Bedwetting
Bedwetting takes a tremendous toll on children. Embarrassment. Alarms. No sleepovers. Plastic mattress covers. Frustration. Unable to fit in. Even the shame of diapers.
Up to the age of four or five, most children have poor bladder control at night. But after that, the inability to stay dry is a sign of an underlying problem. While chiropractic is not a treatment for bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis), countless children have been helped with safe and natural chiropractic care.
Bladder Physiology
Two key muscles control the emptying of the bladder. Their technical names are the detrusor and trigone muscles. Nerves that exit the spinal column in the lower back and sacrum control these muscles.
During the early years of life, the sacrum has five separate segments. Later, they fuse together to form the triangular-shaped bone that adults have at the base of the spine. If these segments misalign (falling, learning to walk, ride a bike, etc.) they can compromise the nerves that are responsible for bladder control.
Chiropractors look for these sometimes-subtle misalignments during a thorough examination. When these misalignments are reduced with safe and natural chiropractic adjustments, nervous system control and regulation of the bladder is often restored.
Published Research
The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics document many studies showing the positive benefits of chiropractic care.
- A study of 46 children received chiropractic care for a 10-week period. A quarter of those receiving chiropractic care had 50% or more reduction in the wet night frequency, while none among the control group saw a reduction. (JMPT 1994 (Nov-Dec);17 (9): 596-600 )
- Children with a history of persistent bed-wetting received eight chiropractic adjustments. Number of wet nights fell from seven per week to four. (JMPT 1991 (Feb);14 (2): 110-115)
- The lumbar spine of an eight-year-old male bed wetter was adjusted once and at a one-month follow-up. There was a complete resolution of enuresis. “This happened in a manner that could not be attributed to time or placebo effect.” (JMPT 1994 (Jun);17 (5): 335-338)
Will Chiropractic Care Help?
Since chiropractic isn’t a treatment for bedwetting, a thorough examination is necessary. If the bedwetting is caused by nerve interference from the spine, many children see great results with chiropractic care. Find out!
Chiropractors approach these cases with sensitivity and compassion. Your son or daughter will appreciate and understand the explanations of a chiropractor.
