About our Activ Kids physiotherapy service
More emphasis is increasingly being placed upon the specialised preparation the young, athletic sportsperson requires to participate in the high volume (and meet the high standards) of competitions. This preparation and rehabilitation of a young persons, during their growing and developmental years differs greatly from that of full-grown adult athletes as they have different anatomies and injuries.
Activ is very proud to be recognised as a specialist clinic for the treatment and rehabilitation of youth athletes.
“The motivation for completing the Kids Back 2 Sport qualification and being part of a group of accredited centres, is to provide specialist input targeted at young athletes. We recognise how they are not merely small adult athletes, but rather a separate and specialised group of growing sports people. In adopting this approach the goal is to reduce the risk of injury and improve injury outcomes for young athletes. Limiting occurrence and recurrence of injury means that the young person can enjoy the sport and exercise that they love.”
Who is our Activ Kids physiotherapy clinic for?
All under 18’s who participate in sports and organised exercise
Youth athletes injured now or struggling with recurrence of injury
A young person with growth related injuries, e.g. Iseline’s, Osgood Schlatter’s etc.
What are our physiotherapists goals?
To be able to screen for a more serious pathology.
To be able to assess the capacity of the younger active child.
To be able to create appropriate assessment and treatment plans.
To know when an athlete is ready and confident to return to sport/exercise.
To be able to educate the parent and child on the impact of poor nutrition, sleep, workload management and stress on injury rate and performance.
What does treatment with Activ Kids include?
To begin treatment with one of our friendly, professional physiotherapists an initial assessment will be completed to go through the patient’s injury, symptoms, the sport(s) that they are involved in, their treatment goals and any relevant medical history that may help to decide on the best possible treatment plan. There will then be an assessment completed on the patient’s injury which may include:
Specialist tests and assessment techniques
A review of the main activities involved in the sport or exercise that are affected
Physical assessment of movement, strength and balance
Once the assessment has been completed, a treatment plan will be decided between the patient, their parent/carer and the physiotherapist. Regularity and length of follow up session will also be discussed.
A parent or guardian will be required to be present at every session.
What factors impact my Child’s ability to recover from their injuries and how quickly will they recover?
This all depends upon the severity of the injury, the treatment type, how closely exercises are followed in between sessions and the sport itself. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and so is their recovery, particularly when dealing with young people.
The main factors that, alongside careful treatment, have an impact on recovery are physical fitness at the time of seeking treatment, nutrition, workload, mental health and sleep.
Our physiotherapist will not only guide both of you, the patient and their parent/carer, through the recovery process but also guide you through all areas needed to ensure that the patient gets the most out of their rehabilitation and back to their sport!
Who will be looking after my child throughout their physiotherapy journey?
Robert Mooney, one of our experienced physiotherapists, will work alongside your child to ensure that they get the most from their treatment at Activ Kids.
Read on to find out more about Rob, his experience and motivation for wanting to help young athletes…
‘I am Rob, one of the Activ Physios, treating a range of injuries, but as we all do, I have more specialised interests in certain areas of Physiotherapy. My long standing interest in this area, with personal sport paricipation as a child and then having worked in the area of adult sport professionally and youth sport informally (advising Sheffield Boys SSFA players on injuries etc. on request), has been a good foundation for a natural progression into formal accreditation in this dynamic and unique area of paediatric sport related injuries.
‘My passion to help young athletes reach their sporting potential is partially borne from my own love of playing sports (and also from working as a sports rehabilitation professional), and from my two sons’ experience of playing high level youth football competitions with both the Schools’ FA and academy level professional football clubs.’
If you would like to read more on Rob’s experience head over to our blog where you will find numerous of his excerpts covering a variety of physiotherapy-related issues. If you would like to read more around Rob’s ‘Activ Kids’ experience, please see the following links:
How Physios Can Treat The Challenging Issues Faced By Young Sports Athletes
‘Activ Physio Kids’ - Our New Clinic for Young Sports Players