Pediatric physiotherapy at the clinic aims to maximize the potential of your child (infant to older teen), enhance their quality of life, and empower them to reach their developmental milestones, participate in activities, and thrive in their everyday pursuits.
Torticollis, Plagiocephaly, & Brachycephaly
Physiotherapy is a great option for conservative treatment of congenital muscular torticollis, which is the tightening of the SCM muscle of the neck. Infants will present with lateral neck flexion to the involved SCM and neck rotation away from the involved side. Torticollis presents right around the time of birth or soon after. Treatment involves manual stretching, positioning, and parent/caregiver education. Research shows that early physiotherapy intervention leads to better outcomes while minimizing the length of treatment required. Positional plagiocephaly is when the infant presents with flattening of one side of the head or the back of the head from spending too much time on their backs. It can also present with Torticollis, as tight and weak neck muscles can prevent the infant from turning their head. Treatment involves education and repositioning techniques and is most effective when initiated in the first couple of months of the baby's life. Brachycephaly is a head shape condition similar to and often associated with Positional Plagiocephaly. It occurs when an infant develops a widened head shape with symmetrical flattening at the back of the skull. This is typically caused by spending prolonged periods lying on their back leading to even pressure across the posterior aspect of the head, or torticollis causing limited neck movement. Management is similar to plagiocephaly and focuses on early physiotherapy intervention, including parent education, repositioning strategies, and environmental modifications to encourage varied head positions. Treatment is most effective when initiated within the first few months of life, when the skull is most malleable.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that involves chronic peripheral nerve pain which usually effects a distal extremity. Symptoms include: - Pain in the extremity, - Hyperalgesia, - Allodynia, - Swelling, - Skin changes, and - Increased sweating The cause of CRPS is unknown, but is sometimes precipitated by a minor trauma or injury. Treatment involves strategies for pain management and increasing function/participation.
Gross Motor
Skill Delay
As infants and toddlers develop and age, they achieve certain gross motor skills or milestones. These motor skills involve the large muscles of the body and help the child move around and perform everyday functions such as sitting, standing, walking, and running. With gross motor delay, children are not quite demonstrating the age appropriate milestones. Physiotherapy can provide treatment to help the emergence of motor skills and increase your child’s activity and participation.
Toe Walking
Toe walking is a gait pattern in which a child walks on the balls of their feet without the heels contacting the ground. While it can be a normal part of early walking development, persistent toe walking may require further assessment, particularly if it continues beyond the expected age. Toe walking can occur for several reasons, such as tight calf muscles. In some cases, it is classified as Idiopathic Toe Walking, where no underlying cause is identified. Physiotherapy is typically the first-line treatment, focusing on education, stretching, strengthening, and balance training to promote a heel-to-toe gait pattern.
Developmental Coordination Disorder
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a condition in which a child has difficulty learning and performing coordinated motor skills, due to differences in how the brain plans and executes movement. Common signs of DCD include: - Clumsiness, - Difficulty with fine and gross motor tasks, - Poor balance, and - Avoidance of physical activities. Physiotherapy plays an important role in management by focusing on improving movement skills, building confidence, and promoting participation. This is achieved through education, task-specific training, and functional, play-based therapy tailored to the child’s needs.
Hypotonia
& Hypertonia
Hypotonia and Hypertonia refer to the tension in muscles at rest, with hypertonia describing increased muscle tone and hypotonia describing decreased muscle tone. Hypertonia often presents as stiff, tight muscles with a limited range of motion, which can make smooth, coordinated movement difficult. Physiotherapy management may include education, stretching, positioning, and functional movement training to improve mobility and prevent contractures. Hypotonia typically presents as “floppy” muscles, increased joint flexibility, and delayed motor development. Physiotherapy management often focuses on education, strengthening exercises, postural control training, balance activities, and functional skill development to support motor progress and independence.
Meet Your Specialists
Meet our pediatric specialists: Alyssa, Lisa, Kyla, and Carly (at our Calgary location!) They navigate a diverse set of challenges from torticollis, gross motor skill delay, complex regional pain syndrome, and other MSK/orthopedic conditions with finesse. Their expertise extends from infants to older teens, ensuring comprehensive care for every young patient. Click on their image for their profiles!