What is pediatric physical therapy?
Pediatric Physical Therapy covers congenital conditions and acquired injuries in infants and children. It can focus on several fields:
- Orthopedics
- Congenital malformations
- Neurology
- Neuropsychiatry
- Breathing
- Prematurity
Why is infant physical therapy performed?
This field focuses on the care and treatment of children and babies with problems such as spinal pain, kyphosis, scoliosis, hyperlordosis, joint pain, flat feet, cavus, club feet, headaches or migraines, difficulty walking or psychomotor retardation. Thus, the main objective is to provide children with full functionality so that they can develop autonomously.
What does physiotherapy for children consist of?
The treatment is based on the use of all the resources and techniques necessary to heal all the conditions that affect the psychomotor development of children, whatever the disability. The main techniques used are Bobath, reflex locomotion therapy, respiratory massage, among others.
In this type of physiotherapy, the role of the family in rehabilitation is especially important, since a large part of the treatment will be based on a series of exercises to be performed at home with the help of the parents.
Preparation for children’s physical therapy
Before determining the treatment, an evaluation of several aspects of the child is required:
- Motor development
- Strength
- Spontaneous mobility
- Functional postures
- Musculoskeletal status
- Coordination
- Balance
Post-treatment care
After treatment, it is important to train the parents so that the child can continue rehabilitation exercises at home to avoid recurrence of problems.