What is a Pediatric Physical Therapist?

Pediatric Physical Therapy, milestones, torticollis, tongue ties … all of these words are frequently mentioned in the part of childhood – whether by your pediatrician, friends, or simply social media! They may bring some anxiety or even fear of the unknown. But our goal at Compleo is to alleviate that anxiety, and be your partner as you work towards optimal health and mobility for your child! 

Let’s break it down!

What is Pediatric Physical Therapy?

We are qualified professionals who work on optimizing movement and function. Our goal is to get your children playing and moving, whatever that may look like! There are no lazy children, all children want to move and play! Our job is to find what motivates them, help release any restrictions, and provide neuromotor retraining to get those little bodies moving. The other part of our job is to make it fun and purposeful for the family and patient.

When should I look into Pediatric Physical Therapy?

There are A LOT of reasons to see a pediatric physical therapist. If you are concerned that your child is struggling with meeting their milestones or has impaired movement patterns, we offer free screenings to help you take a more in depth look. Some of the most common reasons we treat children at Compleo include:

• Torticollis (preference to only look to one side/tilt head to one side) and plagiocephaly (changes in head shape) in babies
• Delayed milestones: While every child has their own unique timeline, if a child is having difficulty rolling, crawling, or walking we can help! If you are unsure, we offer free screenings!
• Toe Walking
• Scoliosis 
• Sports Injuries
• Impaired Mobility: Children of any age working to improve how they move whether that is working towards improved wheelchair or walker independence or working towards improved independent gait and running patterns
• Children with different medical needs and abilities. Diagnoses we treat include, but are not limited to: Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and Autism
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and hypermobility 
• Poor coordination 
• Poor balance and frequent falls 

How do I choose a Physical Therapist?

We know picking the right provider can feel overwhelming which is why we recommend we focusing on the 3 top items. 

1. Connection and Consistency: You and your child need to feel confident in your provider, if your child trusts the provider which comes from seeing the same provider each visit they are going to get more out of their sessions. 
2. Combination Approach: To obtain long term success it usually requires a combination of manual approaches to release tension and ensure proper alignment combined with hands on neuromotor facilitation. 
3. Qualified: Ask your therapist their experience with your child’s specific need, their pediatric experience, and their background. In physical therapy you can be treated by a physical therapist (doctorate degree) or physical therapy assistant (associates degree). At Compleo all therapists have their doctorate in physical therapy. 

Regardless of who your physician first refers you to, know you have a choice in your care and can choose any provider you would like. At Compleo our pediatric doctors of physical therapy are ready to serve you! Contact us to let us know how we can help your little one get moving!