PT for Kids
Physical therapy isn’t just for athletes recovering from injury—it benefits a wide range of people, including children.
Early intervention for kids is crucial due to something called neuroplasticity.
Dr. Vemuri, a neuroimaging scientist at Mayo Clinic, explains it this way:
“Your brain is still developing when you are young — the brain volume is increasing, the brain connectivity is still maturing and the brain development hasn’t yet peaked. Your brain is still growing and because of that, you can learn new things and the brain adapts much more easily”.
This explains why children often excel at learning new skills such as languages or musical instruments. Intervening with pediatric physical therapy works best during early childhood, when the brain has about 50% more neural connections than an adult brain.
Pediatric physical therapy involves the use of therapeutic exercise, manual skills, and fun, child-friendly approaches tailored to each child’s unique needs. Facilitated by a professional, a care plan and techniques during each session is meant to improve mobility, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and endurance.
Pediatric Physical Therapy Benefits
Pediatric physical therapy benefits children and their families and caregivers by:
- Promoting independence and the ability to take part in everyday routines
- Increasing participation
- Facilitating motor development and function
- Enhancing learning opportunities
- Improving strength and endurance for everyday activities or sports
- Helping children reach developmental milestones and promoting mobility
- Easing the challenges of daily caregiving
At Strive, we recognize the critical importance of early intervention in building a strong foundation for your child’s future. That’s why we’ve taken proactive steps to offer free pediatric physical therapy screenings – so families like yours can get the support they need as early as possible.
If you’re curious about whether pediatric physical therapy might benefit your family, contact us at (512) 688-5694 or www.strivehs.com for a free screening!
