Childhood incontinence is a serious problem – and it’s surprisingly common. According to some of the most recent statistics, urinary incontinence alone affects nearly 10% of all American 7 year olds.
For parents and children, incontinence and its related problems can be frustrating and even heartbreaking. Even worse, the conventional wisdom that a child will “just grow out of it” does little in the way of providing an effective solution.
So, what can really be done about childhood incontinence? For a quick guide on this widespread problem and some little-known solutions, check out this rundown from the pelvic wellness experts at Meenal Mujumdar Physical Therapy.
What’s Behind Incontinence?
For many children suffering from incontinence, the root of the problem may be pelvic floor dysfunction. The “dysfunction” refers to pelvic muscles that are weak or in spasm, resulting in reduced sensitivity to bodily function-related urges.
More simply: pelvic dysfunction means that the muscles in the “pelvic floor” such as the bladder are unable to communicate properly with the pelvis. Often, for children older than 6, the result is a lack of urinary or fecal control.
Serious Stress
Of course, childhood incontinence can be a tremendous strain on parents and children alike. For kids, a lack of control over bodily functions can mean feelings of embarrassment and resistance to spending time away from home. Overnight activities like sleep overs or group camping trips may be entirely ruled out.
For mom and dad, things aren’t much easier. Even though childhood is a relatively common problem, it is very rarely discussed with family doctors or pediatricians. As a direct result, many parents struggle with feeling like they have no way to help their child.
How Pelvic Physical Therapy Can Help
While frustration may prevent some parents from speaking with a traditional family practitioner, a relatively new, innovative approach may present a welcome solution: Pelvic Physical Therapy.
A qualified pelvic wellness PT can work with your child to tackle the underlying problem of incontinence: poor pelvic health.
Using a variety of techniques like deep tissue massage, electronic muscle simulation, diet analysis, and relaxation strategies, a pelvic physical therapist can measurably improve the strength of your child’s pelvis.
A Unique Approach
The best part about contacting a pelvis-focused physical therapist? A holistic approach.
Any experienced pelvic health PT will carefully examine your child’s total health outlook. From diet to stressors, undiagnosed pelvic trauma to nerve damage, a pelvic health professional takes a wide array of indicators into consideration.
The result of this varied perspective? You, the parent, can be sure that your child’s incontinence problem is analyzed from all sides – an approach that builds effective solutions.
Contact A Pelvic Health Expert
If you interested in a fresh perspective regarding your child’s incontinence, you might be a perfect candidate for a pelvic wellness consultation.
At Meenal Mujumdar Physical Therapy, Meenal has built a reputation for dramatically improving all aspects of pelvic health. With the most advanced equipment available and years of experience, Meenal looks forward to improving the health of all patients.
To get started, contact Meenal Mujumdar Physical Therapy today!