A week ago today I sat on the floor crying because I couldn’t find a position to get up that wasn’t excruciating. As a physical therapist it is inevitable that the professional will at some point become the patient. I’ve been there several times before. Once for a whiplash injury, another time for chronic vertigo […]
I spent the day watching the faces of children light up as they received their new bikes. Their parents were also filled with joy for their children and were so grateful for the donations that led to free therapeutic bikes for their child. These children were all different ages and had various special needs.
I am asked about flat feet all the time. I’ve even gotten our OTs in the habit of looking at their client’s feet. Over and over again parents take their child to the orthopedic surgeon and ask about orthotics for their child’s flat feet. Each time the physician says no. The orthotic will not change […]
If you have a child who has difficulty with social skills and I asked you what kind of therapy could help your child develop these skills, what would you say? I can guarantee physical therapy wouldn’t be on that list. Not even on the bottom of the list.
Trunk or core strengthening is a need for children of various diagnoses, including coordination disorders, low tone, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. In fact most child with developmental differences regardless of diagnosis will benefit from strengthening to the trunk muscles.
An NDT-based session will have a session goal that is a mini-version of a short-term goal. The sequence of the session is to elongate and align body structures and then activate movement patterns for a functional skill. The idea is that in order to achieve a functional goal, such as crawling, walking or jumping, certain […]
NDT is a problem-solving approach used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists to improve the abilities of child and adults with nervous system pathologies face during their daily lives. It is not a prescribed series of techniques, but a dynamic approach to planning and implementing treatment.
I am writing this series on NDT in response to a few different interactions I have had with parents and a couple of physical therapists who are teaching physical therapy students. A physical therapy instructor (NOT a therapist with experience working with adults or children with neurological disorders) asked me why I pursued my NDT […]
This is the third part of The Balance Series. In the first part we reviewed the components of balance. In the second part we discussed the various vestibular dysfunctions that can occur in children. In this last article we will look at the different components of treatment.
As discussed in The Sense of Balance there is an important sense that may not be part of our daily consciousness, but is integral to everything we do. The vestibular system plays a role in posture, balance and vision.