The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case series study on October 5, 2015, documenting chiropractic helping two young boys with nocturnal enuresis, more commonly known as bedwetting. The study begins by noting that nocturnal enuresis (NE) is fairly common and estimates that by the age of 5 years, 15% of children will suffer from NE. Twice as many boys have NE than girls.
Because of the stigma of “wetting the bed”, NE can lead to psychological and physical abuse from other children. The authors report that conventional medical care such as alarms or medications are either ineffective, or carry a significant risk of side effects. For these reasons, the study authors note that more parents are turning to alternative care such as chiropractic for their child’s NE.
This case series reports on 2 young boys who were suffering with NE. The first of the cases involved a 10-year-old boy who was brought to the chiropractor for neck pain following a fall from a trampoline. His history revealed that he had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at 6-years-old. He was also suffering from NE every night since the age of two.
A chiropractic examination was performed which included a visual inspection, palpation, range of motion, neurological examination, and spinal x-rays. The examination findings were consistent with the presence of vertebral subluxation. Specific chiropractic adjustments were then begun.
In this case, the boy’s bedwetting was completely eliminated after the first adjustment. Chiropractic care continued with no setbacks. The boy’s mother reported that her son, “…has been lifted to new heights and is now looking forward to sleepovers without fear of embarrassment.”
The second case was a 9-year-old boy also diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and suffering from NE for the prior 4 years. This boy also did not have a dry night prior to seeking chiropractic care. His mother brought him to the chiropractor after hearing about the success of the first boy with similar issues.
A chiropractic examination also revealed the presence of subluxations in the boy’s spine. Chiropractic adjustments were initiated to address his subluxations. In this case, the boy showed an immediate improvement in the bedwetting, but he suffered a small setback during his care. The chiropractor then made a change in the types of adjustments being delivered to the boy and his bedwetting completely resolved.
In their conclusion of this study, the authors summed up the results by stating, “This case series provides supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic care in patients suffering from nocturnal enuresis.”
