Physiotherapy

Our physiotherapists use a neurodevelopmental approach to assess and treat a wide range of conditions (in neonates, infants and children) such as:

• Infants: Early intervention for prematurity or birth complications, Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) follow-up

• Developmental delay / coordination difficulties / developmental coordination disorder

• ADHD / ADD / poor concentration caused by decreased endurance and core strength

• Joint hypermobility spectrum of disorders

• Cerebral palsy

• Other neurological disorders: Traumatic brain injuries and near drowning, meningitis, stroke, epilepsy, encephalopathies, neurofibromatosis, Friedreich’s ataxia, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Erb’s palsy and more.

• Neuromuscular conditions: Muscular dystrophies, spinal muscular atrophy, congenital myopathies, Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, torticollis and more.

• Orthopaedic conditions: Amputations, fractures, phocomelia/limb deficiencies, arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, osteogenesis imperfecta, achondroplasia and dwarfism, Perthe’s disease, scoliosis/postural difficulties, idiopathic toe-walking and more.

• Spinal cord insults: Spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, sacral agenesis, paraplegia, syringomyelia, transverse myelitis and more.

• Congenital syndromes and genetic disorders: Haemophilia, Down syndrome and other trisomy’s, Dandy Walker syndrome, Pierre Robin syndrome, Moebius syndrome, omphalocoele and more.

• Respiratory conditions: Chest infections, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, asthma and more.

• Post-operative rehabilitation

Standardised tests used for assessment include:

• Prechtl’s General Movements Assessment (GMA)

• Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP)

• Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE)

• Infant Neuromotor Assessment (INA)

• Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC)

Treatments are designed on an individual basis and our physios are trained in Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT). We treat children from birth to teens with a special emphasis on early intervention. Our physios work within the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Classification of Function (ICF) framework, focusing on achieving goals related to the child’s participation in daily life.

What is Neurodevelopmental Therapy?

NEURODEVELOPMENTAL THERAPY is a treatment approach used for the assessment and management of children and adults who have motor and sensory problems as a result of cerebral palsy or any other trauma to the brain (as well as generalised developmental delay).

• “Neuro” meaning brain and nerves

• “Developmental” emphasising the importance of understanding normal components of movement and other areas of function

• “Therapy” being a management approach for treating individuals with central nervous system damage

In NDT treatment, the therapist addresses the disturbance in postural tone and movement patterns. Through a variety of therapeutic techniques and the facilitation of normal movement, more normal sensory-motor experiences become possible and improved postural control and function are gained. Improvement in everyday activities, such as sitting, walking, feeding, dressing and writing is the primary aim of the treatment.

NDT is based on the following principles:

• It analyses the physical challenges that impact on posture and movement

• It then emphasises therapeutic handling including the use of tone influencing patterns to limit undesired postures and movements and facilitation of desired postures and movements within functional contexts

• It incorporates sensory input to produce a desired motor response

• It encourages caregivers to become educated in NDT principles in order to achieve optimal positioning of children and to maximise quality of movement in all environments including home, school, work and community

• It strives to minimise undesired movements and postures which can result in secondary problems

• It aims to promote active, efficient and automatic movements during functional activities.

  (This information was adapted from the South African Neurodevelopmental Therapy Association’s website www.sandta.org.za)