Paediatric Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

What is the Pelvic Floor? 

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located at the bottom of the pelvis that play an essential role in a child’s everyday function. These muscles help: 

• Control bladder and bowel function
• Support the bladder, rectum, and abdominal organs
• Contribute to posture and core stability

In children, pelvic floor dysfunction can occur when these muscles are too tight, too weak, or not working in coordination. This may develop for a variety of reasons, including:

• Chronic constipation
• Urinary tract infections
• Trauma
• Neurological conditions

As a result, children may experience symptoms such as constipation, urgency, leakage, pelvic pain, or toileting anxiety. Understanding how the pelvic floor works is the first step in recognizing why these issues occur and how paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapy can help.

Why Paediatric Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?

When a child struggles with bladder or bowel function, it can be frustrating for both kids and parents. It may impact their confidence, school activities, sleep, or social participation. Some benefits of paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapy include: 

• Improved Bladder and Bowel Function: Helps manage concerns such as bedwetting, daytime accidents, and constipation through targeted exercises and lifestyle strategies.
• Pain Management: Reduces pelvic pain by addressing muscle tension and improving flexibility and comfort.
• Better Core Strength and Stability: Enhances pelvic floor and core coordination to support posture, balance, and movement.
• Encourages Healthy Bladder and Bowel Habits: Teaches age-appropriate toileting routines and hydration habits to support long-term pelvic health.
• Non-Invasive Treatment Approach: Uses gentle, child-friendly techniques without medications or surgery.
• Emotional and Psychological Well-Being: Improves confidence and self-esteem by addressing challenges that affect a child’s comfort and daily life.

Because children do not always have the language to describe what they feel, their discomfort often shows up as behaviours, resisting the toilet, rushing, withholding, or having accidents. Paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapy helps uncover the “why” behind these behaviours.

Paediatric Pelvic Floor Conditions Treated

Paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapy supports a wide range of bladder and bowel concerns including:

• Daytime urinary incontinence (urge incontinence, stress incontinence, giggle incontinence)
• Bedwetting or enuresis
• Constipation
• Incontinence
• Urinary frequency
• Vesicourethral Reflux (VUR)

Our paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapists use gentle, child-friendly methods that help kids understand their bodies better and gain practical skills for everyday life.

Paediatric Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Can Help!

Paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapy helps address bladder and bowel concerns in children by improving the strength, coordination, and relaxation of the muscles that support the bladder, bowel, and abdominal organs. As part of your child's pelvic physiotherapy treatment at Manotick Physioworks: 

• Your paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapist will start with a health assessment. Our paediatric pelvic assessments do not include any internal pelvic exams. Instead, we focus on an external evaluation of your child’s pelvic health, along with assessments of their upper and lower body strength and breathing patterns.
• Treatments for pelvic health issues in children can include education on dietary modifications, explanation of healthy bladder and bowel habits, retraining of the pelvic floor muscles and breathing exercises. 

With regular sessions and consistent follow-through at home, many children experience significant improvements in leaks, constipation, comfort, and confidence. Our team is here to support your child every step of the way.

Bladder and bowel challenges can feel overwhelming, but they are very common and highly treatable. Our paediatric pelvic floor physiotherapists at Manotick Physioworks are here to help your child move toward greater comfort, confidence, and independence in their daily life! Contact us to book your assessment today!