Pediatric Physical Therapy in Fridley, MN
Every child develops at their own pace, but some children face unique challenges that can make it harder for them to achieve their developmental milestones. We understand how important proper growth and development is for your child’s future success and happiness. That’s why our dedicated pediatric physical therapists provide customized treatment for children in Fridley, MN, and the surrounding areas. Whether your child is struggling with a physical limitation or just needs some extra support to achieve their developmental skills, we are here to help. With our expert treatment and your encouragement, we can help your child become the very best they can be.
What Is Pediatric Physical Therapy?
A pediatric physical therapist's role is to help children with a range of developmental conditions, muscle and joint problems, and neurological conditions With personalized care, we help children from birth through adolescence to develop the gross motor skills they need for success and independence. The goal of pediatric physical therapy is to promote optimal physical function, mobility, and overall well-being in children. It aims to help children reach their maximum potential by improving their gross motor skills, coordination, strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance.
Signs Your Child Might Need Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is beneficial for children who are experiencing difficulty with any area of movement or those who are struggling to achieve their developmental milestones. Children can experience these challenges with or without an underlying health condition, which is why it’s important for parents to be aware of the signs to look out for. Some common signs that your child may need pediatric physical therapy include:
Posture that is poor when sitting, standing, or walking
Preference for one side of their body over the other
Clumsiness or being accident prone
Pain that is chronic, especially in the musculoskeletal system (muscles and joints)
Fatigue or chronic low energy levels
Delays in gross motor skills such as rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing, or walking
Muscle weakness or imbalances
Trouble with balance and coordination
Trouble with motor planning skills
Toe walking or having an awkward gait
Recovery from an injury or surgery
The Goal of Pediatric Physical Therapy
Our primary objective is to increase your child's participation in everyday activities and support their overall development and well-being. We improve your child’s ability to engage in their natural environments in a meaningful and purposeful manner with a comprehensive therapeutic approach combined with family involvement and education. With our expertise in pediatric physical therapy and your encouragement at home, we can work together to help your child be the very best they can be.
How the Pediatric Physical Therapy Screening Process Works
During the first visit, our dedicated physical therapist will do a comprehensive assessment of your child's gross motor skills including their strength, range of motion, balance, and coordination. This will involve talking with you to learn about your child’s limitations and the concerns you have with their development. This will also include a physical assessment where our therapist will observe your child’s movement and gross motor skills through simple activities. This evaluation will enable us to determine what skills your child needs help developing so we can create their customized treatment plan.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Your Child
Your child’s treatment plan will include targeted exercises and activities to address the gross motor skills with which your child is struggling. We can also give you tips and activities you can use at home to help your child continue to build their skills between sessions. With routine treatment and your support, our physical therapist can help your child:
Improve their strength, endurance, coordination, and balance skills
Increase their flexibility and range of motion
Enhance their safety, independence, and general mobility
Relieve their pain through exercise or manual therapy techniques
Restore mobility after surgery or injury
Maximize their functional mobility
Become able to play with other children
Achieve their developmental goals for success in school and life
Conditions We Treat
Pediatric therapy can empower children of all ages and circumstances to achieve their developmental goals. Our physical therapist has extensive experience working with children diagnosed with various conditions, including:
Down syndrome
Cerebral palsy
Spina bifida
Coordination disorders
Gross motor delays
Torticollis (asymmetrical head or neck position)
Plagiocephaly (a flat spot on the back or side of the head)
Musculoskeletal disorders or injuries
Concussions
Abnormal Gait (Toe walking, In-toeing, Out-toeing)
Other vestibular (balance) disorders
Specialized Pelvic Floor PT at Metro Therapy
Metro Therapy offers physical therapy (PT) for our patients with pelvic floor dysfunction. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that help to control bowel and bladder function. Pelvic floor PT focuses on optimizing muscle control, addressing posture and encouraging good habits to promote decreased symptoms related to bowel and bladder dysfunction.
Common pelvic floor dysfunctions
in children and adolescents.
Constipation
Encopresis (bowel accidents)
Dysfunctional voiding
Enuresis (bedwetting)
Overactive bladder
Daytime Incontinence
How can Pediatric Pelvic Floor Therapy Help
Pediatric Pelvic Floor Therapy treatment includes using biofeedback to retrain the pelvic floor muscles, external manual therapy to help improve tissue and organ function, education to improve voiding or dietary habits, therapeutic exercise to help strengthen weak muscles, improve coordination, improve breathing mechanics and posture.
Specialized Concussion PT at Metro Therapy
Metro Therapy offers physical therapy (PT) for our patients post-concussion. A concussion can occur from a direct or indirect impact to the head injuring the brain. Concussion PT focuses on brain recovery through exercises and activity progression in order to reduce concussion-related symptoms for return to school and sports.
Common concussion-related symptoms:
Headaches
Dizziness
Nausea
Sensitivity to light or sound
Balance troubles
Low energy
Difficulty concentrating or remembering
Increase irritability or sadness
Schedule a Free Pediatric Physical Therapy Screening
No matter what challenges your child is facing, our pediatric therapists can help them develop the skills they need for success in life. If your child is struggling to achieve their physical milestones, is recovering from an injury, or has a delay or disability that impacts their quality of life, Metro Therapy is here to help.
Call us at 763-333-9547 today to schedule a free pediatric physical therapy screening. Our expert team will evaluate your child’s current physical skills and create a treatment plan to help them be the very best they can be.