Benefits

Could My Child Benefit from Physical Therapy?

If your child is having difficulties in one or more of these areas, they may benefit from PT.

• Delayed motor development for their age
• Difficulty climbing playground equipment
• Walking on toes
• Poor head control
• Baby who only looks in one direction or has a head tilt
• Baby who has a flat spot on their head
• Scoliosis
• Stiff legs with little movement
• Extra flexible or low muscle tone
• Joint stiffness
• Falls or trips often
• Off balance or not coordinated for their age
• Unable to keep up with their peers
• Back pain
• Knee pain
• Sprained ankle
• Shoulder pain
• Sports injuries
• Orthopedic surgery

Dynamic Movement Intervention

What is DMI and How Can it Help?

Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) is the fastest growing manual therapy technique utilized by pediatric therapists to help children reach their gross motor milestones.  DMI utilizes the repetition of different exercises to promote muscle activation, postural and joint alignment, range of motion, and weight bearing.  DMI treatment methods help children with any type of gross motor delay including: prematurity, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, hypotonia, genetic disorders, and orthopedic conditions.

All of the PTs at Agape are DMI registered practitioners.  This highly effective treatment method helps children gain strength, postural control, and independence.

LiteGait

What is LiteGait and How Can it Help?

LiteGait ® is the original body-weight support treadmill training system utilized by physical therapists to improve walking, standing, crawling, balance, posture, and global strengthening. The LiteGait ® is adjustable to give just the amount of support for safe and functional standing and walking. With the LiteGait ® safely and securely supporting the child, the PT’s hands are free to facilitate normal movement patterns. The harness is mobile and can be placed over the ground or our specialized pediatric treadmill. LiteGait ® training is beneficial for children with hypotonia, global muscle weakness, difficulty walking, scoliosis, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, orthopedic injury, surgical recovery, genetic disorders, or gross motor delays. Agape’s Litegait ® system can be used for infants, young children, and even older children who are up to 6’ tall and 200 pounds.

At Agape our LiteGait ® and pediatric treadmill is used often by our PT Team to help children of all ages achieve improved gait mechanics, balance, and postural stability.

Developmental Milestone Guide

Is My Child on Track?

Every child develops at a different rate.  Some children need special help.  The following is a guideline of the average age when children acquire gross motor and coordination skills.  The checklist below offers a guide to track your child’s progress.

If you have questions about your child’s development or if your child has not reached the suggested milestones, call us at 509.942.8474.  We can schedule an evaluation and determine if your child would benefit from physical therapy or if their development is on track.

Physical Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological condition that affects a child’s ability to move, balance, and maintain postural control.  CP is caused by damage or abnormal development in the parts of the brain that control movement.  These events can happen before, during, or shortly after birth when the brain is still developing.  There are several different types of Cerebral Palsy including spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, and mixed.  CP is the most common motor disability in childhood.  While there is no cure for CP, early treatment is vital to help children reach their full potential.

Our specialized treatment approach focuses on improving functional abilities and quality of life for children with Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy affects a child’s muscle tone, posture, movement, balance, swallowing, speaking, and motor skills.  Our pediatric speech therapists use proven techniques to help children improve their ability to eat, speak, and communicate.  Our physical therapists help children learn how to roll, sit, crawl, and walk.  PTs also help children obtain medically necessary equipment like wheelchairs, standing frames, gait trainers, orthotics.  Occupational therapists help children with CP learn how to perform everyday tasks like playing, drawing, and dressing.  Therapy can also support cognitive development including memory, problem solving, and organizational skills.

Our goal at Agape Pediatric Therapy is not only to address the immediate needs of children with Cerebral Palsy, but to also provide education and resources so parents are empowered to help their children have the brightest possible future.

Physical Therapy for Developmental Delay

What is a Developmental Delay?

A developmental delay is when a child is slow to reach one or more developmental milestones, compared to their same-age peers.  Delays may involve motor function, speech and language, social and emotional, play, and thinking skills.  According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 6 children in the US has some form of developmental delay.  Early detection and treatment is vital to helping children catch up and reach developmental milestones.

Our team of pediatric therapists, PTs, OTs, and SLPs, have extensive experience evaluating and treating children with developmental delays.

When a child is not reaching motor, speech, or social milestones as expected, this can be concerning for parents.  At Agape we empower parents to trust their instincts vs “wait and see”.  An evaluation can determine if a child’s development is delayed or on track.  If a child does present with developmental delays, we will create a treatment plan and work closely with the parents to provide hands-on patient care, parent education and support, and a home program to achieve goals and meet milestones.

At Agape we know every child develops a little differently and some need a little extra support.  Our team loves helping children with developmental delays learn new skills, catch up to their peers, and reach their full potential.

Physical Therapy for Down Syndrome

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic condition in which a child is born with an extra chromosome number 21.  The extra chromosome is associated with cognitive, communication, and motor delays, as well as an increased risk for other health problems.  Down syndrome, also called trisomy 21 happens by chance and occurs in about 1 in every 700 babies.

We celebrate the uniqueness of every child and find fulfillment in watching individuals with Down syndrome experience the significant benefits of pediatric therapy.

Children with that special 21^st chromosome sometimes need a little extra help and will often benefit from occupational, physical, and speech therapy.  Occupational therapy helps children increase independence with tasks like feeding, dressing, and writing.  Physical therapy helps children gain strength and postural control needed for crawling, walking, and running.  PT can also help children obtain adaptive equipment for sitting, standing, and walking.  Speech and language therapy helps children with Down syndrome improve their ability to communicate and interact with their parents, siblings, and peers.

At Agape Pediatric Therapy our goal is to empower children with Down syndrome to reach their full potential and live full and active lives.

Physical Therapy for Scoliosis

What is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine.  There are three types of scoliosis, idiopathic, congenital and neuromuscular.  80% of all scoliosis cases are idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown.  Idiopathic scoliosis occurs in girls more often than boys and typically occurs in children eleven and older Congenital scoliosis is a rare spine abnormality detected at birth.

Neuromuscular scoliosis happens alongside neurological conditions like cerebral palsy or muscular, spina bifida, or muscular dystrophy.  With all types of scoliosis early detection and treatment is the key to slowing or stopping the curve progression and decreasing the need for surgical intervention.

Our skilled and compassionate approach to treating Scoliosis addresses both the physical and emotional side effects of the diagnosis.

Signs of scoliosis may include uneven shoulders, shoulder blades that stick out, uneven waist, a uneven leg length or rib hump.  Children with scoliosis may experience back pain, leg pain or weakness, and difficulty standing up straight.  At Agape, PT for scoliosis is provided by a PT who is certified as a Schroth Level 1 Therapist.  She uses a specialized treatment method called the Schroth Method (BSPTS-Concept by Rigo) to improve posture, decrease pain and slow or stop the curve progression.  Scoliosis specific exercises are tailored to each child to improve their breathing, strength, and postural awareness.  Our scoliosis program includes a specialized PT evaluation, Schroth-based exercises based on each child’s spinal curve, and a customized home program.

When treating scoliosis at At Agape Pediatric Therapy we aim to prevent pain, slow or stop the progression of scoliosis and prevent the need for surgery.

Physical Therapy for Sports Injuries

What are Sports Injuries?

Youth sports participation has many benefits including improved mental, emotional, social, and physical health.  Taking part in sports also comes with an increased risk for injuries.  The most common sports injuries in kids are wrist, shoulder, and elbow injuries, shoulder pain or dislocation, ankle sprains, heel pain or Sever’s disease, shin splints, and knee injuries.

Our PTs treat a wide variety of orthopedic conditions and sports injuries to get kids off the bench and back to play.

Because a child’s bone growth, muscle mass, and ligament strength are different from an adult’s, their rehabilitation requires a different approach.  Our PTs take into consideration a child’s age, sport, and level of competition when approaching the rehabilitation process.  Our PTs focus on healing, prevention, and keeping young athletes safe.  Physical Therapy for sports injuries includes sport appropriate strength, balance, and coordination activities.  Individually tailored home programs optimize post-injury and post-surgical recovery for athletes of all ages.

Our goal in PT is to promote healing, prevent recurring injuries, and return kids back to their sport.

Physical Therapy for Torticollis & Plagiocephaly

What is Torticollis & Plagiocephaly?

Torticollis and plagiocephaly are two common conditions that can impact a baby’s development.  Torticollis is the tightening of a baby’s neck and postural muscles, causing the head to tilt to one side and rotate to the other side.  Plagiocephaly, also known as flat head syndrome, is when a baby develops a flattening on the side or back of the head.  Both of these conditions can develop in utero or when a baby spends too much time on their back or in baby containers like swings and car seats when awake.  Remember, back to sleep is still recommended to reduce the risk of SIDS.  If you notice symptoms of torticollis or plagiocephaly in your baby the “wait and see” approach is not recommended.  The earlier a baby begins treatment the more quickly and completely it can be resolved.

Our specialized approach to treating torticollis and plagiocephaly is effective, comfortable, and enjoyable for both babies and parents.

A baby with torticollis may tilt their head in one direction, prefer looking one direction, have difficulty rolling, and dislike tummy time.  Babies with torticollis may also have trouble breastfeeding on one side.  Physical therapy will include range of motion, holding techniques, positioning, and home exercises to improve neck range of motion, head shape, postural symmetry and gross motor development.

A baby with plagiocephaly may have a flatness on one side of their head, asymmetrical eyes or ears, or an uneven forehead.  In some cases a helmet may be required to correct a baby’s head shape.  During waking hours our PTs will recommend positions like supervised tummy time or side lying, carrying, and limiting time in infant car seats, swings, and bouncers.

At Agape our PTs partner with parents to help babies improve neck range of motion and postural alignment, reach motor milestones, and normalized head shape.