Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis) and Chiropractic Research
Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is a common issue among children — and sometimes even teenagers — that can be stressful for both kids and parents. Although many children eventually outgrow it, frequent bedwetting can affect a child's confidence, social life, and emotional well-being.
Chiropractic care focuses on supporting the healthy function of the spine and nervous system. In some cases, misalignments (also called subluxations) in the spine or pelvis may affect how the nerves communicate with the bladder and other areas of the body. Gentle chiropractic adjustments aim to restore better alignment and function, potentially helping the body better regulate bladder control.
Several case studies and clinical trials suggest that chiropractic care may offer a supportive, natural approach for some children struggling with bedwetting. While chiropractic is not a direct treatment or cure for nocturnal enuresis, improvements in nervous system function have been associated with positive changes in many reported cases.
Case Management of Nocturnal Enuresis
Chiropractic case studies describing improvements in children struggling with chronic bedwetting after spinal adjustments.
Key findings:
A 4-year-old girl who wet the bed nightly became dry after her first chiropractic adjustment and stayed dry.
A 5-year-old boy had reduced bedwetting and foot pain after a series of adjustments; full resolution occurred after 10 visits.
Source:
Hough DW. Case management of nocturnal enuresis. Today’s Chiropractic. July/August 2001: 59–66.
Asthma and Enuresis
A case study of a 7-year-old girl suffering from asthma and enuresis who received chiropractic care showed following spinal adjustments, both her asthma and bedwetting stopped after the fifth visit and did not return.
Source: Zell P. Asthma and Enuresis. International Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter. May/June 1998.
Bedwetting, ADD, and Toe Walking
A 6-year-old boy with attention deficit disorder, toe walking, and nightly bedwetting received chiropractic adjustments. After four weeks of chiropractic care, his heels dropped closer to normal, and bedwetting frequency decreased to 2–3 times per week.
Source: Crystal R. ADD, Enuresis, Toe Walking. International Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter. May/June 1997.
Chiropractic Management of Primary Nocturnal Enuresis
A controlled clinical trial examining the effects of chiropractic care on 46 children with bedwetting. The 46 children were divided into two groups: 31 received chiropractic care and 15 were in the control group. 25% of children under chiropractic care experienced a 50% or greater reduction in wet nights, while no improvements were seen in the control group.
Source: Reed WR, Beavers S, Reddy SK, Kern G. Chiropractic management of primary nocturnal enuresis. JMPT. 1994;17(9):602-605.
Chiropractic and Bedwetting: Two Pediatric Cases
Two children with chronic bedwetting showed improvement with chiropractic care.
A 5-year-old girl, initially treated for a bladder infection with antibiotics, became dry after her second chiropractic adjustment and stayed dry for three weeks.
A 9-year-old boy, who had bed wet every night of his life, experienced gradual improvement with chiropractic care. After adjusting the focus to his sacrum, he remained dry for half to two-thirds of the nights between adjustments.
Source: Marko RB. Bed-wetting; two case studies. Chiropractic Pediatrics, 1994;1(1).
Chiropractic Care and Bedwetting in an 8-Year-Old
An eight-year-old boy with persistent bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) experienced complete resolution after a single chiropractic adjustment to his lower back. Following minor injuries over the next two years, his bedwetting briefly returned but resolved again after additional adjustments. The author noted that the improvements were unlikely to be due to time or placebo, as the child was unaware that chiropractic care could affect his condition.
Source: Blomerth PR. Functional nocturnal enuresis. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1994;17:335-338.
Nocturnal Enuresis: Treatment Implication for the Chiropractor
A review of existing research suggests that chiropractic care may support the natural improvement of bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) in children. Spinal adjustments were found to offer benefits comparable to the normal developmental resolution of this condition.
Source: Kreitz BG, Aker PD. Nocturnal enuresis: treatment implications for the chiropractor. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1994;17(7):465-473.
Chiropractic and Complex Pediatric Health Challenges
An eight-year-old girl with a history of epilepsy, heart murmur, hypoglycemia, bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis), and attention deficit disorder (ADD) had struggled with daily seizures, frequent illnesses, and developmental delays. Despite extensive medical care, including treatment from multiple specialists and several hospitalizations, her conditions persisted.
Chiropractic care focused on adjustments to the upper cervical spine (C1 and C2), three times per week. After two weeks, her bedwetting began to improve and completely resolved after six months. During her care:
Her attention difficulties improved, allowing her to transition from special education classes to mainstream schooling.
Seizure frequency decreased significantly over the following year.
She gained greater overall health and independence, learning to ride a bike, roller skate, and ice skate like her peers.
She was expected to discontinue all medications shortly after the report.
Source: Langley C. Chiropractic Pediatrics, Vol. 1 No. 1, April 1994.
Chiropractic Care and Bedwetting: Prospective Study
This prospective study evaluated 171 children with chronic nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) who received a series of eight chiropractic adjustments. Researchers tracked the frequency of wet nights before, during, and after care. Results showed that the average number of wet nights decreased from seven per week to four per week following chiropractic care. By the end of the study, 25% of the children experienced significant improvement and were classified as having successful outcomes. These findings suggest that chiropractic care may play a supportive role in managing bedwetting in children by addressing possible spinal dysfunctions that could impact bladder control.
Source: LeBoeuf C, Brown P, Herman A, Leembruggen K, Walton D, Crisp TC. Chiropractic care of children with nocturnal enuresis: a prospective outcome study. JMPT, 1991;14(2):110-115.
Chiropractic Care and Bedwetting with Asthma: Case Report
This case study followed a 34-month-old boy who was struggling with both asthma and nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting), despite extensive medical treatment. He had been taken to the emergency room more than 20 times over the course of a year for asthma attacks but showed little improvement. After receiving three chiropractic adjustments over an 11-day period, both his asthma symptoms and bedwetting completely resolved. Even after experiencing a minor fall, which briefly triggered a recurrence, chiropractic care helped restore his improvements. A two-year follow-up confirmed that the child continued to remain free of both asthma symptoms and bedwetting issues, suggesting that chiropractic adjustments may have played a supportive role in restoring normal function.
Source: Bachman TR, Lantz CA. Management of pediatric asthma and enuresis with probable traumatic etiology. ICA Pediatrics Proceedings. 1991:14-22.