Children and adolescents are not just small adults; their growing bodies have unique musculoskeletal needs and respond differently to injury and rehabilitation. At Physio Fitness, our specialised Paediatric Orthopaedic Physiotherapy services, available at our Hampstead and Finchley clinics in North London, are dedicated to assessing, diagnosing, and treating musculoskeletal conditions and sports injuries in young people, from infants through to teenagers.
Our compassionate and expert physiotherapists understand the complexities of growth spurts, developing bones, and the impact of activity on young joints. We focus on gentle, effective, and engaging treatments that not only resolve pain but also educate young patients and their families on healthy movement patterns, injury prevention, and building strength for lifelong activity.
Our greatest asset is our team of dedicated and highly skilled physiotherapists. Each member of the Physio Fitness family is passionate about helping you achieve your health goals, bringing a wealth of experience, specialised knowledge, and a compassionate approach to every session. All of our physiotherapists are fully qualified, HCPC registered, and committed to ongoing professional development to ensure you receive the most effective, evidence-based care.
We provide expert care for a wide range of conditions affecting children and adolescents, including:
Growth-Related Pains: Such as Osgood-Schlatter Disease (knee pain) and Sever’s Disease (heel pain).
Sports Injuries: Sprains, strains, growth plate injuries, and overuse syndromes specific to young athletes.
Postural Problems: Addressing issues like poor posture, rounded shoulders, or back pain in growing spines.
Gait Abnormalities: Assessing and treating issues with walking patterns, such as in-toeing or out-toeing.
Hypermobility Syndromes: Managing symptoms of excessive joint flexibility.
Fracture Rehabilitation: Comprehensive support after a bone fracture to ensure optimal healing and return to function (as detailed on our dedicated page).
Post-Surgical Rehabilitation: Guiding recovery after orthopaedic surgeries in children.
Musculoskeletal Pain: Any pain in joints, muscles, ligaments, meniscal tears, soft tissues and bones not directly related to growth, such as knee, hip, or shoulder pain.
Children’s bones grow from areas called growth plates, which are softer and more susceptible to irritation during periods of rapid growth and high activity. This often leads to specific types of overuse conditions.
What it is: Pain and swelling just below the kneecap, where the patellar tendon attaches to the shinbone (tibia). It’s common in active children and adolescents, particularly boys aged 10-15 during growth spurts, often seen in sports involving jumping, running, and forceful kicking (e.g., football, basketball, gymnastics).
Symptoms: Pain at the bony bump below the kneecap, especially during or after activity, swelling, and tenderness to touch.
How Physiotherapy Helps: Our treatment focuses on reducing inflammation, correcting biomechanical imbalances (like tight quadriceps or weak glutes), teaching proper stretching and strengthening exercises, activity modification, and advising on pain management. The goal is to manage symptoms during the growth spurt and ensure a safe return to sport.
What it is: Pain at the back of the heel, caused by inflammation of the growth plate in the heel bone (calcaneus), where the Achilles tendon attaches. It commonly affects active children aged 8-12, especially those involved in sports with a lot of running and jumping (e.g., football, dance, gymnastics).
Symptoms: Pain in one or both heels, particularly during or after activity, limping, and tenderness when the heel is squeezed.
How Physiotherapy Helps: We address the underlying causes through pain and inflammation management, targeted stretching for calf muscles and Achilles tendon, strengthening exercises for foot and ankle stability, activity modification, footwear advice (including heel lifts), and education for both the child and parents on managing this self-limiting condition.
ur approach to paediatric orthopaedic physiotherapy is always gentle, understanding, and tailored to your child’s age, developmental stage, and specific condition. Our comprehensive programmes may include:
Thorough Age-Appropriate Assessment: Careful evaluation of your child’s movement patterns, posture, strength, flexibility, and activity levels.
Play-Based & Engaging Exercises: Making rehabilitation fun and motivating for children, ensuring compliance and faster progress.
Manual Therapy: Gentle hands-on techniques to reduce pain, improve joint mobility, and ease muscle tension.
Strengthening & Conditioning: Targeted exercises to build muscle strength, endurance, and stability, crucial for supporting growing joints and preventing future injuries.
Gait & Balance Training: To improve coordination, stability, and efficient movement.
Postural Advice & Education: Guiding children and parents on healthy posture for sitting, standing, and during sports activities.
Activity Modification & Load Management: Advice on how to adapt sports or daily activities to allow healing without deconditioning.
Sport-Specific Rehabilitation: Safe and progressive return-to-sport programmes for young athletes.
Parent & Guardian Education: Providing clear explanations and home exercise programmes to support ongoing recovery and management.