Would you be shocked to hear that approximately 5 to 7 million children in the United States experience bedwetting after they have been potty trained? On average, children don’t stop wetting the bed until they are over 4-5 years of age.
Why is bedwetting, also known as enuresis, such a common problem in the United States? Different theories exist as to the cause of bedwetting. Genetics seem to play a role in bedwetting. If both parents were bedwetters, the chance of their child having the same issue is around 77%. If just one parent was a bedwetter, the percentage drops to 44%. If neither parent was a bedwetter, the percentage drops considerably, to 15%.
Another theory about why children may wet the bed is due to bladder capacity. Children that have smaller bladders can’t obviously hold as much urine, therefore causing the child to have difficulties holding their urine throughout the night. An additional theory commonly mentioned is that some children are deep sleepers and never wake themselves up to use the bathroom.
Though these theories sound legit, I have to wonder what role subluxations play in enuresis. If the nervous system controls EVERYTHING in the body, what would happen if there was pressure on the nerve that was controlling the bladder? Wouldn’t that interrupted signal from the brain to the bladder have some negative effect on the bladder, thus resulting in bedwetting?
Let me explain a little more in detail how the nervous system works. Our nervous system is comprised of the brain, spinal cord and spinal nerves. Our skull protects our brain and our spine is protected by movable vertebrae. Did you notice I said “movable”? Ah, yes. These vertebrae can be pushed out of place, or subluxated, in a variety of ways. When we look at children, some of the most common ways that a child can subluxate his spine is through accidents or falls of some sort — learning to walk, jumping off of things, riding a bike, playing sports, just to name a few. In all of these ways, one common thing is seen–how the child usually lands. When children fall, they jolt their spine and oftentimes the lumbar (low back) spine and sacrum (or tailbone) take the brunt of the fall. Guess what the nerves that exit the lumbar spine and sacrum control? Yep, you guessed it! THE BLADDER!!
Chiropractic has great results with kids experiencing bedwetting. Commonly, subluxations are found in the lumbar spine or sacral area. By adjusting the subluxated vertebra, the signal from the brain to the organ being controlled (like the bladder) can now function properly. With a properly functioning nervous system, the body is able to do what it’s supposed to do. In this case, the body is able to hold urine. When the signal is given to urinate, the child is now able to hold the urine until the appropriate time to eliminate is found.
If you have a child or know a child who is bedwetting, seek out chiropractic care for relief of this issue.
