paediatrics

As children and adolescents move through developmental stages, they develop new movement patterns and vectors. Children develop at different rates, and different injuries are associated with each stage. For example, children often progress through hard tissue injuries such as fractures, growth-related pains such as Osgood Schlatter’s and Sever’s, before transitioning into soft tissues injuries such as muscle strains and ligament sprains. Therefore, it is critical that assessment and treatment is specific to developmental stages.

These stages influence different components of fitness, including balance and coordination, muscle strength, endurance and power, and cardiovascular fitness. Whilst we can’t control the growth rate of young bodies, our Physiotherapists can assist your child in building strength and control during these growth periods to strengthen soft tissues and build the foundations of a strong body. It is also important to recognise the influence of technology on children during developmental stages.

As our tech-savvy young ones progress through their development, phones and tablets in hand, a common concern among parents is poor posture. More frequently than ever, young bodies in an ‘c’ shape are walking slumped through our doors with a concerned parent leading the way. Children and adolescents might now miss one of the most important aspects of their day, incidental exercise. Posture correction, postural strengthening and overall tone to improve posture are all incorporated into a management plan personalised to your child and their postural needs.

Our physiotherapists are committed to helping children and adolescents, with our goal to help them achieve the National Health and Activity guidelines. We help integrate children and adolescents into exercise by enabling and providing guidance into one of the many local activity options available.