When you think about physiotherapy, a baby might not be the first patient that springs to mind.
But those first months are full of movement and development. Long before sitting or crawling, babies are busy learning how to use their bodies and explore the world around them, and sometimes they need a little extra support along the way.
At Therapy Stars, our specialist Baby Physiotherapy service supports babies from birth to one year old. Some families come to us because their baby has a known condition, while others simply have concerns about how their baby is developing.
Why Might a Baby Need Physiotherapy?
There are many reasons why families come to see us. Some babies may benefit from physiotherapy following a premature or traumatic birth, while others may have a condition that affects their physical development.
We can also support babies with torticollis, where they have a preference for turning their head to one side, or plagiocephaly, which causes flattening of the head.
Sometimes it’s simply something a parent has noticed. Your baby might be moving differently from how you expected, or perhaps a milestone isn’t happening quite as anticipated.
You don’t need to know whether your baby “needs physiotherapy” before contacting us. That’s something we can help you understand.
Supporting Those Early Movements
Babies learn through movement from the very beginning, with everyday play giving them opportunities to explore what their bodies can do.
Every baby develops differently, so milestones aren’t a race or a checklist that needs to be completed by a particular date. They can, however, give us a useful picture of how your baby’s movement is progressing and help us identify where some additional support might be beneficial.
When it is, physiotherapy can focus on the areas that are right for your baby.
What Does Baby Physiotherapy Actually Look Like?
Don’t worry, we’re not expecting your baby to start doing reps at the gym!
Baby physiotherapy looks very different from the treatment you might associate with adult physiotherapy. At Therapy Stars, sessions are designed to feel relaxed and engaging, with plenty of opportunities for play.
We’ll start by assessing your baby’s development and looking at how they move, before creating an individual therapy plan based on what they need.
Your therapist might use different positions or therapeutic handling to encourage movement, and approaches such as Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) can also be used where appropriate.
Helping You Support Your Baby at Home
A lot of your baby’s development happens away from the clinic, which is why we’ll also help you feel confident supporting them at home.
Your physiotherapist can suggest simple ways to encourage movement through everyday play, based on what your baby is currently working towards.
The aim isn’t to make home feel like another therapy session. It’s about finding opportunities that fit naturally into your day together.
When Should I Get in Touch?
You don’t have to wait until you know there’s a problem before asking for advice.
Some families come to us looking for additional physiotherapy alongside NHS treatment, while others are waiting for an NHS appointment and would like their baby to be seen sooner. You may simply have a concern about your baby’s movement and want some reassurance.
Whatever has brought you to us, we’re happy to listen and help you understand what the next step could be.
If you’d like to find out whether Baby Physiotherapy could support your little one, book a complimentary phone call with the Therapy Stars team. We’ll ask you to complete a short questionnaire beforehand so we can understand your concerns and make the most of your call.
You can also find out more about Physiotherapy for Babies here.
