Children’s Physical Therapy Benefits
Children's physical therapy can improve balance, mobility, motor coordination, functional independence, and strength.
- Builds strength and endurance for sports and everyday routines
- Encourages independence in daily activities
- Enhances motor skills, balance, and overall functioning abilities
- Increases participation abilities for playing
- Promotes overall fitness and health
- Reduces everyday caregiving demands
- Supports progress with developmental milestones
How to Tell if Your Child Requires Physical Therapy
If your child struggles with walking, falls frequently, or experiences issues with their functional abilities and/or their physical coordination development, it might be time to consider physical therapy.
- Frequent falls: Your child’s motor coordination or vestibular system might be impaired if they are falling down on a regular basis.
- Motor skill milestone delays: One sign that physical therapy is necessary is if a child begins to miss motor skill milestones.
- Walking problems: Another indicator is issues with coordination or balance that affect walking abilities.
- Problems sitting up: Physical therapy can help babies who do not sit up in the standard developmental timeline.
Play-Based Physical Therapy
At Connections Therapy Centers, our physical therapists in Idaho Falls combine exercise with play to support kids in reaching key milestones. We guide kids through activities and exercises that focus on mobility, balance, strength, and coordination.
The primary purpose is for them to make improvements with walking, rolling, jumping, crawling, and other movements.
Conditions Treated by Our Team
Our Idaho Falls team can help high-risk infants, premature babies, and kids with developmental disabilities, orthopedic disorders, neuromuscular disorders, plagiocephaly, torticollis, and various injuries.
High-Risk and Premature Infants
The Connections Therapy Centers team can help infants and toddlers ages 0-3 with motor skills.
Developmental Disabilities
We support children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Developmental Coordination Disorder, and Developmental Delay.
Orthopedic and Neuromuscular Disorders
These include Scoliosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Injuries to the Spinal Cord, Spinal Muscle Atrophy, Joint Deformities, Cerebral Palsy, Prosthetics and Orthotics Services, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Plagiocephaly and Torticollis
We offer assistance for infants with plagiocephaly, which refers to flattened areas on a baby’s head, and torticollis, which describes tight muscles in their neck.
Various Injuries
We can help kids work through sports injuries and other types of injuries, such as leg, hip, knee, foot, and ankle injuries.
What Pediatric Physical Therapy Services Are Available?
Pediatric physical therapy services at Connections Therapy Centers consist of Dynamic Movement Intervention, Physical Therapy Intensives, and Pelvic Floor Therapy.
Physical Therapy Intensives
Our intensive programs offer frequent therapy sessions over a short period of time, using innovative tools like the Therasuit, Spider Cage (Multifunctional Therapy Unit), and DMI. These sessions focus on building strength, improving balance, and developing proper movement patterns. Children who participate often see improvements in independence, motor skills, and confidence in daily activities.
Pelvic Floor Therapy
At Connections, we have a physical therapist who specializes in evaluating and treating pelvic floor dysfunction in children. This dysfunction can result from weak or tight pelvic floor muscles, muscle incoordination, poor toileting habits, and more. Physical therapy is an effective and non-invasive approach for children with pelvic floor dysfunction and will help them regain better control of their bodies.
Meet our Pelvic Floor Therapist
Meet our Pelvic Floor Therapist: Nancy Hernandez, PT, DPT
Nancy Hernandez, PT, DPT grew up in Idaho Falls and completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at Idaho State University. Nancy is compassionate and understanding with children facing pelvic floor challenges. She builds strong, trusting relationships with her patients, helping them reach their goals and gain confidence.
Nancy can provide a thorough evaluation and will develop an individualized treatment program specific to your problems and functional goals. Depending on diagnosis, these treatments can include:
- strengthening or stretching for pelvic floor or surrounding muscle groups (abdomen, lower back, hips, etc.)
- biofeedback to help strengthen or relax the pelvic floor
- electrical stimulation for strengthening or relaxation
- relaxation techniques/deep breathing exercises
- manual therapy
- modalities (hot/cold therapy)
- patient education
- coordination exercises
Why East Idaho Families Choose Connections Therapy
Families in Idaho Falls, Rigby, Rexburg, and Blackfoot choose Connections Therapy because of our dedication to building genuine connections throughout the course of our pediatric physical therapy services. We want to get to know your family on a deeper level so we can provide the best support we can to you and your little one.
With Connections Therapy, you can expect:
Function-centered treatment
Trained therapists with pediatric physical therapy expertise
Family involvement from start to finish
Free screenings for your child
A wide range of accepted insurance plans
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pediatric physical therapy?
Pediatric physical therapy describes a branch of medicine centered around helping infants, kids, and adolescents improve mobility, motor skills, physical capabilities, and independence.
What are the signs that my child needs pediatric physical therapy?
If your child is experiencing problems with balance, walking, motor skills, and other physical abilities, pediatric physical therapy might be beneficial.
What conditions can pediatric physical therapy help with?
Pediatric physical therapy can help with developmental disabilities, injuries, neuromuscular disorders, orthopedic disorders, torticollis, plagiocephaly, and more.
Is pediatric physical therapy covered by insurance?
At Connections Therapy Centers, we accept Idaho Medicaid, Medicare, and most major insurance plans.
What communities in East Idaho does Connections Therapy Centers serve?
Connections Therapy Centers is proud to serve families in the Idaho Falls, Rigby, Rexburg, and Blackfoot areas.