Efficacy of physiotherapeutic interventions in the management of functional constipation in pediatric and adolescent populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Key Points

• This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic interventions for managing functional constipation in children and adolescents.
• Conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies.
• Focused on pelvic floor physiotherapy as a key intervention.
• Analyzed improvements in painful defecation and quality of life.
• Pelvic floor physiotherapy was confirmed as an effective adjuvant treatment.
• The intervention showed a large effect size in reducing painful defecation.
• Participants experienced consistent improvements in biopsychosocial quality of life dimensions.