Does your child wet the bed or have trouble getting to the toilet in time?

This is a common problem that many parents have issues with. You are not alone. I routinely see kid’s up to the age of 10 with bed wetting issues. 1 in 3 children up to the age of 4 wet the bed but by the time they turn 6 only 1 in 10 wet the bed. The stats get even lower with 10 year old only having 1 in 20 affected. The reasons kid’s suffer with his issue are varied. Here are some of the main causes: p.s …I will be using some Chinese medical terms in here

Primary reasons

  • Really deep sleeper. This is mixed with one of the other 4 main issues
  • Bladder and brain not connecting. The bladder should let the brain know when it is full.That will let your child know when they need to go.
  • Family history: Bed wetting does run in families. One other correlation I’ve noticed is Inguinal hernias and bed wetting. That shows a weakness in the Spleen and Kidney qi which can make it harder to recognise and control the flow of urine.
  • Hormones: The pituitary gland secretes a hormone telling the brain when the bladder is full.
  • Small bladder: During the night the bladder is supposed to be holding the urine. Some people have a smaller bladder than the rest of us and will need to go to the toilet more frequently. That being said a lot of the time this has more to do with a weakness in the Spleen and Kidney qi failing to hold the urine in the bladder
  • Emotional: some kid’s have been toilet trained but when big changes like moving house, divorce, starting school etc bed wetting can start again. Incontinence during the day can often be due to being nervous or scared or having too much fun! Very naughty but some kid’s when they are younger would rather play than miss out on the fun.

Secondary issues

  • Urinary tract infection: That will increase the pain and frequency of urination as well as some accidental break through urination.
  • Diabetes: increase urination and should definitely be checked out with a doctor if they are sleepy and have increased hunger and thirst as well.
  • Neurological issues: can stop the bladder and brain communicating.
  • Pin worm infection

How can Acupuncture help?

Acupuncture helps the body work harmoniously. Acupuncture works on many different systems in the body at once. The main aim of the Acupuncture in the case of bed wetting is to

  • Get the bladder and the brain talking to each other.
  • Then it is to increase the holding function in the bladder so they can hold it for the night no matter how tired they are.
  • Another aspect I treat is the general well being of your child in the case of being fearful or nervous.
  • If there is any scarring in the abdomen I also treat that.

I use a small pen like instrument so all of the kid’s I’ve treated to date have loved treatment and responded really well. If you have any further questions please contact Alexandra Yates on 0422635 649