Pediatric Pelvic Floor Therapy

What is it?

Pelvic Health or Pelvic Floor Therapy can include physical therapy and/or occupational therapy intervention to assist children with bowel and bladder issues. Intervention can include core strengthening, breathing retraining, toileting strategies, and pelvic floor muscle coordination. Pelvic floor therapy can help to improve constipation, daytime incontinence, bedwetting, and pelvic pain.

Who can benefit from Pelvic Floor Therapy?

Children experiencing:

– Daytime urinary or bowel incontinence

– Enuresis (bedwetting)

– Voiding dysfunction

– Urinary urgency and frequency

– Withholding behaviors

– Constipation

– Pelvic pain

How does a child qualify for Pelvic Floor Therapy?

– A script for Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy from a medical provider is needed

– A visit with urologist and/or gastroenterologist are important and helpful to gain more information about the targeted issue, but not a requirement

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore our FAQs to find quick answers to common questions about our service.

Q. What age can you start pelvic floor therapy?

It is recommended that children be no younger than 4-5 years of age to start pelvic floor therapy as that is the age where the urogenital system really matures and there is an increase in bladder capacity.

Q. What does pelvic floor therapy look like?

Intervention varies based on each child but can include things like education on anatomy and systems, behavior modifications (diet and fluid intake), scheduling and timed voids, toileting strategies, pelvic floor muscle education and training, and biofeedback.

Q. What is biofeedback?

Biofeedback is any form of input that teaches you how to control the muscles of the body. With biofeedback of the pelvic floor, sensors are placed externally on the skin of the perineal area. With contraction and/or relaxation of the pelvic floor a visual and/or auditory stimulus will be prompted to help the child learn how to control these muscles.

Q. What if my child is nervous or embarrassed about pelvic floor therapy?

Pelvic floor therapy is tailored to each child, so if a child is nervous or anxious about toileting, bodily autonomy, or doctors visits in general the therapist will first look to establish a rapport with the child. Therapists will gradually introduce strategies, skills, and exercises/activities based on patient comfort and readiness. Therapists also look to make activities fun and engaging. Parents are encouraged to attend sessions. Biofeedback is only performed with both parent and patient consent.

Explore Our Pediatric Therapy Services

At Cheshire Fitness Zone, we offer a full range of pediatric therapy services designed to help children reach their fullest potential — including Physical, Occupational, Speech, Aquatic, and Feeding Therapy programs.

What Clients Are Saying

“The DMI intensive week was a game changer for my kiddo. I would 100% participate in it again as it gave my girlie a big jumpstart that she needed to engage her core and legs. The difference from Monday to Friday – I mean wow. She went from not being able to lift herself up to being able to sit independently for 2.5 minutes and use her core to stand up straight. She gets stronger everyday as we continue our “homework” and countdown the days until we get to do it again!”

Happy Parent

Cheshire Fitness Zone has been wonderful. We have worked with many of the therapists for OT and PT and have had excellent experiences with all of them. They were very accommodating to our schedule. And even on a day where my son was not into working they are always able to get him to work. Their front office is very pleasant and are always smiling when we arrive. I have to bring my other son when we come and the therapists are always willing to include both of them on days where it is difficult waiting in the lobby.

Don Hamilton

Cheshire Fitness Zone therapists offer hope, encouragement, and creativity. They deliver on persistence, personal gains, and individual growth because they genuinely care. In spite of working on the steps to tie his shoes for over six months at a different facility, at Cheshire Fitness Zone Erin never lost hope or let him quit. Although he had no idea each week she worked on skills that when put together would tie a shoe. She approached the idea of tying many times only to be met with complete resistance and totally shutting down. Then one day he came to me after his session and said, ‘Hey mom, guess what? I can tie my shoes.’ When I saw the pride in his eyes and the encouragement on Erin’s face I knew he had done it. It was one of the happiest moments of his childhood. What a gift…self-pride and independence.

Stacey Lyn

We have been coming to Cheshire Fitness Zone for fifteen years. Our son has a motor dyspraxia which causes challenges with posture, upper body strength, and affects his fine motor skills too. After coming consistently every week for 1-2 visits he has surpassed many of his physical challenges. Now as a young man he takes physical challenges like 5k’s and bike challenges with a smile. We are grateful to the many physical therapists he has had over the years. Each of them has encouraged him and pushed him to improve in a gentle, but firm way, and always with a sense of humor. Our son looks forward to coming every week.

The Anthony’s

Both of our sons have participated in physical, occupational, and speech therapy at Cheshire Fitness Zone. We make the forty minute trek to Cheshire three times per week because the therapists are like none other we have encountered. Our sons (4 and 5 years old) have received therapy since birth and I was so pleased to have found Cheshire Fitness Zone. Both of my kids have been challenged and nurtured by the therapists. They are so amazing with the kids and I am thankful for their dedication.

Katy Blanchette

As a physical therapist at Cheshire Fitness Zone, I have seen firsthand the positive impact therapy services have had on so many children and their families. We are very family-oriented at Cheshire Fitness Zone and are constantly working with our families to help reach their goals for their children. It is an extremely rewarding feeling to see a child learn mobility skills that they were unable to perform prior to starting therapy services. The staff at Cheshire Fitness Zone is dedicated to providing the best care possible for all the children that they work with.

Anonymous

A five star rating would not be enough for Cheshire Fitness Zone! From the first time I called to schedule my son’s consult to now one year later, we are consistently greeted by the most caring and loving staff. My son goes to Cheshire Fitness Zone for oral motor/speech therapy and sees Miss Kim. When I say she is the best, she truly is! From day one she has put her heart and soul into my child’s therapy. The strides my son has made in one year is amazing. Not only is Kim the nicest person ever, she is extremely knowledgeable in her field and is constantly thinking of new ways to improve my son’s speech.

Nicole Rybaruk

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