Children's Specialized Hospital

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy refers to various treatment strategies to restore mobility, promote function and healing and provide education and consultation to children, families and other health care providers.

Physical Therapists at Children's Specialized Hospital work with patients and families to help the child reach their full potential by minimizing impairments, promoting mobility and function for participation in their home and community.

Our pediatric physical therapists are specialists in the unique needs of children, adolescents and young adults from birth through 21 years of age. Therapists are experts in a variety of treatment interventions allowing them to individualize a plan of care to meet the unique needs of the child and family in both the inpatient and outpatient programs.

Physical Therapy evaluation and treatment may include:

Ongoing observation and analysis of the child’s functional abilities and struggles
Identification of impairments
Provision of strategies and home activity suggestions to encourage mobility, increase strength and flexibility, improve balance and coordination, prevent deformities or further injury, overall wellness and fitness recommendations
Assess needs for equipment and bracing and make appropriate referrals
Coordination of care with other health care providers
Partnering with families to develop specific objective, measurable and time based goals to focus the care
Provide episodic care to reach patient and families goals with a focus on helping you and your child to develop skills and knowledge to carryover at home and continue to progress after therapy ends.

Your physical therapist will work with you to help develop a plan for your child taking into consideration:

Your child’s needs based on their diagnosis
Goals that you and / or your child have for therapy
Evidence (if available) or best practice standards for the amount of therapy needed
How your child progresses during therapy
What resources are available (your availability, transportation; funding; family support etc.) to you and your child
Agreement by the referring physician on the plan of care, frequency and duration of treatment and discharge plan

Our physical therapy programs at Children's Specialized Hospital treat children with a wide range of diagnoses including but not limited to:

Acute medical conditions
Amputation
Arthrogryposis
Brain injury
Burns
Cerebral palsy
Developmental delays
Genetic disorders
Low tone
Lymphedema
Autism

Neuromuscular disorders
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Orthopedic disorders
Pre-op
Post op
Respiratory problems
Spina Bifida
Spinal Cord Injury
Sports Injuries
Torticollis
Pain / RND

Interventions recommended may include but are not limited to:

Aquatic therapy – warm water exercise
Balance and coordination activities
Serial Casting, splinting or bracing
Developmental facilitation
Endurance Training
Equipment training (walkers, crutches, orthotics, prosthetics, standers, wheelchairs etc.)
Gait training for difficulty walking
Home Exercise programs
Kinesiotaping
Land based treatment
Neuromuscular Reeducation
Posture exercises
Strength exercises
Stretching for flexibility
FES – Functional Electric Stimulation

Programs and Services