Treatment Solutions for Pediatric Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Participants who register for this course have the option to attend the course live-online and/or watch the recording later. The recording will be available to all registrants for a 6-week period and access is provided on the next business day following the course. This allows participants who may not be able to attend live-online to still benefit from the course content. To facilitate attendance tracking, please indicate on your registration form if you won’t be attending live.

Course Description:

A vast number of children, and their families, are currently struggling with the anxiety and the discouragement that surfaces when bladder and bowel functional development is not what they anticipated. The International Children’s Continence Society (ICCS) outlines that “involuntary wetting at an inappropriate time or place in a child 5 years old or more” (Society, 2011) is not considered normal. According to Ramsay et al., incontinence “negatively affects self esteem, and impairs children’s development” (Sophie Ramsay, January-February 2017).

Bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) is extremely common but likely underreported and in turn, underdiagnosed. There are several lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as well as bowel grievances that separately, or collectively, appear as dysfunctions of the bladder and the bowel in the pediatric population. These LUTS may include “dysuria, urgency, urinary frequency, hesitancy, daytime incontinence, enuresis, dribbling, straining, voiding postponement, and urinary retention” among others (Joana Dos Santos, Roberto I. Lopes, & Martin A. Koyle, 2017). Constipation and encopresis may also be included under BBD when looking at our pediatric population.

As healthcare providers, we need to do more to assist our pediatric populations and to reduce the symptom carry over that may occur into adulthood. As pelvic physiotherapists, we have the ability to significantly improve a child’s quality of life, reduce both the child and their family’s levels of stress and anxiety, and utilize solution-based learning and treatment techniques to support normalcy in person-specific bladder and bowel function.

This course will focus on the assessment and treatment of children struggling with bedwetting, daytime incontinence, dysfunctional voiding, and difficulties around bowel elimination. Beginning with an overview of the anatomy, and the study of how the human body works, we will dive into how normal urinary function develops and how we achieve urinary control. Participants will learn terminology around bowel bladder normalcy and dysfunction and will learn how pelvic physiotherapists are an integral part of a pediatric healthcare team. Participants will also feel confident knowing when to refer to other members of the pediatric team.

There will be a comprehensive introduction to dysfunctions in voiding and defecation as well as the common causes of urinary and fecal incontinence. Participants will learn and become confident in both assessment and treatment approaches in working with this population. The course will include videos, demonstrations, as well as instructional labs and case studies.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

Have reviewed and understand the anatomy of the pelvic floor and its relationship to bladder and bowel function specifically in the pediatric population.
Understand how normal urinary function develops and how urinary control is achieved.
Understand the role of the pelvic floor as it relates to bladder and bowel voiding reflexes.
Have a clear understanding of dysfunction that may require a referral to a member of the pediatric healthcare team.
Understand proper pediatric bladder and bowel terminology as outlined by the International Children’s Continence Society
Understand the LUTS and bowel dysfunction that may present in the pediatric population.
Be introduced to diagnostic tools used in determining potential dysfunction.
Understand constipation in the pediatric population and how it directly relates to urinary incontinence.
Learn about the behavioural and lifestyle modifications that can assist with pediatric pelvic floor dysfunction.
Know how to use bladder logs to assist with bladder and bowel retraining.
Know how to observe the effects of posture on pelvic floor muscle recruitment and relaxation and educate on proper positioning to assist with urination and defecation.
Understand the psychological impact of bladder and bowel dysfunction and incorporate appropriate referrals to assist.
Know how to use surface EMG and biofeedback to both assess and treat pelvic floor dysfunction in pediatric clients.
Know how to develop individualized treatment plans as well as progressions for treatment to assist with bladder and bowel training.
Be introduced to the Modified O’Regan Protocol (MOP) program and understand its role in treatment.
Obtain the tools to confidently assist the pediatric population in becoming continent and provide confident evaluation and treatment.
Develop a toolbox of educational information, treatment techniques, and solution-based problem-solving skills to improve the quality of life of pediatric patients.

Prerequisite: None – this is a beginner level course appropriate for healthcare professionals that have an interest in exploring and understanding bladder and bowel disorders in the pediatric population.

Audience: Healthcare professionals may include, but are not limited to, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Pediatricians, and Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. The content presented in this course is intended for use within the participant’s scope of practice and regulatory licensing and should not be used by individuals who are not licensed or regulated.

Date/Time: April 11-12, 2026, from 10:30am – 6:30pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone.