What Is Pediatric Physical Therapy? Kandyba, S. (2012, October). What Is Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Pediatric physical therapy is a
healthcare profession that encompasses evaluation and treatment of infants,
toddlers, children and adolescents. It's very important to discover and treat
problems in children on time. Research proves that early intervention works
well with many pediatric diagnoses including but not limited to ADHD/ADD,
ataxia, autism, brachial plexus injuries like Erb's palsy, cerebral palsy,
developmental coordination disorder, developmental delays, down syndrome, gait
abnormalities, muscular dystrophy, neurological impairments, orthopedic
conditions, plagiocephaly, premature birth, scoliosis, sensory processing
disorder, torticollis, toe walking, and traumatic brain injuries.
Physical therapists' entry level degree has changed throughout
the years. It started with the bachelor's, continued to the master's, and now
its the doctorate in physical therapy. Now little patients are treated by
highly professional people with the highest possible degree.
Did you know that not every pediatrician specializes in child
development? Only 15% of pediatricians are such specialists. Also, it is easy
to miss signs of developmental delays during routine visits. That is when
pediatric physical therapists can help.
Physical therapy evaluation usually starts with observation of
child's appearance, movements, activities, behaviors. It may then continue to
neurological and orthopedic exam, and it continues to testing with
peer-reviewed assessment tools like Peabody Developmental Motor Scales - 2 (PDMS-2).
The scores are then carefully calculated and conclusions are drawn as to
whether the child requires physical therapy intervention.
To treat children, therapists may utilize stretching,
strengthening, thermal treatments, aquatic therapy, and joint mobilization.
However, children do not usually even notice that they undergo
"therapy". They are engaged in games and activities thus they have
lots of fun while exercising and working on improvement of their health.
Another important part of pediatric physical therapy is family
education with home exercise programs. Family plays a crucial role in fast
recovery and progress in therapy. To insure carryover, exercises need to be
practiced daily.
It is convenient to have pediatric physical therapist come to
children's houses to provide care in the natural environment where the children
spend most of their time. Home pediatric physical therapy companies are happy
to help their little patients. If you or somebody you know have a child that
may benefit from pediatric physical therapy, research and find a home pediatric
physical therapy company providing services in your area.
Besides watching
and taking care of children's physical health, pediatric physical therapists
always screen kids for potential problems in other areas like speech pathology,
occupational problems, as well as learning and behavioral delays. If necessary,
they may refer their little patients to other specialists in child development.
That is how every aspect of child development is covered, and children can grow
happy and healthy. 
Chance To Advance, LLC is a private home
pediatric physical therapy company servicing kids in Monmouth, Middlesex, and
Ocean counties, NJ. We visit your child at
home, on a playground, or in a daycare. Most major insurances are accepted.
Please explore our site www.CTA-PT.com or email stella@cta-pt.com for more information.
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