Q Paediatrics offers physiotherapy and exercise physiology services exclusively to children from infancy to adulthood.
Our aim is to optimise your child’s physical development and functional performance throughout the various stages of their development to promote participation in meaningful and rewarding activities.
Development Physiotherapy
Motor Development
Q Paediatrics strives to optimise a child’s function throughout all stages of development, and we understand the great impact having difficulties with motor development can have on a child’s social, emotional and psychological development. We also appreciate the impact this can have on parents.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Children with autism may or may not have related movement difficulties. We can help with the optimal development of motor skills by initially assessing the neuro sensory motor profile of your child and developing a program to address any underlying weaknesses in both the sensory and muscular systems.
Paediatric Chronic Pain Management
Chronic pain is a complex condition and has impacts across many aspects of a child’s and family’s life. Our therapist will work together with the child and their family to address the biological manifestations of the pain whilst understanding and considering the psychological and social factors.
Cardiorespiratory Care
Some children may only require chest physiotherapy for a short period when they are unwell (e.g. children with pneumonia), whilst some children with respiratory conditions such as CF (Cystic Fibrosis) require regular chest physiotherapy.
Paediatric Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction
We may be able to assist your child with urinary or faecal incontinence, including day time and night time wetting and faecal accidents and stains.
Physiotherapy for these children may include simple strategies at home, behavioural toileting program, and education in relation to positioning and specific strengthening exercises. Exercise physiology may assist with exercised based interventions for a healthy bladder and bowel.
Neurological Disorders and Congenital Disabilities
This area of paediatric physiotherapy services covers many different conditions including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, down syndrome and acquired brain injury to name a few. When working with these patients and their families we aim to deliver family centred, goal directed physiotherapy to optimise development and participation within the family, school and community.
Infant Care
Infant Postural Conditions
Some infants may be born with or develop slight postural anomalies. These may include a flattened head (plagiocephaly), an elongated head (brachicephaly), a turned head (torticollis) or turned feet (talipes equinovarus). Often there are some very simple strategies that can be used to assist normalise these postural conditions. Our physiotherapists will aim to teach you these strategies to use at home to aid in your child’s development.
Exercise Physiology
Accredited exercise physiologists (AEPs) are allied health professionals who specialise in the delivery of exercise for the prevention and management of chronic diseases and injuries. AEPs use the Exercise is Medicine philosophy to assist in management of conditions utilising exercise as the primary form of treatment.
From a paediatric perspective AEPs will assist with providing group or individual programs to assist with general development, obesity, hypermobility, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, sports strength and conditioning, neurological conditions, physical disabilities, mental health, spinal cord injuries and any other cause of movement difficulties.
Joint Hypermobility Disorder and Elhers Danlos Syndrome
Joint hypermobility can have a profound and widespread impact on a person’s function. We work with families through a multi-disciplinary approach to reduce the impact it may have on pain and function.
Musculoskeletal Conditions & Sports Participation
Growth Related Conditions
Growth impacts a child’s body in a number of ways and can result in a functional impact on the physical performance of a child with parents often reporting a reduction in co-ordination and skill as well as an increase in growth related injuries.
Some of the most common growth related injuries are traction apophysitis – including knee pain (Osgood-Schlatter or Sinding-Larsen-Johansen) and heel pain (Sever’s disease). Some children also experience general aches and pain often described as “growing pains”, which can have a significant impact on children and their families. Our therapists can provide advice regarding the cause, education of treatment techniques that can be implemented at home and exercise prescription aimed to developing functional strength.
Injury Management
Q Paediatrics can assist in the assessment and treatment of muscle and joint injuries. We understand the impact of growth and development on musculoskeletal injuries and will look at your child’s overall physical profile and how this relates to the injury and provide an age-appropriate rehabilitation.
Orthopaedic Management
Children can develop a number of orthopaedic conditions or sustain an orthopaedic injury through their development. In some instances, these conditions require conservative management to minimise pain and strengthen muscles around the affected area. In some cases, these children may require surgical management and rehabilitation may be necessary post-surgery.
Hard Core Kids®
Hard Core Kids® is a unique exercise program for kids, from 3-18yrs. Hard Core Kids® was developed by our Managing Partner Nicole Haynes to create a fun, dynamic exercise environment for children targeted to optimise their physical development.
We have a variety of classes to suit the child at their various levels of development.
Initial individual assessment by one of our physiotherapists or exercise physiologist is required for all children to determine suitability prior to enrolment in classes. The classes are then incorporated into an individualised program to address the specific needs and goals of your child.
Classes run parallel to the school terms and in addition we offer school holiday programs throughout the year.
