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

University of British Columbia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Bladder and Bowel Disorder, Pediatric

Treatments: Behavioral: Diaphragmatic Breathing; Behavioral: Standard Urotherapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02597764

H14-03205

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Enrollment: 23 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Children with bladder and bowel disorders (BBD) will be diagnosed by the attending pediatric urologists via a combination of thorough clinical history, physical examination, BBD Questionnaire, uroflowmetric evaluation, and voiding and stool diary.

Exclusion criteria

1. Known anatomic or neurological lower urinary tract abnormalities such as posterior urethral valve, urethral obstruction or stricture, ectopic ureters, congenital abnormalities of the spinal cord, or any previous surgery of the lower urinary tract.
2. Current use of medication or treatments which affects bladder or ANS function. These include anti-cholinergics, anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, and neuromodulators.
3. Any conditions or disorders that would affect the cardiovascular system or the activity of the ANS.
4. Serious pulmonary issues or diaphragmatic problems that would interfere with the practice of diaphragmatic breathing technique.
5. Psychological/behavioral abnormalities severe enough to prevent the cooperation of the child with the study coordinator or the urologist.
6. Inability to provide consent.
7. Inability to speak and/or understand in English.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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23 participants in 2 patient groups

Standard Urotherapy (SU)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Standard Urotherapy (SU): A non-invasive therapy combining cognitive, behavioral and physical therapy. The study team will explain the problem to the children and their parents and educate them on the following: proper voiding mechanics, sitting, standing positions, how and when to void, techniques on relaxing pelvic floor muscles, and avoiding straining. An assessment of bowel habits will be done and their diet and drinking/voiding habits will be modified to maintain proper hydration with timed voiding. Voiding diaries will be provided for the assessment of the bladder and bowel habits.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard Urotherapy

Standard Urotherapy (SU) + Diaphragmatic Beathing (DB)

Experimental group

Description:

Standard Urotherapy (SU) with the addition of Diaphragmatic Breathing (DB): A non-invasive breathing technique that is performed by a marked expansion of the abdomen (contracting diaphragm) rather than chest cavity during inspiration and tightening of the stomach muscles during expiration. Participants will lie on their back on a flat surface. Head is supported with a pillow and knees are bent forward supported by another pillow. Participants will place one hand on chest and the other on the abdomen, then start inhalation by moving their abdomen out against their hand, breathing in through their nose while keeping their chest and the other hand as still as possible. During expiration, the participants will tighten their abdominal muscles by forcing them inward and breathe out through pursed lips while keeping the hand on the chest as still as possible. Participants will be asked to perform this exercise for 10 minutes 3 times daily for 3 months.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Diaphragmatic Breathing

Behavioral: Standard Urotherapy