Physical Therapy for Kids?

I have been asked many times recently “why would a child need physical therapy?”  This is a hard question to answer because there are so many reasons a child would need PT.  According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Section on Pediatrics, a pediatric physical therapist provides any and all of the following services:

• Developmental activities

• Movement and mobility

• Strengthening

• Motor learning

• Balance and coordination

• Recreation, play, and leisure

• Adaptation of daily care activities and

routines

• Equipment design, fabrication, and fitting

• Tone management

• Use of assistive technology

• Posture, positioning, and lifting

• Orthotics and prosthetics

• Burn and wound care

• Cardiopulmonary endurance

• Safety, health promotion, and prevention

programs

Overall, the services most families need and want are developmental activities, strengthening, motor learning, balance and coordination, and health promotion.  All of this can be accomplished with focused and skilled PLAY!

Again, play is popping up as an integral part of daily life for a child.  In fact, play has been said to be a child’s work.  Physical therapists can help a child hone his/her work, thereby learning and growing in the physical, social-emotional and cognitive realms.

For more information on the APTA Section on Pediatrics and what pediatric physical therapy is and can provide, follow this link to the ABC’s of Pediatric Physical Therapy.