No school age child likes to run around on the playground and accidentally wet their pants or wake up at night in a cold and wet bed. Having a child experience difficulty with bowel/bladder control can be an emotional situation for both the parent and child. It is often difficult to understand the dysfunction as a parent and frustrating not knowing how to help. Children are often left feeling shame and embarrassment, which can sometimes lead to behavioral changes.

A group of muscles and soft tissue, called the pelvic floor, supports the pelvic organs and helps control bladder function. Problems can occur in children when the pelvic floor muscles do not work well with the bladder. This can happen when these muscles are too tight, too weak, or in spasm.

Children who experience difficulty with bladder control may be susceptible to bladder infections, constipation, difficulty in sensing when the bladder is full, or other problems due to incomplete emptying of the bladder. Children might have urinary leakage (wetting) during the day or night., and problems with bowel control may also occur.

The treatment for bladder and bowel dysfunction is non-invasive and at all times, a parent is present during the session. During the assessment we not only look at the functioning of the pelvic floor, but also at other contributing factors to your child’s symptoms such as toileting posture, toileting habits, diet and fluid intake. The treatment often consists of muscle retraining, child and family education, behavior and diet modification, soft tissue massage, stretching and strengthening of the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles, and a home exercise program.