Management of Intractable Functional Constipation in Children by Interferential Therapy: Transabdominal or Pelvic...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Physical Therapy
• Urology

Background:

• Functional constipation is a common pediatric issue.
• Intractable cases require effective therapeutic interventions.
• Interferential (IF) therapy is explored for managing constipation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pelvic floor IF therapy with transabdominal IF therapy for pediatric functional constipation.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of IF therapy combined with pelvic floor muscle (PFM) exercises.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 64 children with functional constipation treated with IF therapy.
• Group A: pelvic IF therapy + PFM exercises; Group B: transabdominal IF therapy + PFM exercises.
• Data collected included bowel habits, constipation scores, pain, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed a significant decrease in constipation after treatment (84.3% remission).
• Fecal soiling episodes reduced significantly in both groups.
• Pelvic IF therapy demonstrated a significantly higher reduction in fecal soiling compared to transabdominal IF therapy.

Conclusions:

• Both pelvic floor and transabdominal IF therapy enhance treatment for pediatric functional constipation.
• Pelvic floor IF therapy is more effective for children with co-occurring fecal soiling.