When it comes to kids and Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy Now knows how to help.

If someone were to ask you to name various physical therapy types, the odds are pediatric physical therapy would not be on your list. And you’d be far from alone. Physical therapy is often associated with adults, but often overlooked is that children need PT. Granted, toddlers and elementary school-aged kids aren’t typically tearing ACLs on the football field or suffering from chronic lower back pain, but there are plenty of instances where children benefit from pediatric physical therapy.

When Do Kids Need Physical Therapy?

You might be surprised by some of the reasons children need physical therapy. Among them are:

• Developmental delays (for example, if a child should be walking but isn’t by a certain age)
• Genetic disorders such as Down Syndrome
• Muscle weakness or imbalance
• Poor coordination or lack of motor skills
• Conditions such as cerebral palsy
• Concussions or head injuries
• Not reaching milestones by a certain age

For children who might be experiencing any of these issues or conditions, physical therapy is a safe–and actually fun–way for kids to improve their strength, range of motion, movement, and flexibility. The end goal is to make everyday activities easier for kids by helping them move their bodies to the best of their abilities.

What Does Pediatric PT Involve?

Mostly fun! At Physical Therapy Now in Irving, we want to make PT enjoyable for kids–like playtime! Our skilled, experienced, and friendly physical therapists will ensure your child is comfortable and has fun while going through the exercises and therapy. We’ll perform a physical evaluation of your child during your first visit–checking muscles, joints, bones, and posture. Then we’ll have your child stand, walk, crawl, run, and complete a couple of other quick activities to determine his/her strength, balance, mobility, and development to determine where the issues are and whether there’s any type of delay.

Depending on your child’s condition, you may see your child bouncing on big exercise balls, practicing their balance on a low balance beam, running around, hopping and jumping, throwing and catching balls, and other fun–but productive–exercises designed to help address the issues at hand. It’s hard work, but we make sure the kids enjoy themselves and make the progress they can be proud of.  We also have the other machines and tools meant specifically for physical therapy, and we make using those a positive, uplifting experience for kids.

Pediatric Physical Therapy in Irving, Texas

We love working with kids at Physical Therapy Now in Irving. We’ve performed pediatric physical therapy on children as young as three and as old as 18. Just as we do with adults, we work with children to ensure they’re comfortable and, most importantly, making the progress they need to make. If your child has been recommended for physical therapy, call us today at 214-225-0291 to set up an initial evaluation. Our staff will gladly answer any insurance-related questions when you call. We hope to see you and your child soon!