Awww, little people! Physiotherapy in paediatrics is a huge area, which includes kids with respiratory conditions (more on these to come in a future post- in fact, some of the best responders to chest physiotherapy are little babies in intensive care, whose conditions can change rapidly), neurological conditions (such as cerebral palsy, poor development, etc.) and your general sprains and strains.
One of the nicest physio jobs I’ve known of in paediatrics belonged to a friend of mine who worked solely with blind children- because they were lacking the key sense of sight, they failed to develop as quickly as normally-sighted kids. With a few helpful changes to how their parents handled them and some simple, fun exercises, they made amazing progress and were back on track with their development goals really quickly- such a rewarding job!
As physiotherapists, we are trained in normal development, from assessing and teaching fine motor skills (such as the coordination and fine finger movement needed to button up a shirt) to the stages at which your little angel should be able to kick a football. We’re also aware that kids get different musculoskeletal problems than adults. The pain language which kids use is different to that of adults, so if your child injures themselves, is limping or complaining of any pain, it’s always worth having him/her assessed by a physiotherapist. Our Cairns city physiotherapy practice comes complete with large treatment rooms, a friendly and boutique environment and a rehabilitation gym (The Rehab Room).
UPDATE: Having recently completed the third in her series of Upledger Institute Craniosacral Therapy courses (Somato-Emotional Release), practice principal Suzanne Rath has started to offer more and more Craniosacral therapy as part of her services from our Cairns physiotherapy clinic. Craniosacral therapy and similar techniques have been written about by famous authors (in the fields of psychiatry/ neuroplasticity/ development and more), such as Norman Doidge and Bessel Van Den Kolk. In his book, ‘The Body Keeps the Score’, Van Den Kolk describes the three pronged approach to treatment of trauma- the ‘bottom up’ approach involves dealing with emotional trauma held in the viscera or body tissues, which is exactly what Craniosacral Therapy aims to do. Craniosacral Therapy performed by a qualified physiotherapist at Wellness Embodied could possibly be a useful adjunct to treatment for kids with sensory issues- particularly those on the autism spectrum or with conditions such as anxiety, foetal alcohol disorder and more. Lately Suzanne has even brought one of her dogs in to see a couple of her young clients, allowing them to open up more within the treatment sessions. To find out more about Craniosacral Therapy, read here.
