Health Care for Children
Health Care for Children
Find out how physiotherapy and Pilates can help with improving sports and academic performance, managing scoliosis and treating conditions like Perthes’ disease, Osgood-Schlatter lesion and Sever’s disease.
Health Care for Children
Pilates for Children
– Pilates designed especially for kids of various ages
Like adults, kids need regular exercise. Our fascination with technology, however, is fast causing more musculoskeletal pain and problems than ever before, mainly due to the lack of exercise and prolonged time spent in damaging postures as we sit at the computer or play on the iPad.
With education and fun Pilates sessions we have the opportunity to prevent a wide range of musculoskeletal issues before they develop. Our Clinical Pilates program designed specifically for children takes into account their physical and psychological differences as well as their individual interests.
Pilates is also a great way to help kids recover quickly from conditions which often occur as they grow and which can sometimes keep them out of sports for an extended period of time.
See our Pilates for Kids article
Physiotherapy for Kids
Over the years our physiotherapists have helped children successfully treat many conditions which are particularly common for them, such as Perthes’ disease, Osgood-Schlatter lesion, Sever’s disease and others.
The first step is always to reduce the symptoms by correctly identifying the cause and implementing the most effective treatment. The second step is to prevent recurrence.
At our practice we successfully use the following:
- Electrotherapy techniques such as interferential, TENS and ultrasound
- SCENAR therapy
- Hands on techniques such as massage and mobilizations
- Specific exercises
How are Children Different to Adults?
Unlike adults, children are still growing. Hence, many of the differences in the types of injuries sustained by children as opposed to adults have to do with the differences in the structure of growing bone as compared to adult bone.
The tendon attachment sites in children provide a relatively weak cartilaginous attachment. As a result, children are more likely to injure cartilage and bone or completely avulse (tear) the attachment site of tendons.
During rapid growth phases, bone lengthens before muscles and tendons are able to stretch correspondingly and develop the necessary strength and coordination to control the newly lengthened bone. This can also lead to muscle and tendon injuries. Also, growth temporarily reduces coordination which manifests as awkwardness in movements while exercising and playing sport.
Besides these physical differences, children, by nature, are more impulsive than adults, which can also increase the risk of sustaining an injury during exercise.
Therefore it is only logical that the treatment programs for adults and children should vary. For that reason, when deciding on the best treatment approach for your child, our physiotherapists take into account not just the injury but the child’s age, the sport they are involved in, their fitness level and other factors.
Scoliosis Management
If your child has been diagnosed with scoliosis physiotherapy and Clinical Pilates can do a lot. Our physiotherapists are committed to helping your child manage their scoliosis conservatively as best as possible.
The main aims are to change the scoliosis posture and improve the core stability which lead to the following benefits for your child:
- Reduced likelihood of scoliosis progression
- Improved cosmetic appearance
- Reduced pain
- Improved muscle tone and strength
- Improved ability to participate in sport and other physical activities
We use Real Time Ultrasound to assess your child’s core strength. That way the physiotherapist, as well as you and your child, will see on the screen how the core muscles work. This will ensure that correct activation is achieved.
When pain is a significant issue we implement specific physiotherapy techniques including SCENAR therapy, soft tissue massage and mobilizations as well as electrotherapy modalities including interferential and ultrasound.
One of the biggest challenges is getting your child to exercise regularly. We overcome this hurdle by working on your child’s posture and core during our Pilates sessions in a fun way. We also tailor the sessions to the sports your child may already enjoy. Your child will also receive a free home exercise program. Both the Clinical Pilates program and the home program are prepared based on the outcomes of the initial Full Body Assessment which is done prior to commencing the Pilates sessions.
See our blog to read articles on the following topics:
Clinical Pilates for Scoliosis
Health Care for Children — The Health Point Difference
Our physiotherapists have dealt with many children of various age groups over the years and have seen both the children, their teachers and sports coaches as well as the parents reap many benefits. Our Clinical Pilates programs for kids are developed and conducted by experienced physiotherapists following a full body assessment. This includes a thorough examination of the child’s functional skills, their specific sports performance as well as their strength and mobility.
This will enable the physiotherapist to identify any areas of weakness and potential injury and consequently develop an exercise program tailored at the specific needs of the child. The program takes into account the physical milestones of children of different ages; hence the exercises are specific to their needs. The aims of the program are to improve the child’s sports performance, coordination, flexibility and strength, as well as develop a life-long passion for sport and physical exercise.
Make the first step, book your child in for the full body assessment now!
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Gymnast's Treatment Success Story
"Being a full time gymnast, I constantly had stress on many of my body parts. One of the main recipients of this strain is my feet, to be more specific... my ankles. A while ago, my ankles just couldn’t handle all the pressure and rolled. This happened many times and my ankles were constantly getting weaker. After many of these rollings, I finally came to Margarita’s physiotherapy/pilates class. These classes weren’t just about recovering the ankle, they were also about strengthening it. After many lessons I could feel my ankles becoming more stable and they were rolling a lot less. Not only that, but my performance in Gymnastics has improved drastically too. Margarita’s help has been crucial for me to do the sport I love." – Daniel Shell
Health Tips for Parents
Simple things parents can do to encourage a healthy child
- Find a sport/physical activity that your child will enjoy! Then he/she will look forward to it rather than viewing it as a chore.
- Encourage your child to play outside rather than sit at home - why not play a game of footy/basketball or go for a swim together? Everyone is sure to benefit from that! If your child enjoys swimming, going to the pool together can serve as a perfect winter activity.
- Make sure your child drinks more water! Children tend to drink a lot of soft drinks which lead to dehydration, so encourage your child to drink 4-6 glasses of water daily (depending on the child's age, weight, physical activity levels and other factors).
School Program for Student Health
Schools are invited to take advantage of the Student Physical Health Assessment program. All students are invited to participate in a special health screening program that has been developed for primary and secondary school students
The 20 minute assessment is done on school grounds by qualified Physiotherapists from Health Point Physiotherapy, who will screen for existing or potential back, neck, soft tissue and respiratory problems.
Each student will be taught how to correctly sit, stand, and safely lift to help prevent future health issues. At the end of the session the Physiotherapist will discuss any potential problems and what steps can then be taken - this will also be outlined in the take home report for parents with assessment results. A free home exercise program is given to each participant.
Consultation fee is $25.00 per student (partly/fully covered by private health insurance).