There are considerable advantages when undergoing physical therapy that may not only benefit a child physically, but mentally too. Pediatric physical therapy helps children learn to successfully and independently perform gross motor skills and functional mobility skills. As a child begins to successfully develop these skills, it creates a greater form of independence that helps contribute to achieving a higher sense of self-esteem. Though physical therapy for children provides a safer form of development and strengthening, it is also capable of being an essential preventative measure.
Physical therapy also helps young athletes in preventing injury by addressing any muscle imbalance or weakness as well as help them to return to play after injury. A variety of treatment interventions are used including: developmental activities, therapeutic exercise, balance and coordination activities, adaptive play activities, mobility training, safety and prevention programs, and activities to promote overall wellness.
You are probably asking yourself, what are the main benefits that come with pediatric physical therapy? We have listed below the essentials involved our services, the benefits that come with it and the experience your child will get.
Physical therapy rehabilitation is extremely important after an injury and there is no question that those who go through physical therapy end up in much better shape in the long run and return to full activity much sooner. In fact, a great deal of the time those people that do not have a physical therapy plan after a surgery or an injury that is guided to healing their specific problem do not return to the level of activity that they had in the past. Because of this, it is very important to take any type of physical therapy with the utmost of importance.
If you do not know what physical therapy is, it is essentially various workouts and exercises that focus on certain muscles and movements, which are aimed at strengthening muscles and tendons. Physical therapy is very similar to going to the gym and working with a personal trainer, although the physical therapists that you work with are well versed with dealing with all sorts of injuries and will take the necessary precautions to get a person back to full health as soon as possible. Physical therapy is not just for adults, as there is also physical therapy for children, which is all the more important. It is extremely important for children to follow their physical therapy routine as closely as they can, due to the fact that they are growing while they are likely going through the process of recovery. The fact that they are growing means that it is even more important to fix the things that are wrong with the body, so this should be taken very seriously.
Typically when you go to a physical therapy session, you will do some warm up stretches and will end up doing strengthening exercises. These may be with weights, or may be with specific equipment that is specially designed to deal with your type of injury or surgical recovery. The majority of physical therapy sessions also involve various massage sessions, which aim to break up scar tissue and to work out kinks in the muscles, after which is usually followed by a hot and cold bath. There is no question that getting the right physical therapy is crucial when it comes to dealing with any type of injury and although it may seem unimportant to some children that look at it as a task, it is something that absolutely has to be done.
NAPA Center’s physical therapists for children have a profound joy in helping children and their families achieve greater happiness. All of our qualified therapists work together as well as with the family members to assess the current functioning level and to create an individualized plan to help your child achieve optimal results. Contact us today for more information!