Category: Pediatric Physical Therapy

How Physical Therapy Improves Children’s Balance and Coordination

Posted on February 14, 2025 by seo - Pediatric Physical Therapy

Watching a child grow and develop is a beautiful journey, filled with milestones like taking those first wobbly steps, learning to ride a bike, or mastering the monkey bars at the playground.

However, for some children, achieving these developmental milestones can be challenging due to difficulties with balance and coordination. These struggles can impact not only their physical abilities but also their confidence and participation in everyday activities. This is where pediatric physical therapy plays a crucial role.

By focusing on strength, stability, motor control, and sensory integration, physical therapy can help children gain the confidence and ability to move more freely and safely in their daily lives.

Understanding Balance and Coordination

Balance and coordination are essential motor skills that enable children to perform everyday activities with ease and efficiency. Balance refers to the ability to maintain a stable position, whether stationary or in motion, while coordination is the ability to execute smooth and controlled movements involving multiple muscle groups.

Both of these skills are crucial for a child’s overall development and affect their ability to participate in various physical, social, and academic activities.

The Importance of Balance

Balance is an intricate skill that requires input from multiple systems within the body. It is primarily influenced by three key sensory systems:

Visual system: By allowing children to see, this system, which naturally includes the eyes, allow children to understand where they are in space, move confidently around objects, and absorb additional information about the world around them.
Somatosensory system: This system allows children to sense touch, pressure, and movement. It helps children remain aware of how their bodies are positioned, an ability called proprioception.
Vestibular system: Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system helps detect head position and movement, allowing the body to adjust and maintain stability.

A well-developed balance system allows children to run, jump, climb and engage in other activities with a lower risk of falling and getting injured. If a child struggles with balance, they may have difficulty completing even simple movements and they may even become afraid of engaging in new physical activities.

The Importance of Coordination

Coordination is the ability to use multiple muscles in complex movements, and is important in tasks such as writing, playing a musical instrument, or participating in sports. Poor coordination can make everyday activities challenging, leading to frustration and decreased self-confidence in children.

How Physical Therapy Enhances Balance and Coordination

Pediatric physical therapists use a number of targeted interventions to improve a child’s balance and coordination. These interventions are engaging and interactive to keep young patients motivated.

1. Core Strengthening Exercises

The core muscles, which include the muscles of the abdomen, lower back, and pelvis, provide stability, balance, and coordination for the entire body. Some core-strengthening exercises used in physical therapy include:

Plank exercises: Help improve stability by engaging core muscles.
Seated balance exercises: Using therapy balls to promote postural control and core engagement.
Animal walks: Engaging activities like bear crawls or crab walks strengthen core muscles while improving coordination.

2. Balance Training Activities

Improving balance requires targeted exercises that challenge the child to maintain stability in various positions. Some common techniques used in pediatric physical therapy include:

Single-leg stance: Encourages weight shifting and postural control.
Tandem walking: Walking heel-to-toe in a straight line to refine balance and stability.
Obstacle courses: Designed to challenge the child to navigate different movement patterns, improving dynamic balance.
Balance beams and stepping stones: Help strengthen the lower body while teaching the child to maintain equilibrium on narrow or unstable surfaces.

3. Coordination-Boosting Exercises and Games

Pediatric physical therapists can boost coordination through engaging physical activities such as:

Catching and throwing games: Improve hand-eye coordination and reaction time.
Jump rope exercises: Promote rhythmic movement control and bilateral coordination.
Simon Says or dance-based games: Encourage motor planning, sequencing, and body awareness.
Hand-eye coordination drills: Activities like tossing bean bags into targets or threading beads onto strings help refine fine motor skills.

Common Conditions That Benefit from Physical Therapy

Balance physical therapy is especially beneficial for children who experience motor difficulties due to medical conditions. Some of the most common conditions that require balance and coordination therapy include:

Cerebral Palsy: A neurological disorder that influences muscle tone and movement, often causing difficulties with coordination and balance.
Down Syndrome: A genetic condition marked by decreased muscle tone and joint laxity, which can make physical movements less precise.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD): A motor skills disorder that affects movement planning and execution, making daily activities like writing or fastening buttons more difficult.
Muscular Dystrophy: A genetic condition that leads to progressive muscle weakness, impacting mobility and physical stability over time.

Long-Term Benefits of Improved Balance and Coordination

Improving a child’s balance and coordination through balance physical therapy has far-reaching benefits that extend beyond just movement. These improvements contribute to:

Increased independence: Better motor control allows children to complete daily tasks, such as dressing themselves and climbing stairs, without assistance.
Improved academic performance: Proper posture and motor control contribute to better handwriting and classroom participation.
Greater participation in social and recreational activities: Increased confidence enables children to engage in sports and playtime with peers.
Enhanced self-esteem and emotional well-being: Overcoming physical challenges leads to a sense of accomplishment and increased self-confidence.

Incorporating Therapy into Daily Life

Physical therapy does not end when the session is over; it is essential to incorporate therapy exercises into daily routines to reinforce progress. Parents and caregivers can support their child’s development by engaging in activities such as:

Practicing balance skills while brushing teeth by standing on one foot.
Encouraging games that involve jumping, skipping, or hopping.
Engaging in family-friendly yoga or stretching routines.
Setting up home obstacle courses to make coordination exercises fun.

FAQs About Pediatric Physical Therapy

Q: How long does it take to see results after pediatric physical therapy?

A: While every child’s progress is unique, many families notice improvements within weeks, especially with consistent practice at home.

Q: Will pediatric physical therapy be uncomfortable or tiring for my child?

A: Pediatric physical therapy sessions are designed to be fun and playful. Mild soreness from muscle use is possible but should never cause distress.

Q: What if my child resists doing exercises at home?

A: Make exercises a game! Use rewards or involve siblings to create a fun, collaborative environment.

Support your child’s growth with pediatric physical therapy

Pediatric physical therapy plays a transformative role in helping children improve their balance and coordination. If your child is experiencing difficulties with balance and coordination, consulting a pediatric physical therapist could be the first step toward unlocking a more active, independent, and fulfilling future.

Through a combination of structured therapy sessions from Tip of the Tongue experts, play-based activities, and home exercises, children can achieve remarkable progress in their physical development. Contact us today to learn more.

10 Things You Should Know About Joint Hypermobility in Children

Posted on July 18, 2022 by alien - Pediatric Physical Therapy, Hypermobility in Kids, Occupational Therapy for Children

Joyful group of children holding hands and running towards school in hallway

Are you getting your child ready for the back-to-school season? Well, it is an exciting time when kids spring back to an active schedule and enjoy all the pleasures of physically being involved in various school activities. But not all kids have the same needs, and some kids might find the extra physical burden that comes with regular school activities a little hard on their joints.

Children who experience joint hypermobility or double jointedness could experience problems when they start school. Here is a deeper insight into joint hypermobility to ensure that your children have the utmost safe study environment.

10 Things to Know About Joint Hypermobility in Kids

1. Understanding joint hypermobility

Joint hypermobility in kids is a genetic condition that leads to joints that are more flexible than usual. People with hypermobility have more stretchy ligaments compared to the usual rigid ones. This causes hypermobility in the joints and thus places more stress on the muscles, leading to fatigue, muscle pain, and injuries. The most severe form of hypermobility could cause conditions such as Danlos Syndrome and Marfans Syndrome. Milder variations come under the umbrella term of Benign Hypermobility Joint Syndrome (BHJS).

2. Effects of hypermobility

The characteristic effect of hypermobility is the increased flexibility in joints. So a child with hypermobile joints will be more flexible, like being able to bend their knees, elbows, or thumb to a greater degree than usual. In more severe cases, the child may also experience recurrent dislocations.

Some more common telling effects and symptoms of hypermobility are:

Improper posture or a W sitting position
Lack of endurance
Weakness in muscles
Poor handwriting or pain during writing school work
Joint pains and muscle pains
Flat feet
Recurring injuries like sprains and strains
Tight muscles around hips and shoulders
Difficulty in fine/gross motor activities, leading to poor coordination and balance issues.

Hypermobility could also lead to general clumsiness, bladder issues, fainting spells, and stretchy skin.

When the hypermobility condition is mild with no significant effects, it is called benign hypermobility.

3. Back-to-school season could trigger hypermobility symptoms

Children with hypermobility might find it difficult to keep up with their sports and exercise schedules. They get tired easily and are more prone to injuries. These hypermobility learning difficulties become much more apparent when children start school. Various school activities such as excessive writing work and physical education could place more strain on their muscles, and the lack of support from strong joints could show up as the symptoms listed above.

4. Children with hypermobility can be strong, active, and fit

While the effect of the condition may vary in severity, a hypermobile person can be healthy, active, and fit if they take the necessary treatment. In fact, hypermobility at a milder level is often considered to be advantageous in the case of ballet and gymnastics.

5. Generalized joint hypermobility prevalence

Generalized joint hypermobility is actually a common condition that is observed quite frequently. A recent study has found that GJH is found in about 12.5% of the university-aged population. About 15 to 20% of the population generally experience joint hypermobility issues.

It is also found that females tend to experience it more than males, and people of Asian and Afro Caribbean descent have a higher prevalence of joint hypermobility compared to other demographics.

6. Hypermobility improves with age

While most prevalent in children, hypermobility issues usually decrease as you age up. Children often seem to bear the ill effects of this condition more, as it could affect their quality of life. The pain and joint issues it causes could discourage them from engaging in school activities and playing sports as they want. Children must be treated adequately to reduce the pain and balance issues hypermobility could cause.

7. Causes of hypermobility

Hypermobility is often the result of genetics, and it has been observed that many people with GHJS have one or more parents or immediate ancestors with the same issues.

Other hypermobility causes include weak ligaments, relaxed muscle tones, and Proprioception. Proprioception is a condition where the person could find it difficult to perceive their joint positions with their eyes closed.

8. Hypermobility joints diagnosis

A simple test to find if a child is hypermobile is to check how far they can bend back their knees, elbows, thumbs, little fingers, and other double-jointed joints. A method known as Beighton score and Brighton criteria is used to diagnose joint hypermobility. This method evaluates how far you can bend joints backward and assigns each joint a score. If you score more than 5, you could be diagnosed with joint hypermobility.

9. Treating hypermobility joints

Both medication and physiotherapy can be used to treat joint hypermobility. Oftentimes, shifting to a healthy lifestyle seems to bring quite a significant improvement. Improving posture and engaging in healthy fitness practices can be of huge help. Children must be encouraged to include various physical activities, be it dancing, different sports, and other physical activities, rather than focus on a single sport to improve their muscle power and joint condition. You should also take caution as to take necessary breaks, warm-up, and cool-down periods when practicing any strenuous physical activity.

10. Oral medication doesn’t always help hypermobility

While NSAIDs are often prescribed to manage the pain and inflammation caused due to hypermobility, there is no definite cure that can tackle the root cause of these joint issues. Hence, a combination of physical therapy and medication to relieve fatigue and pain is suggested by physicians to improve the quality of life.

Pediatric Physical Therapy RGV

Children tend to bear the brunt of the impact of their hypermobility condition. While the condition usually improves with age, children may still suffer due to the adverse effects that stop them from enjoying their back-to-school life. Seeking pediatric physical therapy in RGV is highly advised as it can help kids get stronger over time and relieve the pain caused by hypermobility issues.

Pediatric physical therapy RGV can also help them improve balance, muscle strength, core stability, and handwriting and guide them towards a healthier and fit life. You can get expert advice on reducing the symptoms of hypermobility, such as getting proper shoes, braces for extra support, regular posture checks, exercise regimen, and so on. Contact us today to learn more.

What to Expect at Your Child’s First Physical Therapy Visit

Posted on June 15, 2022 by alien - Pediatric Physical Therapy

Physicians recommend physical therapy for children for several reasons. It might be an unattended injury that needs extra care to heal or a congenital ailment that might require effort to reach progress points.

Whatever the reason, you have to approach this with a calm mind. Here are a few tips on how to prepare your child for physical therapy:

The First Appointment

Physical therapy for children can be a little intimidating for parents at the beginning. It is completely okay to feel that way. The session will start with the therapist having a conversation with you.

Following that, the therapist will start observing your child’s movements, such as playing, sitting, standing, running, and so on. This is an integral part of the session, but it also helps ease the child’s mind as they find comfort in their immediate surroundings.

Next up, the physicist will give you an idea of what to expect from physical therapy for your child by doing a study via assessments on children who fall within the same age group.

Once the therapist has interacted with both you and your child, they will make an analysis and present you with a treatment plan for your child. Typically, every six months, there is an evaluation session that demonstrates your child’s growth and progress. It is important to have this conversation with your physical therapist and be on the same page about the goals being set for the child and how to help reach them.

As this is your first appointment, you will spend the entire session with the child, but gradually, that might not be the scenario. It is observed that children make more progress in physical therapy if their parents aren’t present in the room. You can figure out the specifications of this with your therapist. If you do not want to leave your child alone, you don’t have to.

Most importantly, do not panic. There is a preconceived notion that physical therapy for children is a tense affair. If you are anxious, you will make your child anxious too. The therapist is here to support your child and help them reach the growth milestones they deserve, support the therapist and your child. Be a part of their journey and participate in making a positive impact but try not to deter the growth by being too authoritative. You got this. Believe in yourself.

Be Inquisitive: Ask Questions

During the first session of your visit to a physical therapist, you need to list questions that you want to ask them. Knowledge is power, and as a parent, you should have a clear idea of what you and your child are getting into. You might also want to discuss the treatment plan with the therapist in detail once the therapist has observed your child and recommended a treatment plan that best suits your child.

Also, discuss how the treatment will happen over the next few months. Get down to the details, and ask the therapist to give you a clear picture of what physical therapy for children really is and how it stands to benefit your child in the long run. Try not to be overwhelmed by all the information. Take notes.

Be Prepared to Answer Questions

The therapist will ask you questions, and you need to be as detailed with the answers as possible. Do not hoard information, be as transparent as possible. This is primary to your child’s well-being, and you need to be able to deliver.

Here is a list of questions that your therapist might ask you:

When did your child start showing symptoms?
How long did it take them to get diagnosed?
What are certain physical activities that your child enjoys participating in?
Who are the primary caregivers to the child?
Does your child have a strong support system? Who are the other people in his life?
What are your expectations from your child?
What are you doing to help your child feel better?
What do you do when your child isn’t doing that well?
Have there been any behavioral changes in your child since the diagnosis?

Remember, the physical therapist is here to help you with your child’s speedy recovery. Try to be as amicable as possible and help them develop an appropriate treatment plan.

Discuss with your physical therapist on daily care and home exercises. Get to know more about the methods and treatment techniques they will be using. Do not hold back. We know how terrifying it can be to get physical therapy for your children, but with the right therapist and your support, your child will recover and thrive before a blink of an eye.

You have to be patient with them. Do not pressure your child, and create a safe and healthy environment for them at home. Try to understand the pain they are going through and help them the best you can. There’s nothing to worry about. Your first appointment with a therapist will be an enlightening experience for you and your child.

For more information and how our therapists can help, contact us today.

What You Need To Know About Pediatric Physical Therapy

Posted on April 25, 2022 by alien - Pediatric Physical Therapy

Several things need to be considered when looking to hire a pediatric therapist for a child. You are likely to find lots of options in the market, and you want to make sure you are getting nothing but the best for your child. Pediatric physical therapy should only be carried out by experts who know what they’re doing and can guide you if they’re ever not around.

What is Pediatric Physical Therapy?

Pediatric physical therapy treats injury, deformity, or disease in a child. Treatment often involves different types of massage and heat treatments at varying temperatures. Surgery is not often prescribed, and neither are drugs. Ointments and oils, however, might be a part of the routines.

Pediatric physical therapy aims to improve range of motion, increase mobility, and improve flexibility. An appropriate pediatric physical therapy will make your child’s life a lot easier, and daily activities will no longer be a struggle. Pediatric physical therapy involves dealing with several bodily movements and how they can fully use these movements to the best of their capabilities.

There Is No Set Formula For All Children

There are many exercises and tasks that an expert prescribes that strengthen and help the child grow stronger. Your pediatric physical therapist will only know exactly what to do after examining and interacting with your child. After one or two meetings, they will know which services and exercises are required.

We don’t often realize it, but there are so many movements that go into even simple everyday activities, and when even one of them gets hampered, a lot of difficulties are caused. A pediatric physical therapist will help make the child’s everyday activities easier and seamless.

A pediatric physical therapist also treats children born with injuries or disorders. These are caused for a variety of different reasons. The most important thing is to give the child the best treatment possible and ensure that their future is bright.

The first few years are perhaps the most important years of a child’s life, and physical incapability will take away a lot. A good pediatric physical therapist will ensure that these years are lived to the fullest while also taking good care of their mobile health.

Any physical therapy session or procedure should be carried out only after your pediatrician has properly diagnosed your child’s condition and prescribed sessions with an expert. You should never self-medicate or try exercises that you’re not familiar with by yourself.

Where Are Sessions Conducted?

Sessions can be conducted in natural learning environments like preschools, job sites, recreational centers, or community learning centers. Some families may also have to arrange special clinics or monitored environments if more specialized therapy is required. A professional will most likely be equipped with the necessary equipment required to carry out various procedures.

The room should always have professional staff members and highly qualified therapists who know what they’re doing and have trained well for and know how to work with children of all ages. A lot of times, your pediatric therapist and your doctor will work closely together and exchange and examine results, tests, and progress.

Role of Family

Parents, siblings, and other family members also play an important role in a child’s physical therapy journey. The therapist will often involve the child’s family members to make exercises more fun. Some children may not be comfortable with strangers, especially in new spaces. In such cases, it is integral for a close family member to participate in each session.

A good therapist will involve family members to promote development, and the child’s program can be curated to be most efficient. Some ways family members can help are –

Facilitating daily routines
Making daily activities comfortable
Creating more mobility options
Making the most of all the equipment
Ensuring safety
Supervising sessions for comfort
Staying up-to-date on resources
Giving timely and accurate information about the child
Facilitating the transition between childhood and adulthood.

Sometimes, sessions begin with an interview of immediate family members and caregivers to give the maximum context about the child’s home environment. This allows the therapist to put together the most comprehensive and wholesome routine if required. This also helps identify the child’s needs and what concerns the family might have.

A thorough examination of the child’s daily life and routine also tells the therapist whether the child needs to use assistive technology to improve joint and muscle function, neuro-motor development, etc.

If your child has signs with anything related to speech, movement and mobility, a few sessions with a good pediatric physical therapist could be exactly what they need. Improved mobility greatly enhances the quality of life of a person and allows them to reach for the skies.

5 Warning Signs Your Child Might Need Speech Therapy

Posted on April 12, 2022 by alien - Pediatric Physical Therapy

Child learning articulation and other speech exercises

Some children develop the gift of speech naturally without any roadblocks. However, some children may not. This is a natural phase that can easily be overcome by proper training and therapy. Speech therapy for kids is an essential step, especially when they may have difficulties talking.

If your child cannot develop the gift of clear speech naturally, it is highly recommended to consult a speech therapist. Here are five warning signs that tell you it might be time to get speech therapy for kids.

Signs Your Child Needs Speech Therapy

1. Lack of Gesturing

If your child cannot express himself through proper gestures and signs, then there is a strong chance that your child may need speech therapy. Gesturing and signing with your hands and face is often considered an important way of conveying information and is usually a precursor to language in humans.

If the child cannot gesture properly, it could indicate that the child is finding it difficult to assert its requirements through language, which might carry on to its inability to talk clearly. While this is not always directly related to speech, this is one of the prime indications for speech therapy.

2. Not Babbling at the Age 4-7 Months

Not being able to babble or even make noises could be closely associated with the need for speech therapy. If your child is finding it difficult or is not making an attempt to babble or make any such noise altogether, there is a strong chance that she is suffering from some form of speech growth inconsistencies.

Even if the child is strangely quiet and unresponsive through her sounds, this could be a sign of requiring speech therapy for better expression. Giving her early training for better speech acquisition through speech training might be ideal if she doesn’t make any characteristic sound similar to a babble which is very common in kids of ages 4-7 months old.

3. Inability to Comprehend Verbal Cues Clearly

Another significant sign indicating the need for speech therapy for kids is when the kid cannot comprehend verbal cues. Almost every child that does not have underlying speech defects can easily make sense of at least a few verbal cues by the age of 24 months.

If a child faces trouble in understanding simple sentences or even basic terms, there is a chance that the child may need speech therapy.

4. Not Using Sentences to Speak

The inability to frame sentences while speaking may also be another sign of an underlying speech defect. It is crucial to monitor this ability in children between 18-24 months. If a child finds it challenging to frame sentences and linguistic structures while speaking in a language, there is a chance that the child may need special care and an accurate speech therapy specialist to cater to their needs.

Furthermore, being able to frame sentences is a decent way to tell if a child has a speech defect because sentences are not very easy to create early in a child’s development. If a child speaks very clearly, articulately, and can frame sentences easily, the child is very less likely to have a speech defect.

5. Trouble Making Certain Sounds

Some sounds are considered very difficult for children to make compared to other sounds that come easy. If a child finds it challenging to make consonant sounds like p, b, w, m, and h, the child may require special therapy.

Furthermore, some other consonant sounds like f, t, d, and k are slightly harder and need a longer time to master. However, if a child is unable to say these sounds clearly by the age of 3, then the child may require special speech therapy, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. It is necessary to provide the required care on diagnosing these signs than to await a further time hoping for the child to speak correctly. To learn more and discover how we can help, contact us today.