6 Signs your child may need to see a Physiotherapist
Tags: Health, Pain, Children, Chronic Pain, Physiotherapy

6 Signs your child may need to see a Physiotherapist

As a parent, have you ever thought about how to spot early warning signs that your children may need physical therapy? Phyzio Dec 23, 2020·4 min read

It’s common to think of Physiotherapy as something only required by professional athletes or the elderly. When you imagine a physio you will probably have images of someone being massaged pitch side or struggling to learn to walk again after a severe accident, injury or illness. However, physiotherapy is crucial in the treatment of children and you may be surprised by all the different ways physiotherapy could help your child.

Here are ‘6 signs your child may need physiotherapy’, and if you relate to even just one, you might want to consider how you can help your child’s body grow and heal in the right way:

Often dismissed by many health care professionals as “growing pains”. Often the pain comes and goes so it is easy to ignore initially but if your child has been complaining of the same pain for a while, it may be time to ask a physiotherapist to assess your child. A children’s physio can assess your child’s joints and muscles and will often find a treatable reason for this pain and teach you and your child how to change their body and fitness to reduce the pain.

Many children have poor balance and coordination and as a result, frequently fall over. Children’s physio can retrain your child’s body to move without falling over. Poor balance can be caused by a multitude of underlying issues, not only can a physio can work out what the root of the problem is, but they can also challenge the body and improve specific muscle strength to help you tackle this issue.

Tiredness and fatigue are common complaints of many children, but not something that has to start limiting your child’s function. If tiredness becomes an issue for your child a children’s physio can help address the issue and teach you and your child ways of managing fatigue and gradually increase fitness and stamina to help them live a full and active lifestyle.

Sometimes the point of injury is not the point of pain. Sometimes pain can occur without any original injury whatsoever. If your child has pain in their body that cannot be attributed to a specific incident or accident, it is worth seeking a children’s physio to assess for any imbalances and discrepancies in the muscles and movements of your child’s body and advise on how best to move forward.

A lack of sleep can often be a result of that discomfort. Sleep patterns are a good indicator of what is going on inside your child’s body. If your child has problems getting to sleep, suffers from restless nights, or simply does not wake up feeling fully rested, one cause could be pain and mobility problems. Seek an assessment from a children’s physio to make sure the discomfort isn’t being caused by something you can easily treat if shown how.

A children’s physio is an expert in the development and movement of children. They are highly skilled in teaching you and your child subtle ways to strengthen and progress their movement patterns so that any delay in development is corrected and your child can reach its milestones with their peers. That way your child won’t only develop physically but they also won’t miss out on all the social development and fun with other children their age whilst trying to catch up.

Final Thoughts

If you can relate to any of the above points you won’t regret seeking some advice from the professionals to help your child live a full, happy, and healthy life.