Pediatric GI Treatment and Tips
Functional GI and motility disorders in children and teens make up 40-50% of doctor visits. Symptoms indicative of a diagnosis of IBS were noted in 17% of high school students and 8% of middle school students. 10-25% of MD visits are for constipation or encopresis. Encopresis happens when there is hard stool that collects in the colon or rectum and liquid stool leaks around it. Encopresis occurs more often in boys than girls.
Symptoms
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Fecal incontinence, encopresis
- Urinary urgency or frequency
Causes
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Behavioral issues or emotional stressors
- Holding stool due to previous painful bowel movement
- Fear of missing out of time with friends/activities
- Stress due to life changes
- Poor diet
How Can Physical Therapy Help?
The physical therapist will educate the child and their parents about pelvic anatomy and review the child’s eating/drinking habits, physical activity level, toileting habits. The physical therapist will test the child’s lower extremity and core strength. The physical therapist may also observe the pelvic floor muscles externally as the child is instructed to squeeze their pelvic floor muscles, bear down, and cough.The child and parent(s) present will then be given an individualized home program which may include hip stretches, core and pelvic floor strengthening exercises, and abdominal massage to improve bowel emptying.
Things to Do at Home
- Eat a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables
- to calculate how much fiber your child needs: add 5 or 10 to your child’s age to figure out the minimum or maximum grams daily
- Proper toileting position (refer to our blog Posture for Easier Bowel Movements)
- ILU massage
Stretches
- Happy baby
- Child’s pose
- Squat stretch (garland pose)
