Nocturnal Enuresis,
commonly referred to as bedwetting, can be a socially and physically
debilitating problem for parents and their children. Children who experience frequent
bedwetting can develop antisocial tendencies (avoiding sleepovers) due to the
embarrassing nature of the problem. Bedwetting can also begin to cause low
self-esteem and social anxiety in children.1
Bedwetting affects approximately 10-24% of children
up to 7 years of age, and 2.3% of those affected children will become adult
bedwetters.1 Nocturnal Enuresis can also become an exhausting burden
on the parents because of the constant washing of sheets, changing of pajamas,
replacing mattresses, and so on.1-3 Although there are a number of
causes for this condition, one particular cause called “vertebral subluxation”
is very common.1-7
Vertebral subluxations are subtle
misalignments within the spine that interfere with the brain’s ability to
communicate with the body.4,5 In children, subluxations can be
caused by the birthing process, initiation of crawling, walking, running, and,
most commonly, falls.4 The diagram below shows you how the brain
controls the bladder and the muscles responsible for retaining urine. When a
child has a subluxation in the lumbar or sacral region of the spine, there is
interference with the messages from the brain to the organ it supplies; this
results in dysfunction of the organ(s). A subluxation in the upper region of
the neck can also result in bedwetting because it causes tension on the
brainstem via spider-like connections called dura mater. If these subluxations are left uncorrected, they will
gradually get worse and ultimately cause disc degeneration and further
neurological compromise.5
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If you have a child who is experiencing bedwetting,
you may want to consider seeing a chiropractor for an examination to determine
whether subluxations are the cause of his/her problem. I have had numerous
parents tell me that they’ve seen a laundry list of specialists and were never
given an explanation for their child’s bedwetting. I even had a patient tell me
that her child’s doctors told her that that the child’s bladder was formed “too
small” – we later found out that was not the case. If you have any questions
please do not hesitate to contact me!
Yours in Better Health,
Dr. Brady
References
1. Gunlogson JE. J.
Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - December 29, 2010
2. Rodnick A. Rodnick P. J. Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - October 19, 2010
3. Reed WR, Beavers S, Reddy SK, Kern G. “Chiropractic
management of primary nocturnal enuresis.” J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1994; 17(9): 596-600.
4. Lantz CA: “The subluxation complex.” In:
Gatterman MI (ed): “Foundations of Chiropractic Subluxation.” Mosby, St. Louis, MO, 1995.
5. Miller J, Schmatz B, Schultz A:
“Lumbar disc degeneration: Correlation with age, sex, and spine level in 600
autopsy specimens.” Spine (1988)
13:173.
6. Blomerth PR. “Functional nocturnal enuresis.” J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1994;
17(5): 335-8.
7. Baeyens D, et al. “Behavioral problems and
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children with enuresis: a
literature review.” Eur J Pediatr.
2005;164:665-672.
