Disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional for advice specific to your child's condition. © 2026 Better Physiotherapy Bundoora.
Children are not small adults. Their musculoskeletal systems are in a constant state of growth and development, which means their injuries, movement problems, and rehabilitation needs differ from those of adults. Paediatric physiotherapy addresses these unique needs in an age-appropriate, engaging way.
How Paediatric Physiotherapy Differs from Adult Physiotherapy
Key differences in treating children:
- Growth plates: Children have cartilaginous growth plates (physes) that are vulnerable to traction injuries and fractures that adults do not get — Sever's disease, Osgood-Schlatter, and avulsion fractures at apophyses are paediatric-specific conditions.
- Developmental context: Movement assessment must be interpreted against developmental norms for the child's age — what is normal at 3 is not normal at 8.
- Engagement: Treatment must be engaging for children. Play-based and game-based rehabilitation approaches are more effective than adult-style exercise programs.
- Parent and carer involvement: Parents are integral to paediatric physiotherapy — home programs are taught to parents, who are coached to facilitate their child's progress between appointments.
Common Paediatric Conditions
Growing pains (Sever's and Osgood-Schlatter): Growth plate traction injuries at the heel and knee respectively. Very common in active adolescents during growth spurts. Managed with load modification, heel lifts, and progressive calf and quadriceps strengthening.
Sports injuries: ACL injuries, ankle sprains, and stress fractures occur in young athletes with increasingly high training loads. Rehabilitation follows the same principles as adults but with additional consideration for growth-related factors.
Postural conditions: Scoliosis assessment and Schroth-based exercise, flat feet and gait assessment, toe walking, and head shape asymmetry (plagiocephaly) in infants.
NDIS-funded conditions: Cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, and other neurodevelopmental conditions affecting movement and physical function.
Paediatric Physiotherapy at Better Physiotherapy Bundoora
We see children from infancy through adolescence at our Bundoora clinic. NDIS registered and accepting Medicare EPC referrals. Call (03) 9467 6900 or book online.
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions does paediatric physiotherapy treat?
Growing pains (Sever's disease at the heel, Osgood-Schlatter at the knee), sports injuries in young athletes, scoliosis assessment and management, flat feet and gait abnormalities, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), congenital torticollis (neck tilt in newborns), juvenile arthritis, toe walking, and post-surgical rehabilitation for orthopaedic procedures.
What is Sever's disease?
Sever's disease (calcaneal apophysitis) is the most common cause of heel pain in children aged 8–14. It is a traction injury where the Achilles tendon pulls on the growing heel bone (calcaneal apophysis) during periods of rapid growth. It is self-limiting — it resolves when the growth plate closes — but physiotherapy provides effective pain management and load management during the active phase.
What is Osgood-Schlatter disease?
Osgood-Schlatter is a common cause of knee pain in active adolescents (age 10–15), caused by traction of the patellar tendon on the tibial tubercle growth plate. Pain is localised to a bony bump just below the kneecap. Like Sever's disease, it is self-limiting. Physiotherapy manages symptoms and enables continued sports participation where possible.
How do I know if my child needs a physiotherapist?
Consider a physiotherapy assessment if your child: is limping or favouring one side, has persistent joint or muscle pain, is not meeting developmental milestones for movement, has a visible postural difference (scoliosis, leg length difference), has recurrent sports injuries, or has been diagnosed with a condition that affects their movement or participation in physical activity.
Ashley Haleel
Physiotherapist & Owner — Better Physiotherapy Bundoora