Table of Contents

• Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is for All Ages

• What is Pediatric Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

• Conditions, Symptoms, and Diagnoses Treated by Pediatric Pelvic PT

• Adult vs. Pediatric Treatment

• What to Expect at Your Child’s Appointments

• Providing A Whole Body Approach To A Child’s Developmental Milestones

• Book an Appointment

• FAQs

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is for All Ages

Here at FemFirst Health, we often discuss pelvic floor physical therapy as it relates to more adult-related conditions like endometriosis, painful sex, or postpartum conditions like diastasis recti. And all of these can be greatly helped or treated by pelvic floor PT. But there is yet another subset of the population that can benefit from pelvic floor PT: adolescents. Children (specifically from birth to 17 years of age) can experience weakness and potential issues with the muscles in and around the pelvic floor, just like adults.

And while some of these issues like bedwetting and constipation are just a part of growing up, some children struggle to grow out of these phases and require intervention via pediatric pelvic floor physical therapy. 

What is Pediatric Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

Pediatric pelvic floor PT is similar to regular pelvic floor PT, except that it focuses on helping children and their less mature or less developed bodies to gain control of bodily functions and pelvic muscles, specifically the bowel and bladder. Pediatric pelvic PT specializes in helping the child and the family with any pelvic floor related issues including urinary incontinence, frequency, urgency, bedwetting, constipation, fecal incontinence, abdominal weakness, and postural weakness. A specially trained physical therapist will work individually with your child and your family to provide optimal family-centered care to improve your child’s symptoms.

Conditions, Symptoms, and Diagnoses Treated by Pediatric Pelvic PT

Some pelvic issues are a part of growing up. It is when these issues persist or interfere with daily life that intervention is necessary and helpful to equip your child with the tools, exercises, and therapy they need to be successful. 

If not properly treated, adolescent pelvic issues can drag on into adulthood. Pediatric pelvic PT can address the following conditions, symptoms, and diagnoses:

• Bedwetting

• Constipation

• Fecal incontinence

• Painful bowel movements

• Overactive bladder

• Urinary frequency/retention

• Urinary incontinence

• Urinary urgency

• Hypotonia

• Child is over 5 years old and still wears pull-ups

• Giggle incontinence

• Pelvic Pain

• Abdominal Pain

• Decreased balance, coordination, motor planning

• Muscular weakness

Adult vs. Pediatric Treatment

Adult pelvic floor physical therapy is generally focused on exercises as well as some manual therapy, including an internal exam if necessary. And while *some of these methods are also used in a pediatric setting, we also use age-appropriate approaches for each patient, depending on the age. 

Because pediatric pelvic PT depends on age, it is often done through child-led play using toys, books, and appropriate equipment so the child feels safe and happy in the sessions. We aim to educate children using visuals, books, toys, and sometimes even a biofeedback machine to see what their muscles are doing. At the end of the day, we are always aiming to meet the child and family where they are at, keeping their goals in mind.

*It is not typical to complete an internal pelvic muscle assessment on children.

What to Expect at Your Child’s Appointments

Your child’s initial pelvic PT evaluation will take 1 hour where we meet the family & child. It is during this appointment that we evaluate gross motor skills, toileting habits, posture, current symptoms, goals, etc. Following this evaluation, the therapist will then offer techniques, strategies, and exercises to try at home.

From there, typical episodes of treatment may range from 6 to 12 sessions, depending on the child’s diagnosis and progress. For some families, only 1 to 2 sessions are needed. It all depends on a number of factors. However, compliance with home programming and weekly charting are crucial to obtaining positive outcomes.

Providing A Whole Body Approach To A Child’s Developmental Milestones

At FemFirst, we are proud to be able to provide a holistic whole body approach to children’s developmental milestones and not just provide pelvic floor therapy alone. We can provide PT services for babies, toddlers, and older kiddos with any developmental delays, torticollis, muscular weakness, low muscle tone, decreased balance, coordination, etc. And we can provide services in the comfort of your home or in our office—your choice!