Including 3 reasons why you want your young athlete to work with a physical therapist who is experienced in working with youth athletes
We want the best for our kids. We want the individuals taking care of our kids to not only understand pediatric related conditions, but also know how to relate to them.
We take them to pediatricians so they are seen by medical doctors who are experts in working with kids.
We take them to daycares or preschools so the people watching and teaching them are experts in working with kids.
If they require specialty care we take them to specialists who are experts in working with kids.
Why do we do this? We do this because we care. We care that those who are helping our children have experience in working with kids, and quite frankly, are good at it.
So why should physical therapy be any different? It shouldn’t.
Kids are not small adults and they deserve kid-specific physical therapy. Children and adolescents have unique needs and considerations that are different from adults. This often leads to injuries or complaints of pain that are different from adults and require a different approach to treatment. Physical therapy for young athletes should appear to be different from physical therapy for adults…because they are different.
Below are 3 reasons why you should consider having your young athlete who may be dealing with sitting out from practices, games, shows, or competitions due to pain or an injury work with a physical therapist who specializes in working with young athletes.
1. Specialized training and experience
Did you know that physical therapists can choose to complete a residency and additional training to specialize in a specific area of physical therapy? They can then go on to obtain a board-certification in this specialty area of practice. Examples include specializing in pediatrics, orthopedics, sports, or neurology.
Starting Block Physical Therapy is unique in that Dr. Kari is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy, but also has extensive training and experience in pediatrics and sports physical therapy. She completed her orthopedic residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center where she worked exclusively with children and adolescents with a variety of sports and orthopedic related conditions. Since then, she has worked with kids of all ages (from 1-21 years of age) with orthopedic, sports, and other developmental related conditions at another top ranked Children’s Hospital. She is passionate about working with kids and understands that kids often require a different approach to physical therapy. She knows exactly how to tailor a physical therapy session to meet your child where they are based on their age, development, and/or ability. Ultimately, she wants to make sure physical therapy is FUN and that every child who comes to her for physical therapy leaves set up for success into the future.
2. Unique injuries require a different approach to physical therapy
Kids are constantly growing and developing. Bone growth, brain development, puberty, and the unique sport and activity demands kids experience leads to injuries that are different in kids than adults. This also means that the reason why a child may be hurting or injured is often different from adults. Therefore, the physical treatment and plan needs to often be different from what is often provided to adults. Physical therapy for our young athletes should be created specifically for them and their needs. This often leads to a young athlete feeling better and returning to their sport faster and with less physical therapy.
3. Sport specific assessment and treatment
Physical therapy for young athletes should get them back to their sport. Your child should not be discharged or released from physical therapy if they haven’t received sport-specific treatment or a sport/activity related assessment. If they are going back to their sports or other activities, this needs to be looked at and a game plan for getting back in a safe and healthy manner needs to be discussed. Period.
If your child is a dancer, physical therapy needs to include dance-specific movements. If your child is a swimmer, movements and motion necessary for swimming needs to be assessed. If your child is returning to sports like soccer, basketball, or football, movements required to change direction or sprint down the field must be evaluated. We wouldn’t have someone return to walking without watching them walk, and shouldn’t have someone return to a sport without watching them perform specific tasks related to that sport.
Pediatric orthopedics and sports physical therapy is a unique area of specialization within the field of physical therapy. We are dedicated to providing our young athletes with the best possible care and want them to succeed and thrive in everything they do. Just as we utilize other services specific to kids, physical therapy should be specific to kids and the sports or activities they participate in.
Contact us at Starting Block Physical Therapy to schedule a free phone consultation to learn more about how we can work with your young athlete and get them back into their sport without pain or injury.
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