What is Scoliosis? Scoliosis is the curving and turning of the spines in children and adolescents. It’s most common form is ‘idiopathic scoliosis’ which means we are not sure why it occurs. It is also common in children with neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy. Congenital...
Toilet training is one of those big milestones in your child's life that can bring equal parts excitement and anxiety. As a pelvic floor physio, I'm here to help you navigate this journey with a touch of humor and a lot of practical advice. Let's...
Hypermobility syndromes are a condition where a person’s joints are more flexible and have increased range of motion. It is a disorder of connective tissue caused by changes to the collagen makeup in ligaments. In some children this condition causes no issues, but for some...
Walking is one of the major milestones we look for in our babies. Typically walking is achieved between 10 to 18 months. It is really important to not compare your baby to other babies as everyone develops at their own pace. However, it is important...
Crawling is a big milestone we look for in our babies. It is commonly achieved between 9-12 months of age. In recent times there has been some controversy about how important crawling is. Here at Western Paediatric Physiotherapy, we believe it is an extremely important...
Physiotherapy plays an important role for children with Down Syndrome from infancy through to adolescence. It helps children to develop motor programs, core and leg strength, balance and coordination of movement. The goals of physiotherapy for children with Down Syndrome will change depending on you...
Here in Hoppers Crossing and the surrounding suburbs we are lucky to have so many great playgrounds around! Spending time at playgrounds is great for childhood development. Some paediatric physiotherapists often refer to playgrounds as gyms for children. You may have even seen adults using...
What is Muscle tone? Muscle tone refers to the amount of underlying tension in a muscle. It describes how much tension is in a muscle when it is relaxed. What happens when it is low tone? In children, low muscle tone is used to describe when an infant...
A common question that all new parents ask is when should my child be meeting milestones? These include rolling, sitting, crawling, standing and walking. This is dependent on a few factors, if your child is born premature, they will take longer to meet milestones as compared...
Play is something that children do, and they do it freely, by choice. Most children don’t require much coercion to get them to participate in a playful activity. Children learn through play experiences – interacting with various objects, surroundings and people. You have probably heard...