Physical Therapist Info

 

Pediatric physical therapy is physical therapy that focuses on children suffering from congenital and non-congenital disorders often caused by surgeries, accidents, or injuries. This is a specialty area, along with geriatric, neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and orthopedic physical therapy.

Pediatric physical therapy is responsible for the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management of injuries, disorders, and diseases that affect the muscles, joints, and bones in children. Most of the treatment programs involved are focused on improving or repairing balance, coordination, motor skills, and physical strength. A pediatric physical therapist is also responsible for helping children adjust to life with braces, wheelchairs, or rolling walkers.

Pediatric physical therapy most commonly deals with spina bifida, scoliosis, torticollis, Osgood-Schlatter, and cerebral palsy, but is not confined to such conditions.

Spina bifida is a neural defect wherein the spinal canal does not fully wrap around the spinal cord. This is a common congenital disorder, so it is usually treated by pediatric physical therapy. This comes in various forms, namely spina bifida occulta, meningocele, and myelomeningocele. Spina bifida occulta is the least severe of all three and is characterized by a tuft of hair in the lower back area. It rarely causes any serious symptoms and can be easily managed with proper therapy. Meningocele, on the other hand, is when the spinal cord’s covering juts out from the back like a cyst; this is often accompanied by minor physical disabilities. Myelomeningocele, the most severe type, cause several symptoms such as bladder and bowel problems, paraplegia, and lesions. In this case, the spinal cord actually protrudes out of the spine. All these are dealt with by pediatric physical therapy practitioners.

Scoliosis is a disorder characterized by an abnormal curve of the spine. Instead of a straight spine, the spine of a scoliosis patient is curved in a letter C or a letter S shape. Although painless, scoliosis must be managed with the use of braces or, possibly, surgery, with the help of pediatric physical therapy.

Torticollis is another congenital condition characterized by a limited neck motion caused by a shortened sternocleidomastoid muscle in the neck. All cases of torticollis should be treated by pediatric physical therapy before it permanently limits neck movement.

Osgood-Schlatter, on the other hand, is the result of the quadriceps tendon abnormally pulling some bone from the tibia, causing knee pain and swelling. This usually strikes in young boys, usually in the time of their growth spurt. Although this condition resolves over time, it would require some management with help from pediatric physical therapy during the early stages of the disorder.

Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders that can strike as early as infancy and can permanently restrict muscle coordination and movement. Although the problem affects the muscles, it originates in the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. There is no cure for cerebral palsy, so it has to be managed with continuous and lifelong rehabilitation with the help of pediatric physical therapy.

All these, and a lot more disorders that affect children, are what pediatric physical therapy deals with. Thus, the importance of this field is very clear.