Pediatric Pelvic Health

No. We absolutely do not perform internal pelvic floor exams on children. We can guarantee that this will not happen at our office.

Pediatric pelvic floor physical therapy looks very different from pelvic floor therapy for adults. Our evaluation and treatment are completed through information gathering, age-appropriate exercise and movement, and, when appropriate, hands-on treatment to areas such as the abdomen or legs.

Our priority is making sure your child feels safe and comfortable throughout the process.

We treat pediatric patients of many different ages. Our youngest patients have been around three years old, and we see many kindergarten and elementary-aged children for bladder and bowel concerns.

There isn’t one “right” age to start. If your child is experiencing bladder or bowel symptoms that are affecting them or your family, we can help you determine whether pediatric pelvic floor physical therapy may be appropriate.

No. Your child does not have to be fully potty trained or able to verbally communicate with us to benefit from treatment.

We work with children with many different communication abilities, including children who are nonverbal. Parents and caregivers are an especially important part of the process. We rely on what you know about your child, along with their body language, behaviors, and responses during treatment, to help guide our evaluation and treatment plan.

The short answer is: it depends.

Several factors can affect how long treatment may take, including what your child is experiencing, how long the symptoms have been present, how consistently the home program can be implemented, and whether there are sensory, behavioral, or other factors that may influence treatment.

After getting to know your child, seeing how they respond to treatment, and beginning their home program, your physical therapist should be able to give you a much better idea of what your child’s treatment plan may look like.

For most families, we can provide a clearer picture of the expected plan of care within the first one to three visits.

Yes, absolutely. Constipation can contribute to urinary symptoms in both children and adults.

In fact, when we see a child with concerns like bedwetting, urinary leakage, urgency, or frequency, one of the first places we often look is the bowels.

The bladder and bowels sit close together and share many of the same muscles and nerves. When constipation is present, it can affect how the bladder stores and empties urine and may contribute to urinary symptoms.

This is why improving bowel function is often an important part of our treatment plan, even when a child’s primary concern seems to be their bladder.

Yes. Your child can still be constipated even if they have a bowel movement every single day.

Having a daily bowel movement doesn’t necessarily mean your child is completely emptying their bowels. Because of this, there will often be a bowel optimization component of your child’s first appointment, even if they are already pooping regularly.

The bowels sit directly behind the bladder, so when a child comes to us with a bladder concern, we want to make sure their bowel function is in tip-top shape too.

Your child’s first appointment is all about getting to know your child and your family.

We’ll talk about what you’ve noticed, how long the symptoms have been happening, what you’ve already tried, and what has or hasn’t helped.

We also want to get to know your child. Building trust is incredibly important to us, so we’ll pay attention to their personality, communication style, body language, and comfort level throughout the appointment.

Depending on your child’s needs, we may discuss bowel and bladder habits, toileting behaviors, lifestyle factors, sensory tendencies, milestone development, pain, core and glute strength, balance, and stability.

One of our biggest goals during the first visit is to give your family a solid home program. For many children, this starts with optimizing bowel habits and implementing lifestyle strategies that support healthy bladder and bowel function.

And remember, we do not perform internal pelvic floor exams on children.

No. Your child does not need a referral before their first appointment.

Texas is a direct access state for physical therapy, which means your child can begin physical therapy without first obtaining a referral or other documentation from their healthcare provider.

If your child continues physical therapy, we will need a signed plan of care from a healthcare provider within the required timeframe. Our office helps coordinate this process. At your first appointment, we’ll ask you to provide a healthcare provider for your child’s chart, and our team will take care of sending the necessary documentation for signature.

You do not need to wait on a referral before reaching out to us or scheduling your child’s first appointment.

Yes! We work with children with sensory differences and developmental needs quite frequently.

Every child communicates, learns, moves, and responds to their environment differently. We take those differences into consideration throughout the evaluation and treatment process and adapt our approach based on what works best for your child.

Parents and caregivers are also an important part of this process. You know your child best, and we use your feedback along with your child’s responses, behaviors, and body language to help guide treatment.

We invite you to give pediatric pelvic floor physical therapy a try.

Many of the families who come into our office have already tried several different approaches to address their child’s bladder or bowel symptoms. However, the pelvic floor and the way it works together with the bladder, bowels, core, and the rest of the body often have not been fully addressed.

Pelvic floor physical therapy gives us an opportunity to look at your child’s symptoms from a different perspective. We’ll consider the treatments you’ve already tried, what has or hasn’t worked, and what other factors may be contributing to your child’s symptoms so we can determine what may be missing from the picture.