1. Presented By: Cara Allen Audience: Children
Physical Therapy
For Children
Presented By: Cara Allen Audience: Children

2. What is Physical Therapy?
After an injury, physical therapy works to decrease pain and help kids return to daily and extra curricular activities
Physical Therapy includes:
exercises that help you become strong and flexible
showing you how to prevent future injuries

3. Why a child would need physical therapy
Have been injured
Movement problems from an illness, disease, or disability
Before Physical Therapy After Physical Therapy

4. Things you may use during physical therapy

5. During a Visit A Physical Therapist May:
Measure a child's flexibility and strength
Study how a child walks and runs
Identify existing and potential problems
Provide instructions for home exercise programs
Recommend when returning to activities is safe

6. Flexibility Strength
Flexibility
Strength
How far you are able to bend or move a part of your body
Measured by multiple test
Sit and Reach Test
The amount of force your muscle can make in one try
Measured by manual muscle tests and/or the use of a dynamometer
Dynamometer

7. Why does a physical therapist study how you walk and run
The way one walks or runs is also known as their gait.
It is important for physical therapist to study one’s gait because:
It can help identify deformities
It can help identify what may have caused an injury
It can help prevent further injuries
Video

8. Gait Analysis Videos Before orthotics
After orthotics

9. What are orthotics?
Shoe inserts, splints and bracing that are custom made to fix ones foot/leg deformities

10. Home exercises a physical therapist may recommend
Stretching specific to your needs
Exercises with resistant bands or exercise balls
Balance exercises

11. Home Exercises

12. When A Physical Therapist would recommend returning to activities
Strength is back
Balance is good
No more pain
Capable of doing the activity with no limitations, pain or difficulties

13. What Does a physical therapy room for kids look like?
Example

14. FUN!

15. How long Would I need to go to Physical Therapy?
Depends on:
Injury
How often you go to physical therapy per week
If you do home exercises
You could attend physical therapy anywhere from 1 visit to months of visits

16. How Long will each visit be?
Visit sessions typically last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes each time you go to physical therapy
The exact time will depend on the reason why you are there

17. How you should Dress for Physical therapy
Lose fitting clothes so the area of injury can be evaluated and treated
Sneakers so you can do all exercises safely without risk of falling

18. Who pays for the physical therapy visits?
In most cases, your health insurance will cover your visits
You should always make sure before that it will be covered

19. What will I have to do after physical therapist?
Some people will have to continue with home exercise programs
Some may continue with a gym exercise program
Some will go right back to their activities after they have completed physical therapy

20. Thank you!!