Children are amazingly profound beings that light up the room with their youthful spirits and fresh perspectives. Not every child goes through life without challenges, and some of these can be quite uncomfortable and painful. Some painful experiences occur from accidents that happen during sports or playing or exploring the world and their limits and boundaries. Others come from genetics and pregnancy, they can happen seemingly out of nowhere. Conditions and diseases like autism, spina bifida, cerebral palsy and others can require, or dramatically benefit from physical therapy. Depending on what your pregnancy calculator looks like, you could plan visits with specialists in advance if you know ahead of time your baby may need help or is prone to different genetic conditions based on the parents.
Movement improves incrementally, in as quick as a few visits to pediatric physical therapy, or it may take as long as several months or years, depending on the severity of the condition and abilities of each child. Learning fine motor skills, proper body functional movements, how to crawl, walk, run, sit up independently and other common bodily movements are some of the successful achievements that can happen as a result of pediatric physical therapy. This life changing solution offers a whole new world and life for thousands each year, as it enables children to gain their sense of confidence, independence, agility, flexibility and new abilities.
Special training for the physical therapists to work well with children makes the sessions all the more successful, as it’s sometimes more challenging to get the patients to do the necessary movements and stretches. This level of skill, compassion, trust and intention makes all the difference with the pediatric patients, to bring about a successful outcome of more agile movement and improved motor skills and ability. Making the treatment into games often helps make it more fun and less work, and less scary for those that are fearful of such a setting.
Some patients have challenged immune systems and other complications that require special attention and special modifications, which most facilities are more than happy to accomodate to get to a comfortable and pleasant experience for everyone. It’s all about creating a process, environment and system for success for the patient, whatever that takes! Some children have a true health need for the benefits of this treatment, whether it be feeding themselves, or sitting in such a position to reduce fluid build up on their lungs. Others might benefit from physical therapy to help improve and repair injuries from the birthing process. The human body is an amazing work of art and science, and helping each other reach our fullest potential, no matter the path of that, is a beautiful act of love. Health care workers dedicate their professional lives to the betterment of others, and pediatric physical therapy is certainly a highlight of that category. Helping a child reach new heights of movement and ability, via helping them develop their muscles and coordination, balance and dexterity, motor skills and stamina could make the difference of a child experiencing the ocean for the first time, or riding a horse, or running the bases during their first baseball game. With improved movement and coordination, the limitations are lifted, and so many more possibilities of life are available to enjoy.
