Bedwetting

Girls having a sleep over

Lack of bladder control can cause shame, guilt and impaired social skills.

Bedwetting takes a tremendous toll on children. Embarrassment. Alarms. No sleepovers. Plastic mattress covers. Frustration. Unable to fit in. Even 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 at night may be 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 may compromise nerves that are responsible for bladder function.

We look for these sometimes subtle misalignments during our examination. When these misalignments are reduced with safe and natural chiropractic adjustments, nervous system control and regulation of the bladder may often be restored.

Published Reports

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)
Boy sleeping peacefully

Chiropractic has shown some promise among bedwetters with neurological compromise caused by the spine.

Will Chiropractic Care Help?

Since chiropractic care 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!

We approach these cases with sensitivity and compassion. Your son or daughter will appreciate and understand our explanations.

Please call or email us if your specific concern hasn’t been addressed here.