What is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy (PT) is a discipline that utilizes exercises, individualized care, and education to help individuals attain their maximal potential for active participation and independent living within their environments. The focus is on improving mobility, reducing or managing pain, restoring or maintaining independent functioning, and minimizing or preventing disability.
What Our Pediatric Physical Therapists Do
Pediatric PTs help children improve their strength, range of motion, flexibility, and movement patterns. The goal is to help children move their bodies, how and when they want, to the best of their abilities.
Milestone
Assist children to meet gross motor developmental milestones for specific age ranges
Motor planning and/or Coordination
Help develop motor planning and coordination skills for precision with movement
Equipment
Evaluate a child’s need for adaptive equipment. The PT will assess the child’s positioning, posture, muscle control, and body alignment, while working closely with the family and equipment vendors to achieve functional outcomes. The PT may also adapt toys/play equipment and facilitate training to use equipment to improve alignment, posture, mobility, and independence for school, in their home, or in the community
Strength and Endurance building
Address the cause of weak muscles to build strength and endurance
Health and Wellness
Help individuals to recover from sports and non-sports related injuries or to cope with a chronic condition
Safety
Identify safety concerns and educate on measures to improve safety within home, school, and community environments
Common Diagnoses for Children who are referred to Physical Therapy
Cerebral Palsy
Spina Bifida
Muscular Dystrophy
Torticollis /Plagiocephaly
Gait Abnormalities
Orthopedic – Fractures, Soft Tissue
Muscular weakness
Hypotonia
Developmental Delay
Genetic Syndromes
Possible Treatment Options for PT Include:
Therapeutic exercise
Caregiver/patient education
Functional mobility training
Manual therapy techniques
Stretching/manual range of motion exercises
Proprioception/balance training
Splinting/taping techniques