School and Sports Programs

Children can benefit in many ways from physiotherapy. In fact, it’s not a whole lot different to the way adults can benefit. Strengthening of important muscles, improved joint mobility, and faster recovery from injuries are all part of adult physio, and it’s exactly the same for kids. Most children are extremely active – more than most adults, so while they do generally heal faster than adults, they sure do put their bodies through a lot from a young age.

Here are just some of the ways your child can benefit from physiotherapy.

Encourages proper healing of injuries
Children have very elastic muscle tissue, which is great for preventing minor injuries. However, the downside is the risk of serious injury actually increases. Their muscles aren’t fully formed, meaning dislocation of joints and similar injuries can occur more easily. Injuries such as sprained ankles often go untreated, but they can cause bone issues in future because the ligaments are stronger than the bones.

Children are usually straight back to their normal activity as soon as pain disappears, but unfortunately the absence of pain doesn’t mean an injury is healed. That’s where physiotherapy can help.

Reduced risk of further complications
It is essential that children’s injuries properly heal, because further complications can occur otherwise. Bone avulsions are common, as is the risk of re-injury. Regularly re-injuring the same muscles, tendons or ligaments can result in growth problems and issues later in life. There is also a risk of joint problems like arthritis as they get older.

Treatment of more serious conditions
Physiotherapy is a crucial part of managing serious physical conditions, which is why physio is often recommended even for infants in some cases. It’s a key component of a child’s development and rehabilitation when they are suffering from certain ailments such as:

• Cerebral Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Spina Bifida
• Juvenile arthritis
• Hypotonia
• Developmental Coordination Disorder
• Other genetic conditions

Physical therapy can also have a positive effect on children with conditions on the autism spectrum. Effective therapy can significantly improve the quality of life for children suffering from a wide range of ailments.

Improved posture
Children spend a lot of time at school, and much of that time is spent sitting at a desk. Many children fidget or move around frequently in chairs because they’re not comfortable, and it can often be passed off as normal childhood restlessness. However, they may in fact be developing poor posture which can lead to several problems later in life. Physiotherapy can help improve posture.

Helping children in school
All that fidgeting and shifting around from poor posture can actually affect a child’s schoolwork too. Concentration begins to suffer and their overall performance at school decreases. Rather than a behavioural problem, it could be a physical one that can be aided with child physiotherapy.

Learning how the body works
Aside from the physical components such as improved posture, proper recovery from injuries and assistance with serious physical conditions, children can also learn a lot from physio. As they participate in physiotherapy, a child learns more about how the human body works, specifically around their joints, muscles and ligaments. Not only is this valuable education for them, but it also helps to promote a healthy, active lifestyle for children because they can see first-hand the importance of proper exercise.