“What's physical therapy like for kids?”
My daughter needs to have physical therapy to regain her strength after a cheerleading injury. What would physical therapy be like for her?
6 Answers
Dr. Bin S. Sung
Pediatrician
Physical therapy is a set of exercise well designed by a physical therapist after careful evaluation of her.
Look for active therapy rather than passive therapy. Passive therapy involved activities that are performed on the patient and the patient is not involved physically in any way. Active therapy requires the patient to perform activities supervised by a trained physical therapist.
Physical therapy will address her functional needs in order to return her to sport safely. Age does not change the way I work with my patients. Day one will be getting information from the patient and parent/guardian) along with strength testing, range of motion testing, and functional testing. Depending on the injury and what is seen in the clinic, the treatment may include strength training, balance training, improving range of motion, and/or modalities. I would also make sure exercises are specific to her sport, in this case, cheerleading.
It would and should be fun and give a positive experience. Do try and find a pediatric physio to help her.
It would depend on the therapy that is prescribed. If there was an extremity injury they usually start off slowly and build up and muscle strength increases. They use resistance bands to improve muscle strength some use water aerobics. At first, it is more passive motion than resistance that is applied as muscle strength increases. How fast they go is determined by the injury, the amount of pain, and how the patient tolerates it.
After an injury, physical therapists work to decrease pain, improve movement, and help kids return to daily activities. They teach kids exercises designed to help them regain strength and range of motion, and also show kids and families how to prevent future injuries. Physical therapists use a variety of treatments to help build strength, improve movement, and strengthen skills needed to complete daily activities.
