Bladder and bowel problems in children are common, and include
- Wet pants
- Bed wetting
- Difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel
- Bowel leakage
- Not getting an urge to poo
Bowel leakage is also called soiling, and it can be just a smear, or it could be a large amount. Wet pants, also called enuresis, may vary too in terms of how severe it is, and it may occur during the day and / or night.
How common are bladder and bowel problems in children?
- 1-3% of children have problems controlling their bowel
- 3-12% of children will have wet underwear during the day – some of these children may also be experiencing bedwetting
The good news is that you don’t have to put up with this – there is help available.
What can physiotherapy do to help?
If your child is over 4, and experiencing regular incontinence, then seeking help from a health professional is recommended. Sarah Boyle, one of our experienced senior pelvic health physios, has extra skills and training to help with treatment of children with bladder or bowel disorders.
Even if you’ve seen a specialist, the physiotherapy approach is different, and you may benefit from learning about simple functional changes that you and your child can make.
What is involved in the physiotherapy treatment?
- Help with making a diagnosis
- Education about anatomy and the nature of the problem
- Actively managing constipation
- Toileting schedules to improve bladder and bowel habits
- Diet modification/fluid re-education
- Pelvic floor muscle evaluation – visual assessment only
- Retraining pelvic floor muscles, improving co-ordination between the abdominal muscles, diaphragm and pelvic floor to help with emptying
- Treatment expectations and timelines
Assessing bowel function is an important part of any treatment. A full rectum can cause accidents from the bowel, when liquid oozes out around the solid mass. A full rectum can also be the cause of leaking from the bladder, as it may push forwards, and create leaking. Sarah will be able to help sort out what is happening.
How do I make an appointment?
Click here to go to our contact page. Ask for an appointment with Sarah. Alternatively, you can call us on 04 802 4225 or email info@pelvicphysio.co.nz