- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preschoolers today articles
- preschoolers today q&a
- children today articles
- children today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Beyond the Basics
Alternative Therapies for Bedwetting Children
By Laura Lyster-Mensh
Hypnosis is another option for parents seeking non-invasive methods of treatment for bedwetting. The hypnotist works with the subconscious brain to make positive connections with the conscious goal of awakening to visit the toilet in the night. Instead of using negative reinforcements from an alarm system, the child is trained through self-hypnosis and visual imaging to respond to physical symptoms of a filling bladder before an accident. This method emphasizes relaxation, self-control and independence.
The National Kidney Foundation reports that children who can benefit from this treatment usually show improvement within four to six sessions, but they caution that more studies are needed to determine its true effectiveness.
Hypnosis exists on the edge of mainstream medicine. While it is generally acknowledged as a valid approach for some conditions, it is rarely recommended by pediatricians or other resources for parents seeking help with bedwetting.
That may be changing as medical researchers begin to gather data on hypnosis under controlled conditions. The University of Michigan's Department of Pediatrics has reported that hypnotherapy relieved nighttime enuresis by 43 to 73 percent over Imipramine – a drug prescribed to treat bedwetting – using a method described in the book Dry All Night (Little, Brown, 1990) by Alison Mack.
Between the very physical chiropractic approach and the very cerebral hypnosis approah are a number of alternatives that involve touch. Like many alternative and complementary health methodologies, these therapies seek to re-establish balances of energy within the body and are adapted to different problems and individuals.
Want to see more?
- Shiatsu: A Healthy Balance
- Sheets, Stars and Sodas: Which Techniques Are Right for Your Bedwetting Child?
- The Straight Truth: Drying up Bedwetting Myths
- Wet But Dry: How Absorbent Underwear May Help Your Bedwetting Child
- Childhood Baby Blues: The Effects of a New Baby on Bedwetting
- The Effects of Divorce on Children: A Potential Cause for Bedwetting
- Of Bladders and Bedwetting: A Simple Explanation of the Urinary System
- Talk about it!
