Why use a Children’s Physiotherapist?

“From the very beginning, movement is an important part of all our lives and promotes healthy growth and development. Paediatric physiotherapists use their expertise in movement to promote healthy development, and healthy lifestyles, for children and young people from birth to 19 years (APCP 2025)”.

Children's physiotherapy (also known as paediatric physiotherapy) is a specialised healthcare field focused on the physical development, movement, and mobility of children from birth through adolescence (19 years).

A child is not just a smaller human. Specialist paediatric physiotherapists understand the complexity of the immature musculoskeletal system, the developmental pathways, and the impact of a holistic and multi-sensory approach to reach the best outcome for the child and their family.

A children's physiotherapist assesses, diagnoses, and treats conditions that affect a child's:

Gross motor skills (e.g., crawling, walking, running, balance)

Musculoskeletal system (muscles, bones, joints)

Neurological system (brain and nervous system function affecting movement)

Cardiopulmonary system (heart and lungs)

Treatment is delivered in a fun, child-friendly, and play-based way to keep children engaged and motivated. The goal is to help children reach their full physical potential.

Early intervention in physiotherapy is crucial for optimising long-term outcomes, especially for developmental delays, injuries, or chronic conditions in children.

Starting treatment sooner helps to capitalise on the brain's plasticity, making it easier to correct movement patterns, improve strength, and enhance motor skills before compensatory habits become deeply ingrained.

This proactive approach significantly increases the likelihood of achieving fuller functional engagement and can often reduce the need for more intensive or prolonged therapies later in life, ultimately leading to a better quality of life and preventing secondary complications.

Improving a child’s physical development directly supports cognitive and social emotional development by increasing motivating factors, access to their environment amongst many other reasons.