Pediatric constipation is more common than people would believe. Common contributions include:

• Poor diet

• Poor water intake

• Posture on the toilet

• Straining too hard

• Fear-avoidance due to bad experiences with bowel movements and toilets

• Neurologic contributions

• Other behavioral considerations

• Visceral and Neural restrictions limiting neurologic function of the gut

• Unaddressed stress and anxiety

Pelvic health physical therapy can address these contributions through skilled education and use of external cues and feedback to improve pelvic floor muscle relaxation with bowel movements. Neural and visceral manipulation are also key in improving the motility of the gut and downregulated a nervous system that seems to be more set in “fight or flight”. Behavioral modification and education is an important part of progress for pediatric constipation.

Special note: All pediatric sessions must have a parent or guardian present.