Bedwetting, what is it?

Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis, is the involuntary urination in the night by children that are at an age where bladder control is expected, bladder control usually happens around five to six years of age. Bedwetting in Grand Rapids MI is more common with boys than girls but regardless of the sex, it can be emotionally damaging. Although many doctors do not consider most cases of bedwetting to be a serious condition, it can be troublesome for the parents and embarrassing for the child. Most cases resolve naturally but the older the child gets the more likely intervention will be necessary to stop wet nights. Chiropractic care has been shown to help with bedwetters and can improve the bladder control process.

What causes bedwetting

The medical community does not know the exact cause of bedwetting but has seen evidence of diet/hydration, constipation, infections, psychological issues, and neurological conditions as possible causes. What I have seen and many other chiropractors have also seen is that enuresis is caused by the loss of nervous system control of the internal urinary sphincter. This loss of control is a secondary effect of a subluxation, misalignment of joints causing nervous system interference in the lower back.

The internal urethral sphincter is under involuntary control leaving the full control of urination to the external urethral sphincter. When asleep, the external urethral sphincter loses the voluntary signal that holds urination during the day; leading to soggy sheets and wet pajamas.

Why they shouldn't just grow out of it

While children who suffer from nocturnal enuresis rarely suffer long-term physical effects some emotional effects may linger. Sometimes bedwetting children will avoid sleepovers to prevent the embarrassment of wetting the bed with their friends present. Children also feel ashamed that they can't hold it throughout the night and this can lead to low self-esteem. One study even found that psychological problems were seen more commonly in kids who wet the bed earlier in life.

Some tools parents use to help their child with bedwetting are rubber sheets and underwear, limiting water in the evening, and wetness-sensing alarm clocks. This can help reduce the mess and train the child to deal with the problem until resolution.

Why Chiropractic in Grand Rapids MI?

Parents who take their kids to a chiropractor for bedwetting usually see a resolved or severe reduction of occurrences after the first 1 or 2 adjustments. By alleviating nervous interference and restoring proper function a child should see resolution while also setting a healthy foundation for their child's development.

Carol Joinson, Jon Heron, Alan Emond, Richard Butler; Psychological Problems in Children with Bedwetting and Combined (day and night) Wetting: A UK Population-Based Study, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Volume 32, Issue 5, 1 June 2007, Pages 605616, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsl039

"Bed-Wetting". Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 Oct. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bed-wetting/symptoms-causes/syc-20366685.