What is Paediatric Physiotherapy?

05 Dec What is Paediatric Physiotherapy?

A lot of people often wonder what Paediatric Physiotherapy is and what it involves. First and foremost, Paediatric physiotherapy is physiotherapy for all children aged between 0 to 18 years. Additionally, here at Hoppers Physio/Western Paediatric Physiotherapy our Paediatric Physiotherapists will also see children through transitional care into adult services and will continue to see adults with chronic and complex conditions.

What kind of conditions do Paediatric Physiotherapists see?

• Torticollis and Plagiocephally
• Developmental delay
• Motor coordination challenges
• Hypermobility
• Hypomobility
• Low muscle Tone
• ASD and ADHD
• Cerebral Palsy GMFCS I and II
• Down syndrome
• Other congenital and developmental conditions
• General Musculoskeletal pain

How do I know if my children needs a general physio or a paediatric physio?

If your child has an acute musculoskeletal injury such as an ankle sprain and is over 12 years old they are normally ok to see a general physiotherapist, if our general physiotherapists feel it is required they will seek advice from our paediatric physiotherapists or refer on as required.

If your child has chronic or insidious onset (pain that comes on without a cause or explanation) it is normally best to see a paediatric physiotherapist, this is because they are equipped to assess for red flags that may warrent further investigation.

If your child is under 12 years old or has a developmental or congenital condition they will need to see a Paediatric physiotherapist as our physiotherapists have specific skills to work with this age group and conditions.

If you are not sure who your child needs to see you can speak to our brilliant reception team.

What do our paediatric physiotherapists do?

Assessment and treatment will vary depending on what your child presents with. However in general, paediatric physiotherapy will be goal-oriented and task-specific. What this means is that in your initial session your physiotherapist will discuss what you and your child depending on their age’s goals are. Intervention will then be designed to focus on these specific goals and how we can achieve them.

If you are interested in booking a paediatric physiotherapy appointment for your child please do not hesitate to contact our paediatric reception team.