Probably one of the least talked about subsets of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy (PT) is Pediatric Pelvic Floor PT, typically for children between the ages of 3-4 and 15 (most children ages 16 and older can be seen either by an adult-focused or pediatric provider). This article is written for adults, but we’ll be uploading one specifically for children too.
It may seem obvious, but sometimes we forget that children have pelvic floors too. Just like any other part of our body, sometimes our pelvic floors don’t do what they need to do and this holds true for adults and children alike. Thankfully, there are Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists who specialize in working with children with pelvic floor issues. Common pediatric pelvic floor concerns include, but are not limited to, urinary incontinence (pee accidents), enuresis (bedwetting), fecal incontinence (poop accidents), constipation, and pelvic pain of all sorts.
Sometimes the concerns treated in Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy will be outgrown with time, but often they are issues that worsen and become harder to treat with time. It’s not always easy to tell which is which. Because of this, I always recommend children come to Pelvic Floor PT with any concerns potentially related to the pelvic floor. Even if it does turn out to be something that will improve with time, we can likely help children work through things more quickly and with more confidence.
Pelvic Floor PT for children looks a bit different than it does for adults. For one, we rarely do internal treatment unless it is absolutely necessary to address conditions such as tailbone or pelvic pain or a child is sexually active and has already had an internal exam by another provider such as a gynecologist or urologist. For the vast majority of pediatric cases, we will rely on something called biofeedback to assess the pelvic floor and help children learn how to teach their pelvic floors how to function.
Biofeedback for children involves external sticker electrodes placed next to the anus on the outside. This machine will pick up the movements of the pelvic floor muscles and translate the information it is receiving into lines on a computer screen. It can be an incredibly helpful tool in letting children see what their pelvic floors are doing and regaining the necessary pelvic floor control.
Pediatric Pelvic Floor PTs will also teach children and their caregivers information about bowel and bladder function, constipation prevention, exercises to do at home, and ways to build communication with their own bodies. Together, the child, guardian(s), and Pelvic Floor PT work as a team to help them reach their pelvic floor goals.
As always, reach out anytime if you or your child has any questions!