Pediatric Physical Therapy

Serving Children and Families in Maplewood and Plymouth, MN

Developmental Delays • Gross Motor Development • Muscle Weakness • Mobility Challenges • Gait Abnormalities • Musculoskeletal Conditions • Joint Dysfunction & Pain • Torticollis & Plagiocephaly • Bowel & Bladder Issues • Hypermobility • Low or High Muscle Tone

Children working on coordination and other motor skills during physical therapy for kids in Plymouth, MN

Physical Therapy for Kids

At Children’s Theraplay, our physical therapists specialize in helping children develop, recover, and improve their physical abilities to experience life as fully and independently as possible. Whether your child needs support with meeting developmental milestones or managing pain, our pediatric PTs will help them:

  • Crawl, squat, walk, run, climb, play, and move with ease

  • Use whole-body coordination & gross motor skills for play

  • Improve balance & postural control to safely move

  • Develop strength & endurance for daily activities

  • Increase range of motion to move more freely

  • Physically keep up with other kids and family members

  • Participate in life more independently

    • Developmental delays

    • Autism

    • Genetic disorders

    • Cerebral Palsy

    • Down Syndrome

    • Torticollis and plagiocephaly

    • Low or high muscle tone

    • Hypermobility

    • Bowel and bladder issues

    • Obesity

    • Musculoskeletal conditions

    • Joint dysfunction and pain

    • Is late to achieving gross motor milestones

    • Has difficulty keeping up with peers 

    • Gets tired easily 

    • Trips or falls frequently 

    • Has difficulty using playground equipment  

    • Runs or walks differently than you would expect, such as toe walking 

    • Prefers turning their head to one side (Torticollis) 

    • Has difficulty learning new movements 

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Dynamic Movement Intervention

Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) is a therapeutic technique that uses specific dynamic exercises to improve a child’s automatic response to the environment.  The exercises promote muscle activation, postural control, and strength.  

  • Any child with a motor delay can benefit from DMI, including children with:

    • prematurity

    • hypotonia

    • genetic disorders

    • Down Syndrome

    • Cerebral Palsy

    • Spina Bifida

    • global developmental delay

    • brain injuries

    Due to the hands-on nature of this intervention, DMI is most effective with children 5 years and under, but the principles can be applied for children of all ages. 

  • The physical therapist will choose specific exercises to challenge your child at their highest skill level as well as exercises that focus on developing their core muscles and ability to progress toward milestones. 

    Your child will work against gravity and will progress by the therapist decreasing their level of support. 

    Exercises are frequently repeated across sessions until your child can demonstrate an automatic response and improvement in function. 

    Exercises may be completed on a tabletop or the floor based on the exercise and what works best for your child.

    Sessions may also include other therapeutic techniques and interventions that work well in conjunction with DMI.

  • https://dmitherapy.com/parent-resources-and-faq/

Torticollis Treatment

As many as 1 in 6 babies experience torticollis, a condition where the neck muscles involuntarily spasm or tighten, causing the head to tilt or twist to one side.

Physical therapy is the primary treatment. Our therapists take a whole-body approach and use a combination of stretching, strengthening, positioning, manual therapy, and parent education to effectively treat the restrictions and improve head positioning and posture.

Left untreated, this condition can result in uneven posture throughout the whole body and delay or prevent progression toward gross motor milestones. When treated early, a vast majority of children demonstrate full recovery without any residual effects.  

Because we know time is of the essence, we offer expedited scheduling for babies under 12 months.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy is a hands-on approach to improve mobility and decrease restrictions and pain. Our PTs use two gentle forms of manual therapy to support your child's progress.

  • Fascial Counterstrain (FCS)

  • Facilitation of Joint Movement (FJM)

  • Fascial Counterstrain (FCS) is a gentle, hands-on manual therapy technique used to identify and release areas of tightness and restriction within the body’s fascia.

    Fascia is a contractile connective tissue that connects every system in our body. Just like a muscle, fascia can become contracted, strained, or irritated, resulting in pain/discomfort, protective responses, movement challenges, or changes in how a child’s body functions. Due to its presence across all systems, dysfunctional fascia can result in the dysfunction of multiple systems.

    The treatment involves localizing 'tender points' of contracted tissue and then slackening the fascia to alleviate inflammation in the area. The therapist carefully assesses subtle tension patterns and positions the child’s body in specific, comfortable ways. This approach is extremely gentle and does not involve forceful stretching or manipulation.

    Fascial Counterstrain can help improve mobility, support better posture and coordination, decrease discomfort, and enhance overall body function.

  • Facilitation of Joint Movement (FJM) is a micro-manual therapy technique that restores a child’s natural patterns of joint movement. It’s used to treat joint dysfunction and pain that cause false weakness and spasm.

    FJM uses very small, targeted movements to gently guide the joint back toward its normal motion. By addressing these subtle joint restrictions, the technique helps “reset” how the nervous system communicates with the soft tissue surrounding the joint. This can reduce pain, decrease muscle spasm, and improve strength and coordination without the need for forceful manipulation.

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