Pediatric Pelvic Health

It’s super tempting to think “kids will grow out of it” but this mindset fosters the current scene that kids are extremely underserved in the pelvic health rehab arena

Did you know that constipation is the reason for nearly 5% of pediatric office visits & 30% of kiddos suffer with constipation?

if you only take away ONE thing from this, it’s that kids can have pelvic floor issues too. The most common pelvic floor dysfunctions in the pediatric population are dysfunctional elimination syndrome, withholding, UTI’s, and bedwetting; and we noted above the prevalence of constipation, which can contribute to bladder issues.

Early intervention is key to improve the habits of these kids & the trajectory of their pelvic health.

Pediatric Pelvic Health Solutions

Did you know…

Daytime and nighttime bladder control by age 5 for a typically developing child. So after this point if things change or function declines, it’s best to seek help from a pelvic health therapist who treats the pediatric population.

The most common pelvic floor issues in kids AND signs that your kiddo may benefit from pediatric pelvic floor include:

  • bedwetting

  • constipation

  • toilet clogging bowel movements

  • issues emptying bladder or bowel completely

  • urinary incontinence

  • bowel incontinence

  • recurrent urinary tract infections

  • withholding

  • urinary urgency

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Our Process

  • Listen

    It all begins with your story. Hearing your history, your ENTIRE history, is the foundation of every new session. You will have uninterrupted time with your therapist to share your story.

  • Assess

    We value a “whole body” approach. Everything is connected, so our evaluation process has dedicated time to gather information about your system, your habits & your life. Sometimes it can take 2 sessions to get all the information.

  • Communicate

    Communication is key & one of our core values. We view education as empowerment and we pride ourselves on laying out all the information gathered during the listening & assessment stages so you can make an informed decision in your care.

  • Collaborate

    Once you have all the information, we lay out the options on how to proceed to get you back to your goals. We see this as us collaborating with you in your care; teaming up to help you meet your goals

  • Treat

    This is where the fun happens. We put in the work, change habits, view the world differently, challenge your system with new ways to move and gain strength, all with your goals in mind

  • Check your progress

    This is where we check your progress. We are looking for change, even in the smallest degree every.single.session. We perform formal data point collections every 8ish sessions to track your growth.

 FAQs

 

  • The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the bottom of your pelvis. This group of muscles spans from the pubic symphysis in the front to the tailbone in the back and from hip to hip. This group of muscles is important for support of your pelvic organs; imperative for your pelvic function: peeing, pooping; a big part of our stability as it is 1/4 of our core canister; and plays a role in our lymphatic system.

  • The most important aspect of the examination or the initial evaluation is hearing your kiddo’s story. We allow for uninterrupted time to listen and also ask you questions about their pelvic health so we can have a deep understanding of where they are today and what their goals are. After we have this information, the objective portion of the first visit is looking at your range of motion, strength, breath work, coordination during functional movement, and pelvic floor musculature both externally (if deemed appropriate for you). We truly will be looking from head to toe as everything is connected.

  • Pediatric Pelvic Health PT is a good option for anyone who is looking for guidance in their child’s pelvic health care. We specialize in helping parents navigate the health system, clean outs, and providing a different conservative lens of treatment. We find that most parents are seeking other options than “stay on this medication” without much guidance, that is where we come in to determine how to best support the child and the family on their pelvic health journey.

  • Most of our clients are 2.5 years old or older. However, we have treated kiddos younger than this. If you have any questions, please reach out to us directly via email or phone.

  • No. with pediatric populations, we do not perform internal pelvic floor muscle assessments.

  • We Do! We have the EMYO 200 dual channel in our Guilford Clinic. Biofeedback is often recommended for pediatric pelvic floor conditions. We find that biofeedback is just one tool in the toolbox for pediatric pelvic floor conditions.

    The EMYO system allows children to connect with their pelvic floor through visualizations and gaming & the system allows us to track progress with objective data & charting.

  • We treat it all, but the most common conditions we see in the pediatric population includes: bed wetting, constipation, witholding, urinary urgency & recurrent UTIs, urinary leakage, & difficulties with potty training.