Diaphragmatic Breathing as an Adjunctive Therapy in the Management of Children With Bladder and Bowel Disorders

Urination is a result of a complex neuro-muscular coordination which involves the action and arrangement of different parts of nervous systems as well as the muscular structure of the lower part of the urinary system. When there is an abnormal pattern in bladder and bowel habits without any known neuronal lesions, the condition is called bladder and bowel disorder (BBD). The symptoms can range from the feeling of rushing to the toilet, urinary accidents to urinating much less than expected during the day. The standard treatment for most cases of BBD starts with Standard Urotherapy (SU) which is a beneficial basic and harmless form of treatment widely used for all children with BBD. SU involves explaining of the problem to the children and their parents by the doctors and educating them on proper voiding mechanisms, sitting, and standing positions as well as how and when to void. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of testing the additive effectiveness of Diaphragmatic Breathing exercise (DB) as an alternative and harmless additional treatment to SU in children with BBD.