Pediatric Pelvic Floor Therapy
What is Pelvic Health or Pelvic Floor Therapy?
Pelvic Health or Pelvic Floor Therapy can include physical therapy and/or occupational therapy intervention to assist children with bowel and bladder issues. Intervention can include core strengthening, breathing retraining, toileting strategies, and pelvic floor muscle coordination. Pelvic floor therapy can help to improve constipation, daytime incontinence, bedwetting, and pelvic pain.
Who can benefit from Pelvic Floor Therapy?
Children experiencing:
- Daytime urinary or bowel incontinence
- Enuresis (bedwetting)
- Voiding dysfunction
- Urinary urgency and frequency
- Withholding behaviors
- Constipation
- Pelvic pain
How does a child qualify for Pelvic Floor Therapy?
– A script for Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy from a medical provider is needed
– A visit with urologist and/or gastroenterologist are important and helpful to gain more information about the targeted issue, but not a requirement
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore our FAQs to find quick answers to common questions about our service.
Q. What age can you start pelvic floor therapy?
It is recommended that children be no younger than 4-5 years of age to start pelvic floor therapy as that is the age where the urogenital system really matures and there is an increase in bladder capacity.
Q. What does pelvic floor therapy look like?
Intervention varies based on each child but can include things like education on anatomy and systems, behavior modifications (diet and fluid intake), scheduling and timed voids, toileting strategies, pelvic floor muscle education and training, and biofeedback.
Q. What is biofeedback?
Biofeedback is any form of input that teaches you how to control the muscles of the body. With biofeedback of the pelvic floor, sensors are placed externally on the skin of the perineal area. With contraction and/or relaxation of the pelvic floor a visual and/or auditory stimulus will be prompted to help the child learn how to control these muscles.
Q. What if my child is nervous or embarrassed about pelvic floor therapy?
Pelvic floor therapy is tailored to each child, so if a child is nervous or anxious about toileting, bodily autonomy, or doctors visits in general the therapist will first look to establish a rapport with the child. Therapists will gradually introduce strategies, skills, and exercises/activities based on patient comfort and readiness. Therapists also look to make activities fun and engaging. Parents are encouraged to attend sessions. Biofeedback is only performed with both parent and patient consent.