Pediatric Pelvic Floor Therapy in Columbus
Numerous children in Columbus grapple with bladder or bowel voiding issues, constituting a significant portion of pediatric visits, with a staggering 20% dedicated to managing incontinence concerns. But here’s the silver lining—non-invasive physical therapy techniques offer considerable success in mitigating these challenges. Dubbed “dysfunctional voiding,” this term encompasses a spectrum of diagnoses related to children’s struggles in regulating their bladder and bowel functions:
The Facts
Numerous children in Columbus grapple with bladder or bowel voiding issues, constituting a significant portion of pediatric visits, with a staggering 20% dedicated to managing incontinence concerns. But here’s the silver lining—non-invasive physical therapy techniques offer considerable success in mitigating these challenges. Dubbed “dysfunctional voiding,” this term encompasses a spectrum of diagnoses related to children’s struggles in regulating their bladder and bowel functions:
The Facts
Bladder Symptoms
- Nighttime bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)
- Daytime wetting
- Stress incontinence
- Overactive bladder
- Urinary frequency/urgency
- Urinary retention
- Frequent Urinary Tract Infections
- Vesicoureteral reflux
- Constipation
- Bowel incontinence and/or inability to empty bowel
- Fecal Urgency/Frequency
Bladder Voiding Dysfunction
Mastering brain and nervous system control over the bladder isn’t consistently achieved by the time a child reaches toilet training. Even after toilet training, a child’s bladder often maintains the hyperactive/hypersensitive patterns reminiscent of infancy’s automatic bladder. When this aligns with the developmental stage where children are deeply engaged in exploring new interests, they may opt to hold their urine for prolonged periods to avoid interrupting their enjoyment while playing with friends or toys.
The practice of “holding” prompts the tightening of pelvic floor muscles and the external urinary sphincter, which can lead to dysfunction, manifesting as a chronic abnormal urinary voiding pattern. For example, some children may struggle to sense bladder fullness, resulting in daytime leakage or nighttime bedwetting. Others may experience urinary urgency and frequency. Furthermore, some may encounter frequent bladder infections.
How a PT in Columbus Can Help
Pelvic floor PT is highly beneficial for addressing voiding dysfunction.
Pelvic floor physical therapy will address the child’s impaired pelvic floor muscle control through the utilization of biofeedback. By connecting the patient to a biofeedback monitor with two externally placed stickers, the PT in Columbus will guide the child through pelvic floor contractions, relaxations, and bulges based on the feedback displayed on the biofeedback screen. This process facilitates the child in regaining control over their pelvic floor.
In addressing constipation, biofeedback serves as a helpful tool in teaching the child how to effectively push and lengthen the pelvic floor, as they may be struggling to execute these actions accurately.
Moreover, the PT will collaborate with the child on utilizing their breath to aid in pelvic floor motor control. Frequently, bubbles are incorporated into this exercise.
Furthermore, the PT will educate the child about the bladder and bowel systems, ensuring they comprehend that their voiding problems are not merely random occurrences, but rather have underlying reasons. This instills a sense of ownership and control over the issue. Games, books, and visual aids are employed to teach the child about anatomy. Additionally, PT addresses any behavioral issues associated with their voiding dysfunction.
Normally, it requires the physical therapist approximately two appointments to grasp a complete understanding of the underlying causes of the patient’s voiding dysfunction. Frequently, there exists a blend of muscle management and behavioral concerns that necessitate addressing.
The first assessment session lasts for an hour, while subsequent appointments typically vary between thirty minutes to one hour. A guardian is always present during each session, and children usually attend around six to eight appointments.
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