October is National Physical Therapy Month, making it the perfect time to share how pediatric physical therapy can support your child’s development from the very beginning. At Savannah Speech and Hearing Center in Savannah, GA, our pediatric physical therapist created the Champion Classes to highlight the value of early intervention and milestone support.
Below are a few of my favorite pediatric therapy “pearls” – simple and practical tips you can watch for at home and bring up with your pediatrician. If you notice these signs in your child, it may be worth asking about a referral to a pediatric PT.
- Torticollis: We discussed this in more detail on our Torticollis blog here, but it is such a cool fact, I couldn’t resist highlighting it once again. If you notice your child is only looking one direction, this may be due to a tight muscle. This can be noticed at birth and under 1 month of age. If you can start physical therapy under 1 month, research shows that treatment is much shorter! It has also been studied that physical therapy reduces time to resolution compared to parent only stretching. The Torticollis blog discussed what we call a “Clinical Practice Guideline” or CPG that was updated in 2018. Since the blog was written, a 2024 updated version was released! This means that your therapist is equipped with the most up to date tools and research to help you.
- Prematurity: If your little one joined the world early, a physical therapist can also help you learn what to expect and provide movement strategies to incorporate during play to give your baby a boost. Prematurity is a risk for cerebral palsy (CP). That can sound scary, but here is the good news: the earlier we detect CP, the earlier we can begin therapy and provide supports that make a big difference. The CP blog here dives into a little more detail.
- Leg Alignment: It’s common to notice changes in your child’s leg posture as they grow. But what is normal?
- Infants and Toddlers: legs often appear bow legged (Genu Varum)
- Around 2 years: Legs start to straighten out more
- Age 3-4: Many children have a knock-knee posture (Genu Valgum)
- Around age 7: Most children’s legs start to find a more neutral position.
You may also notice toe walking as your child begins to walk. This can be expected up to 2-3 years old. Sometimes the sizing of a shoe or the type of a shoe can make a big difference! Other times, physical therapy may be the right course to give your child a little boost.
- PT referral: One thing I have noticed, even with my own children, are referrals to specialists are often completed for you. But did you know, you can select a site of your choice? This gives you a chance to research different locations and determine which place may be a better fit for your family. Savannah Speech and Hearing Center offers free physical therapy screens, just for this reason. It will give you a chance to meet the pediatric physical therapist and see if the facility is a good fit for you.
At Savannah Speech & Hearing Center, we partner with families to watch development closely. We can guide you through early interventions that build strength, mobility, and confidence for your child. What to learn more? If you are local to the Savannah, GA area, we offer free consultative screens at Savannah Speech and Hearing Center and would love to answer any of your questions.
ChoosePT is a great resource to see how physical therapy impacts individuals of all ages.
References
Novak I, Morgan C, Adde L, Blackman J, Boyd RN, Brunstrom-Hernandez J, Cioni G, Damiano D, Darrah J, Eliasson AC, de Vries LS, Einspieler C, Fahey M, Fehlings D, Ferriero DM, Fetters L, Fiori S, Forssberg H, Gordon AM, Greaves S, Guzzetta A, Hadders-Algra M, Harbourne R, Kakooza-Mwesige A, Karlsson P, Krumlinde-Sundholm L, Latal B, Loughran-Fowlds A, Maitre N, McIntyre S, Noritz G, Pennington L, Romeo DM, Shepherd R, Spittle AJ, Thornton M, Valentine J, Walker K, White R, Badawi N. Early, Accurate Diagnosis and Early Intervention in Cerebral Palsy: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment. JAMA Pediatr. 2017 Sep 1;171(9):897-907. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.1689. Erratum in: JAMA Pediatr. 2017 Sep 1;171(9):919. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3169. PMID: 28715518; PMCID: PMC9641643.
Sargent, B., Coulter, C., Cannoy, J., & Kaplan, S. L. (2024). Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: A 2024 Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline From the American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy. Pediatr Phys Ther, 36(4), 370-421. doi:10.1097/PEP.0000000000001114
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