Children's Physiotherapy

Our treatments are designed so that they are family focused, fun and can be continued at home, playgroup, nursery, school or college. We treat both acute and long term neurological syndromes and conditions that can affect joints, muscles, bones, posture, movement, balance, walking, stamina, energy, well being, co-ordination, growth and development, play, sports and independence. We also help babies with congenital deformities and birth injuries.

• devise a personalised physiotherapy programme that is entirely child and family focused, involving all your family members. It will be designed to be integrated into your day to day life with minimal disruption, so that it is incorporated effortlessly into play, social, leisure and physical activities and into the school curriculum
• provide individual treatments at your child’s home, nursery, school, college, hydrotherapy or swimming pool
• discuss options and alternative approaches to treatment or types of equipment with you and trial and set up equipment if you wish
• provide training, supervision and ongoing support for you, your family and if appropriate, care staff in therapeutic handling and administration of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy programmes as required
• we look at your child’s stage of development and any developmental milestones they have not reached
• provide joint working with other professionals such as occupational and speech and language therapists at your request
• work with other organisations involved with your child such as schools, case managers and portage
• advise you on equipment, sensory toys, orthotics and lycra garments
• if appropriate incorporate our approach into principles of conductive education and profound learning for children with complex needs

Baby paediatric physiotherapy is very different to treating adults. Helping children remain motivated and keeping a positive attitude towards their physiotherapy is essential to their progress. We ensure sessions are fun and interesting and something to look forward to and enjoy.

Babies learn & develop by exploring their surroundings & bodies, by movement, touch, play by themselves & with other children.

It is easy to compare your baby to your friends’ babies. It can be difficult to decide as a parent if they will “just catch up,” they need some help or if there is an underlying cause that only evolves as they become older. See Worried about your child? for more help.

What is important is how your baby reaches each stage as opposed to necessarily just reaching the stage. Being placed in sitting and standing without being able to get into and out of these positions or have floor mobility is always a concern. Most of the time babies do catch up, but if you have any concerns we are here to give help and advice on how to move your baby onto the next stage of their development. contact us today to see if we can help.

If your child has a neurological condition that affects their muscle tone or muscle strength this can have a profound effect. Not being able to keep up with friends can result in stopping physical activity, which is important to general overall health.

In addition to developmental delay, traumatic and brain injuries & cerebral palsy we treat syndromes, conditions & sensory processing, integration & modulation disorders that can affect joints, muscles, bones, posture, movement, balance, walking, stamina, energy, well being, co-ordination, growth & development, play sports & independence.

Children’s skeleton, muscles & joints are still developing & they have different responses to adults when exercising, moving or being moved. You may be concerned if your child moves or walks differently to your children’s friends.

Growth spurts can affect movement, posture & muscle strength leading to tightness in some muscles, weakness in others & on occasion pain.

Children’s body systems are not as efficient as adults so physiotherapy, P.E , including wheelchair sports, training, postural management and movement programmes should be adapted depending on the age of the child.

Please contact us to see if we can help.

Growth and development in children and teenagers varies with age, gender, body composition, onset of puberty, genetic disposition, diet, exposure to physical activity, closure of growth plates in bones and effects of disease. If your teenager has a neurological condition that affects their muscle tone or muscle strength this can have a profound effect. Not being able to keep up with friends can result in stopping physical activity, which is important to general overall health.

• During and after growth spurts
• As they outgrow equipment and orthotics
• As their body weight, shape and size changes
• If they reject all therapies and equipment
• When they transition to senior school or college
• As they lose mobility
• If they choose to become a wheelchair user
• As they fatigue more readily or their walking distance is reduced
• If they develop pain in their joints or muscles
• If they start to become stiffer
• If they have a condition that is degenerative or leads to loss of strength or muscle wastage (such as DMD)
• If their school physiotherapy is reduced
• To advise on participation in leisure and physical activities

Please contact us to see if we can help.