Physical Therapist can help with:
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Range of Motion – how far a joint can bend or straighten
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Strength – strength against gravity
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Balance – ability to maintain balance (tilting and righting responses) and to keep oneself from falling (protective responses)
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Reflexes – automatic responses seen particularly in infants (palmar grasp, positive support, asymmetrical tonic neck reflex [ATNR] and labyrinthine)
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Posture – alignment of the body in various positions
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Tone – natural resistance in a muscle (increased tone is stiffness and decreased tone is floppiness)
Other
Specific Diagnosis that PTs treat include but not limited to:
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Torticollis
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Cerebral Palsy
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Muscular Dystrophy
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Down Syndrome
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Autism Spectrum disorder
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Rare genetic conditions
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Bracial Plexius injury
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Brain injury
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How Do I Know If My Child Needs Physical Therapy?
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They are not meeting the expected developmental milestones during the first year of life (ie. rolling, sitting, standing, walking).
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They have a strong preference for turning their head to one side or using one side of their body.
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They walk up on the balls of their feet or walk in an atypical/awkward manner.
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They have difficulty keeping up with their peers during play.
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They are not able to perform the same gross motor tasks (ie. hopping, jumping, skipping) as their peers.
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They frequently trip and fall when walking.
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They complain of pain when performing gross motor tasks.
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They were injured and are not able to perform at their prior level of function.