Have you ever wondered when your child may need physical therapy? If they can help with systemic issues like poor posture. While there are endless things to know about therapy and how it can help improve quality of life, we've broken it down into 5 main concepts to share with you!

1. What is pediatric physical therapy?

Pediatric physical therapy is the treatment of children (typically 0-18 years old) to improve their daily physical functions.

The specific goals of therapy will look different from person to person, based upon individual needs, strengths, and weakness. For some, it may be improving posture that is causing aches and pain. For others, it may be restoring proper muscle functioning after surgery or an injury. Yet another example may be walking without assistance. The unique ways physical therapy can help is truly endless. The goal of physical therapy is to help children achieve their maximum quality of life in their home and community environment through improving strength, range of motion, posture, coordination, balance, motor planning, and sensory processing.

2. Why might my child need physical therapy?

How the body functions and how it navigates in various environments, whether that is through crawling, walking, wheelchair navigation, running or other methods, is the focus of therapy. A pediatric physical therapist will assess and treat each patient as an individual, helping to achieve each individuals optimal functioning by correcting their specific movement patterns within their specific body, so that daily functioning and physical "tasks" can improve!  People are surprised to know that most people would likely benefit from therapy. Common issues that physical therapy addresses that many people are unaware of include favoring a "side" having a dominant arm or leg, which can cause a muscular imbalance that can lead to injury from overuse or tightness from underuse, improper body movements that cause injuries, weak core strength that cause to postural issues, and so much more!

3. What do pediatric PT's treat?

Types of Injuries/Diagnosis Commonly Treated:

• Cerebral palsy
• Hydrocephalus
• Spina bifida
• Torticollis
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Scoliosis (among others)
• Generalized muscle weakness
• Failure to meet gross motor milestones
• Orthopedic injuries

Each of these diagnoses may present with impairments such as muscular restrictions, gait abnormalities, poor alignment or posture, pain with functional activities, difficulty keeping up with age-matched peers, and more. Though patients with the same diagnosis may have similar goals to meet, it is the role of a pediatric physical therapist to assess and treat each patient as an individual, helping to correct their specific movement patterns within their specific body.

4. How is a pediatric PT different from a typical PT?

Children do not always understand why they are in therapy, which can affect motivation. A pediatric-specific therapy clinic is aware that motivation is often vital for success, as such, they incorporate playing and family education to improve children's tolerance to and motivation for therapy, as well as improved carry-over between sessions. Pediatric therapists work to infuse each child's goals into their daily lives to enable repeated practice of the skills gained in therapy throughout normal daily function. This may include improving patient or family awareness of body positioning to protect joint integrity, optimizing movement patterns to optimize or restore mobility and performance, recommending brace or seating options to improve independence in navigating the environment, enhancing strength to allow for more efficient performance of tasks, and integrating retained reflexes which affect concentration, impulse control, sensory needs, balance, and more.

5. How long will physical therapy last for my child? Where can I find pediatric physical therapy?

The length of time that pediatric physical therapy will be recommended depends on:

• The reason for therapy (what is being treated)
• The patient/family commitment to therapy and exercise programs.
• The infusion of treatment goals into daily life

Physical therapists regularly perform re-assessments to track progress towards goals and check in with parents or caregivers for new concerns. Everything in the body is connected, and restrictions in one area can affect performance in another. Pediatric physical therapy tests specifically look at a child's ability to perform motor tasks compared to age-matched norms to help quantify a child's ability to keep up with their peers in their environment. Your therapist can always provide you with updated patient progress! Oftentimes, from these assessments, they will have a good idea of when the therapy "term" may be complete!

Where can I find a pediatric PT?

• Hospitals
• Outpatient clinics
• Schools
• Early intervention programs
• Home health
• Occasionally in some daycare centers. 

Thank you to Bria Comer, a member of Pediatric Movement Center's pediatric physical therapy team for sharing her knowledge about physical therapy! If you have question about a topic presented in this blog or another PT related question, please feel free to call a member of the Pediatric Movement Center's team at 301-739-5437!