Working with kids is enlightening, enjoyable and also demanding. We must be prepared to modify our adult approaches to the ever-changing needs of a developing child when entering this field of paediatrics. Certainly, as a result of working with the child’s family, a physiotherapist will also have the opportunity to work with the child in a variety of settings, including the child’s own house and recreational time. To meet the complicated requirements of the kids and their families, the physiotherapist may collaborate with professionals, family members as well as caretakers. A physiotherapist should communicate effectively with the kid’s parents or other individuals of a multidisciplinary team for optimum results.
The paediatric physiotherapist must have a thorough understanding of childhood development, fundamental reflexive reactions and long-term paediatric disability to effectively treat the child. Treatment of prenatal problems, early childhood illnesses, childhood injuries as well as the transition to adult care, can be effectively managed with paediatric physiotherapy. Physiotherapy can improve physical function and quality of life in children, which involves reducing disability and the need for expensive surgical operations or other treatments, leading to lower utilisation of medical services.
When working with children, paediatric physiotherapists accurately diagnose issues related to neurological, cognitive, cardiovascular fitness and orthopaedic health. Studies suggest that physical therapy has a good and significant influence on young patients with chronic illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, and juvenile arthritis in terms of lung function, muscular strength and power.
How does Pediatric Physiotherapy work?
For children to reach their full physical potential, paediatric physiotherapists help them go through various activitiers. They are experts in the mobility, growth, and other physical disorders that may affect a newborn or growing child, and they treat infants as young as one day old and adolescents below the age of eighteen. Soft tissue injuries can be treated using a multitude of different procedures. Clinicians employ physical exercise, age-appropriate tasks, and education to encourage children to move to their full potential. Pediatric physiotherapy encompasses a wide range of therapies for children and also helps in their rehabilitation and mental health.
Common conditions treated under pediatric physiotherapy
Pediatric physiotherapists treat children from birth to age 18 who are suffering physical growth problems owing to neurological and/or developmental abnormalities. The brain, spinal column, and peripheral nerves can all be involved in the development of these illnesses. A person suffering from a neurological condition may have problems with movement as well as muscle development and flexion, in addition to their equilibrium. All such issues can be treated through physiotherapy, and the child will show better improvement in his or her physical health as well as mental health.
A wide range of neurological paediatric diseases has been treated by paediatric physiotherapists such as disorders on the autism spectrum, down syndrome, injuries to the brain, other muscular difficulties, muscular dystrophy, plagiocephaly, weight-loss issues, the disorder of developmental coordination, cerebral palsy, Spina Bifida, gross motor pause, Hypotonia, and additional genetic disorders.
During the initial examination of your child, his or her growth, mobility, strength, and balance will be evaluated to establish a structured therapy programme that may include the following elements: increasing the strength, exercises for improving balance, parental and/or teacher support through advice and guidance, the development of milestones, improving agility and movement, extending arms, and normal movement patterns, etc.
Who will benefit from pediatric physiotherapy?
A paediatric physiotherapist is adept at identifying and diagnosing child development and mobility problems as well as treating them. In addition to the highly developed hands-on abilities, expert paediatric physiotherapists utilise a strong splash of humour, creativity and playfulness to create a rapport with each child. It is the goal of the treatment programmes to improve the individual’s growth, well-being and capabilities so that they can move and engage in normal activities like observing, interacting, and attending school, as well as being a part of the family and society.
The children with genetic abnormalities and other disorders may not meet their developmental stages at the predicted stage or age. In terms of developmental milestones, there are specific stages that most children acquire or develop at certain ages like coordination, turning, crawling, standing, moving, speaking, and so on. There are several ways that physical therapy can help children with neurological or cognitive difficulties reach their goals (e.g., rolling, crawling and walking).
Paediatric physiotherapists can help children and babies who have difficulty sitting, crawling, or walking; children who have difficulty with their motor skills (jumping, hopping, or ball-handling); infants and children who are inept or ungainly; children who move in unusual ways, such as the w-sitting technique; children who have been injured or traumatised; and children who have rumination including muscular issues.
Techniques in Pediatric Physiotherapy for Infants and Young Children
It is impossible to neglect the need for physical activities. It’s a vehicle by which a youngster can retrieve skills that have been lost or injured. Elbow exercises can be paired with ball activities or sketching pictures on a piece of paper on the board in paediatric physiotherapy. Leg workouts can be paired with toe touches, mostly on placed items. Placing an appealing activity on a sufficient height surface can inspire standing. Fetching and lugging games, such as shopping, can help to promote movement. Obstacle courses offer the therapist a plethora of options while also providing entertainment for the child. Allowing the child to sit idle is not good for their mental health. The physiotherapist should aim to keep the child engaged, make exercises easy, interact regularly with them, and provide a variety of options in case the first one flops or fades away soon. Pediatric physiotherapy is a very sensitive area and needs intensive care.
Techniques in Pediatric Physiotherapy for an Older Child
Children’s knowledge of their physique has evolved to the point that they can participate more proactively in their paediatric physiotherapy treatment starting around the age of 7. They have enough body and situational reasoning to do workouts and pediatric physiotherapy exercises that are easily described. The physiotherapist must devise a series of 5- to 10-minute activities. He or she could schedule time for play in between or after therapeutic activities as a reward. Parents who are absent for their child’s physiotherapy treatment must be kept up to date with their child’s treatments and development.
Lana Life Care offers the best pediatric physiotherapy services in the region and has highly skilled and experienced physiotherapists who can effectively treat your child. Our pediatric physiotherapy services are highly flexible and adaptable. Our physiotherapy treatments will be tailored to your specific needs, using a holistic approach to address mobility issues, muscle, bone, joint and soft injuries. We at Lana Life Care completely analyse your problem and have devised a therapy strategy to address it. Our physiotherapists will work with you to tailor your treatment plan, taking a comprehensive approach to muscle, bone, ligament, and tissue problems. Orthopedic, cerebral, pulmonary, post-surgical, prenatal and postnatal disorders, geriatric, and paediatric illnesses, as well as sports injuries, are all efficiently treated by our physiotherapists. For the best paediatric physiotherapists in Dubai and home physiotherapy services in Dubai, contact us!
