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A physiotherapist’s role in general terms is to enhance mobility and body function in all aspects of life. We deal with many populations, including paediatrics, geriatrics, sports injuries, neurological patients, cardiac patients, musculoskeletal injuries, women’s health, work place injuries and can even work with injured animals. In paediatric physio, our focus is to aid in the development of normal movement.

 

Our interventions aim to optimise the ability of a child to interact with their environment, which helps to stimulate brain development. Physio assist when there is a movement impairment. This impairment can reduce normal environmental interaction, which leads to delayed cognitive and social development.

 

So, if a toddler doesn’t have the strength to sit up independently, which is necessary for normal play, we can devise exercises and give advice to parents on how they can increase their strength and control. If a child is quite clumsy and is tripping over frequently, we can give exercises that help both sides of the brain talk to each other and reduce this clumsiness. We do this by altering the environment or the task to increase the child’s ability and then progress the difficulty as they are able.

 

The physiotherapy sections contain information about:

• what motor milestones are

• motor milestones from birth to 12 years

• gross motor skill exercises for primary school children

• primary school syllabus motor skills and teaching strategies

• brief information and links for specific populations such as children with autism, cerebral palsy and downs syndrome

Physiotherapy