child can’t empty their bladder if they do not relax the pelvic floor first. This results in a sensation of urgency to urinate frequently or in the occurrence of an accident. Those specializing in pediatric pelvic floor therapy have received specialized training to assist in instructing children on managing, controlling, and strengthening the pertinent muscles.
Other treatments for children with constipation include a specialized abdominal massage to increase stool motility, exercises to strengthen the core, and biofeedback to help children better coordinate the pelvic floor muscle contractions.
You can anticipate a comprehensive team approaches to your child’s care throughout the duration of their treatment. This approach will involve the child, their primary care provider, a physical therapist, and other gastroenterology and urology specialists. A collaborative strategy is required for successful treatment, and the treatment outcome can only be determined by the support and effort of the entire team.
What can I do if my child is uncomfortable and does not want to discuss the problems?
People may not realize how common bowel and bladder problems in children are, but they occur frequently. There is a reluctance to talk about these topics with one’s family and friends, particularly as the age of the children in the household increases.
Assure your children that they are suffering from a medical condition and that there is assistance available for bowel or bladder problems that interfere with daily activities or end up causing feelings of embarrassment in social settings. Education and referrals to physical therapy are two services that the health care team for your children can provide.
Your child may benefit from learning about these topics through the use of bladder and bowel physical therapy:
The inner workings of the bowel and the bladder
Maintaining healthy routines in the bathroom and using the toilet
Good practices for both eating and drinking. The bladder is susceptible to irritation from chocolate, milk, spicy and citrusy foods, and even some artificial flavoring.
When should I expect my children to stop having “accidents”?
Every child is unique in their own way. It could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months before you notice any improvements in your children’s bowel or bladder health, and this will vary depending on how long your children have suffered from leaks. The majority of children finish the pelvic floor therapy pediatric program within six to eight months.
The results of physical therapy can be improved by working on the techniques of physical therapy both at home and during sessions at the clinic. Encourage appropriate bathroom use while away from home by conversing with your child’s teachers and daycare providers about good bathroom routines and helpful hints.
When it comes to addressing bowel and bladder issues in your child, you shouldn’t wait until they “grow out of it” first. Education, lifestyle and diet changes, and tried-and-true treatment methods have all been shown to be effective in resolving or significantly reducing the incidence of bowel and bladder problems in children.
