Chiropractic management of a 5-year-old boy with urinary and bowel incontinence

Keith R Kamrath1

  • 1Chiropractor, Private Practice, Hutchinson, MN 55350.

Insights

Chiropractic care effectively managed urinary and bowel incontinence in a 5-year-old boy. Treatment involved spinal adjustments and diathermy, restoring continence for extended periods.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Chiropractic Care
  • Neuro-musculoskeletal Health
  • Pediatric Urology

Background:

  • A 5-year-old boy experienced complete bowel and bladder incontinence.
  • The patient had a history of surgical correction for lumbar meningocele, spinal lipoma, and tethered spinal cord.
  • Clinical examination indicated spinal and pelvic dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail the chiropractic management approach for a pediatric patient with urinary and bowel incontinence.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of chiropractic interventions in restoring continence.

Main Methods:

  • Chiropractic treatment included the Activator adjusting instrument and shortwave diathermy applied to the lumbar spine and sacrum.
  • An initial course consisted of 5 treatments over 4 weeks.
  • A subsequent course of 4 treatments over 4 weeks was administered due to symptom recurrence.

Main Results:

  • Following the initial treatment, the patient achieved satisfactory bladder and bowel control for approximately 6 months.
  • A recurrence of incontinence prompted a second treatment course.
  • The second course of chiropractic care successfully reestablished bladder and bowel continence.

Conclusions:

  • Chiropractic management proved successful in achieving and maintaining satisfactory bladder and bowel control for this pediatric patient.
  • This case highlights the potential role of chiropractic interventions in addressing neuro-musculoskeletal-related incontinence in children.
Abstract

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