Pediatric Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation: A Panel Discussion of Current Programs and Patient Outcomes

It is estimated that 1 in 7 healthy school aged children are effected by incontinence. A systematic review found that between 0.7-29.6% of children have chronic constipation. Children with bladder and bowel symptoms often suffer from low self-esteem and psychological distress. These rates of impairments and indication of impacted quality of life demonstrate the need for effective treatment for this patient population. Pediatric physical therapy including pelvic floor rehabilitation is an effective treatment for patients suffering from bladder and bowel dysfunction. This course will comprise of a panel discussion of pediatric physical therapists from established programs that treat pediatric patients with pelvic floor dysfunction. Treatment settings include hospital-based outpatient, private practice and exclusively telehealth. The panelists will each present distinguishing evaluation and treatment strategies, types of assessment tools to assess impairments and track patient outcomes and the success of each type of program evidenced through patient outcomes.
Participants are encouraged to join in clinical discussions related to program development or patient cases from the clinical decision making of various professionals in the field. The overall goal is to advocate for pediatric Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants to feel empowered to treat this patient population to improve their health, wellness and quality of life which is impacted by pelvic floor dysfunction.