Welcome to the world of pediatric physical therapy...

Author

Elise Bixenstine is a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Reaching New Heights. Elise is a recent graduate from Cleveland State University and is very excited to be joining our team! She received her undergraduate degree from Ohio University where she studied Exercise Physiology.

“Isn’t physical therapy just for athletes and adults in recovery?” Nope! Sometimes, children need physical therapy, too. You might not give a second thought to walking up the stairs or picking up a drink. But for a child with an injury or delay in development, those simple tasks can be very challenging. Seeing your child try their best with their peers and still struggle to keep up can be difficult as a parent to watch. You do everything in your power to help but feel like you could be doing more. Do not worry, you are not alone! I am here to help your child achieve the movement milestones they need in order to keep up in a fast-paced world. Welcome to the world of pediatric physical therapy!

In short, as a pediatric physical therapist, it is my main job to assist your child in meeting their age-related norms so that they are able to keep up with their peers on the playground. I assist your child with being able to develop balance skills in order to kick a ball, develop the coordination it takes to catch and throw a ball, develop strength in order to be able to go up and down the stairs reciprocally, and to use all three components in order to learn to complete gross motor activities such as riding a bike. It is also important for me to note that all of these are all very specific examples. You may want to think of it in more basic terms…I can assist your child in learning how to crawl, walk, run, jump, and even skip! As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I have been trained to break tasks down in to smaller components, find a weak spot in the task development, and meet your child where they are to cultivate specific, personalized goals.
Now, you may be thinking, “Why is it important or even functional for my child to throw or catch a ball, and who cares about skipping?” I can sense where your hesitation comes in…especially because those are not typical daily activity in adulthood. Aside from the important core strength, coordination, and muscle strength that is required to complete those activities, it allows your child to be able to keep up with their peers in everyday life. I am a firm believer that children learn best and have those most growth during play. Not only from a physical therapy stand point, but also from a social, emotional, and cognitive stand point. There are so many aspects of growth that are taking place during these pivotal young years in your child’s life, and I promise to do my best to give your child the tools they need to lead a life of prosperity and success.
The next thing you may be wondering, is “What would a typical treatment session look like?” It may be easy to assume that you treat each diagnosis or impairment following a specific, laid out “rule book”. However, the exact opposite is true! It is my moral responsibility to treat each patient individually, based on areas of need noted during my thorough examination, rather than from a diagnosis listed on a piece of paper. As to no surprise, I like to make my treatment sessions full of play! Through repetition and guided movements, I do my best to make therapy productive and fun.
If you are feeling that you child could use additional gross motor training, backed by science, to keep up with their peers day to day, or if you feel like you consistently seeing them fall during play, or struggle to climb on the jungle gym, please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] and I would love to set up an appointment and have you join the world of pediatric physical therapy!