Services for Children

Aside from the many injuries that go along with a normal childhood which are easily treated utilizing physical therapy, there are other common conditions which require the assistance of a specially trained physical therapist in order to alleviate. One of the most common conditions treated in children is urinary incontinence which may occur during the day (diurnal enuresis) or night (nocturnal enuresis). Nocturnal enuresis ("bedwetting") affects 5-7 million children and occurs three times more often in boys than girls. Nocturnal enuresis is considered to be a problem if it occurs after the age of 5 and more than 2 times per month. There may be more than one factor which contributes to incontinence in children. To this point a single explanation for incontinence in children remains elusive. There is a genetic predisposition and it has been shown that if both parents were enuretic as children their children have a 77% risk of having nocturnal enuresis. Is your child over 4 years of age and still wearing pull ups? Is your child on medication to regulate his/her bowel/bladder? If any of the problems listed below sound familiar, then we can help! Urinary incontinence (loss of urine) Urinary urgency (constant/strong need to urinate) Urinary frequency (urinating over 8 times in a 24 hour period) Urinary retention (not fully emptying bladder) Fecal urgency, frequency and/or retention Bowel incontinence, pain with defecation, inability to empty bowels Excessive gas, abdominal bloating Constipation, diarrhea with/without soiling/staining At Advanced Physical Therapy of Little Rock, we specialize in treating problems related to pelvic floor dysfunction. We treat women, men and children of both sexes. The pelvic floor is made up of muscles and other tissues that form a sling from the pubic bone to the tailbone. They help to support the abdominal and pelvic organs and control bladder and bowel activity. click for larger view Pelvic floor dysfunction refers to a wide range of problems that occur when these muscles are weak or are in spasm. Although millions of children suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction only 1 in 7 children will receive treatment. Typically, children are toilet trained by age 4 with only very occasional accidents. After age 4 childhood bowel and bladder dysfunction is considered a major medical problem and may greatly affect quality of life for the child. How Do We Treat? We meet with each child and their parent/s or guardian initially to get a thorough knowledge of history and current problems. We then do a physical examination, looking at the muscles of the abdomen, legs, back and others we feel applicable to the specific problem. Finally, we consult with the parent and child to develop an individualized treatment plan. Treatment is one-on-one, hands on, in a comfortable and private treatment room with the parent or guardian present. What Exactly Do We Do? Treatment includes: Biofeedback Behavioral and diet modification Soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release and deep tissue massage if needed Hot and cold therapy Stretching and strengthening of pelvic floor and surrounding muscles as appropriate Relaxation techniques

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