Pediatric Pelvic Floor Therapy

Our specialized approach addresses these concerns with gentle, effective therapies tailored to your child's unique needs. By working with our experienced team, we aim to improve your child’s pelvic health, boost their confidence, and enhance their quality of life.

Pelvic floor therapy for kids

Signs of Pediatric Pelvic Floor Conditions

  • Leaking urine or bowel with laughter (giggle incontinence), coughing, or exercise (jumping on a trampoline, sprinting, etc.)

  • Frequent urination and frequent urge to urinate

  • Chronic constipation or diarrhea

  • Chronic urinary tract infection (UTI)

  • Daytime wetting that interferes with school, social engagement, or self image

  • Nighttime wetting that interferes with sleep, hygiene, or self image

  • Inability to fully void urine or evacuate bowel on the toilet

How Can Pelvic Floor Therapy Help?

Pelvic floor physical therapy is an excellent option for children ages 6 and older with toileting issues due to its low risk of side effects and high effectiveness. At Pelvic Wellness Physical Therapy, our skilled therapists are dedicated to helping kids overcome pelvic floor-related conditions through tailored, gentle treatments.

Treatment may include:

  • Education: educating the child and parent in the bowel and bladder, listening to body signals, positioning, and hygiene.

  • Identification of contributing behaviors:  oftentimes we will have the child and parent complete a voiding diary that tracks diet and toileting habits for a few days. With the help of the therapist, the child and parent will start to see patterns of behavior and dietary factors that may be making the problem worse. 

  • Bowel management: The therapist will teach the child and parent regarding hydration, dietary factors, proper toileting positioning, and proper pushing technique to relieve constipation which may be contributing to pelvic floor dysfunction.

  • Optimization of muscle function and coordination: The therapist will observe the child’s movements, looking for imbalance that might be contributing to the symptoms. They will address the impairments with difference exercises or activities.

  • Pelvic floor biofeedback:  Correct function of the pelvic floor is essential for both bowel and bladder function. Biofeedback is a medical technology used in pelvic floor therapy that helps the brain and body re-establish healthy coordination patterns. Computer sensors are used to measure activity of the pelvic floor muscles while a screen gives live visual feedback as to what the pelvic floor muscles are doing. This is a non-invasive technique that helps the patient learn how to properly contract and relax the pelvic floor, as well as properly push for bowel movements.   This study by Richardson and Palmer (2009) shows that biofeedback is a safe and effective intervention for kids with some types of pelvic floor symptoms.