Birth injuries can have a variety of health effects, and each case is unique. Physical therapy can be helpful in many ways, regardless of the effect. These professionals are available to help you develop a treatment plan that will reduce pain and minimize limitations.
Strengthening Your Body
Certain birth injuries require strengthening of the muscles. Physical therapy can help identify which muscles need strengthening and provide tips on how to maintain these muscles in good health. Your therapist will teach you how to do exercises with your child or which games and activities promote strength, without forcing your baby to work too hard.
Flexibility
Spasticity can be one of the many side effects that may result from a birth trauma. Here is where daily range-of-motion exercises are important. This type of exercise allows infected to maintain their mobility of joints and soft tissue which can help delay or prevent the development of contractures.
Coordination
It is important to focus on this feature during physical therapy. Your child’s ability to balance, hold, and point is important. All of these factors are dependent on coordination. Your child can learn to coordinate their movements by playing with building blocks, shapes, and holes of different sizes.
Balance
Balance problems can also be a side effect from a birth injury. Your child’s balance can be improved by a physical therapist teaching them exercises. Exercises can include balance on one foot, or the popular game of hopscotch.
Posture
It is not uncommon to find rigid postures and an inability to adjust or modify postural control while sitting and reaching for objects when diagnosed with cerebral palsy. This issue can be resolved through physical therapy. Stretching and strengthening muscles that are weaker can be part of the intervention.
Sensory Integration
All of our senses help the brain to efficiently receive, organize and use information. Birth injuries can cause this inability to process information. Children can benefit from a sensory integration program developed by physical therapy. It may be to improve gross motor skills or motor planning, as well as increase social skills. Sensory integration has many facets, and can be tailored to each child.
Reflexes
A baby’s reflexes should be numerous after birth. It is important to start physical therapy immediately if a child lacks reflexes. If reflexes aren’t addressed, long-term issues can include gait and balance difficulties. With the right program, a physical therapist will implement reflex integration to increase your child’s ability to move.
