Question
Hello, I have been reading a fiction book with a chiropractor as a main character.  It was mentioned that this individual helped children with bed wetting.  I am writing on behalf of my niece--her son, who is 12, is still not in total control of this important issue.  Was the book's story true?  Can a chiropractor help them?  Please let me know if this is possible and how they should proceed.  

Answer
Glenda,

Thank you very much for your question.  I am curious as to what book you are reading and how the chiropractor fits into it.  But anyway, it is a valid point.

I have been in practice for approaching 13 years and have had the pleasure of helping numerous young boys and girls with the same problem.  This is a horrible thing for an adolescent to have to go through.  It is embarrassing and shameful for them, and it is frustrating and even maddening for the parents.

Regular medical treatment will include a multitude of testing and medications that are costly and while sometimes helpful, usually do not rectify the problem.

I have not had one youngster that I have treated for this that we have not resolved the problem.  The worst case I have had was a 16 year old boy who had the problem on a nightly basis. He had never been able to spend the night with a friend.  

Treatment should include chiropractic manipulation of the lower back and neck. The lower back is where the nerves that exit the spine and go to the bladder region are present. While the exact mechanism and correlation are unknown, manipulation of the area helps to resolve bedwetting.  Additionally, a change in diet and possible nutritional considerations must be taken into account.  Finally, in difficult cases, I also utilize acupuncture.  I am also an acupuncturist and have found in my bedwetters that adding it to patients who are progressing slowly is a big help.

My recommendation would be to find a chiropractor in the area with a good reputation and schedule a consult. Have your niece first talk to the chiropractor without her son present and discuss her concerns and treatment outcome desires, which are obviously to resolve the bedwetting. Ask if the DC has had experience at all with this.  If he has not, that is OK, we all have to start somewhere.  Then have her take her son in to the DC, but tell him what he is going for.  I have had some bring their kids in and tell them they are "just getting treatment for their back".  This is confusing to them.  Tell them the reason and have them get involved.  If there are certain things they need to avoid nutritionally, they need to know.  That way the child can have some control of the situation and aid in the resolution of the problem.

If you have any more questions, please contact me again through allexperts.com.  Good luck!   Give it a try and you will most likely see the results you want and your niece's son will have a tremendous weight lifted from him and his family.

God Bless,

Dr. Boss