Services

Children's Physiotherapy is a Melbourne based paediatric physiotherapy private practice providing evidence based individual physiotherapy assessment and management.

Assessment

A physiotherapy assessment may include an evaluation of:

• Parents concerns, preferences and  goals
• Muscle strength
• Range of movement of  joints
• Muscle length/contracture
• Balance
• Posture and gait
• Tone e.g. the floppiness/stiffness in muscles
• Respiratory function
• Pain
• Gross motor skills, such as crawling, rolling,  walking, and transitions between positions such as pulling to stand, jumping,
• Running
• Climbing, swimming
• Bike riding/scooter
• Orthotics
• Equipment, such as wheelchairs, standing frames, assistive walkers, seating systems

Change in any of these areas is  measurable so  appropriate objective assessment tools are used to measure and record this change.

 

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Treatment

The Physiotherapy Treatment of Children

• Intervention will be selected according to the assessment findings,  clinical expertise,  knowledge of the condition,  and scientific evidence of the different treatment options. Specific  treatment goals will be formulated with the child and family,  taking into consideration their values and preferences. Treatment strategies, activities and exercises are practiced in consultation and parents are taught and shown how to implement these treatment ideas at home. With children treatment is more effective if the activities  are  functional and fun. Sometimes the home physical and play environment needs to be adapted, and these modifications will be discussed in the consultation.

Equipment Provision for Children with a Disability

• The physiotherapists can assist in the assessment and application for SWEP (State Wide Equipment Provision) funding for standing frames, gait aides, assistive walkers, seating , wheelchairs and  scooters . Catherine has red provider status for provision with SWEP which is the highest level of paediatric status.

Hydrotherapy

• Both physiotherapists are expert in assisting children with a disability to learn to move. This involves both land and water therapy.  Water therapy or hydrotherapy is a fun, family friendly physical activity, which is helpful in building  balance,  strength and endurance. Hydrotherapy sessions can occur at a local indoor pool or at a patient's private pool.

Other options:

• At a school ,  kindergarten or childcare  setting
• At an appropriate  setting such as a playground or park to work on specific gross motor goals
• At your home, as home visits are available.

Integration Support Submission

• Integration support letters and other types of submissions are available following a clinical consultation.