Why Are My Child’s Hamstrings So Tight!?

Hamstring Exercise

If you are a parent that is wondering why your child’s hamstrings are so dang tight then trust me you are not alone. This is absolutely one of the the most frequently asked questions we get here. So I am going to try and help you all understand a little bit more about this topic.…

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What You May Not Have Known About
S T R E T C H I N G

Stretch

Recently I was having a conversation with a parent about stretching. Her son has Spastic Quadriplegic CP and is really tight pretty much everywhere, but more specifically his hamstrings (back of his thigh muscles) and adductors (inside thigh muscles) of his legs. So mom wanted to know why his legs seem looser after PT but…

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What Did You Say? Body Awareness

What is body awareness? I have this discussion all of the time with parents…especially in evaluations when describing observed movement patterns and mobility in the environment. I was recently describing what this term meant to a parent after noticing her hypotonic/“low tone” daughter was stumbling when trying to walk around and navigate the gym environment.…

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Why You Should Break The Habit of W-Sitting

W-sitting

Bad habits …. we all have them. Whether is biting your nails, fidgeting with your pen, cracking your knuckles….the list is endless. Usually these are pretty harmless poor habits but other times, like W-Sitting, it can have a significant effect on your child. A lot of the time parents don’t even know what it is…

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Belly Breather VS. Chest Breather and Why It Affects Your Loved One’s Balance:

Breathing Children

So let’s review…We talked recently about the “soda can model” of breathing and how it affects posture. (If you didn’t get a chance to read that and would like more details click here). We discussed how important it is for all of the pressures to balance so that we can function and go about our…

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What Is The Difference Between Muscle Tone And Strength?

Muscle Tone and Strength

Often as a physical therapist, I get the question “What is the difference between muscle tone and strength?” I’ve decided to put together a fact sheet for EASY distinction on the differences so you, as a parent, can better understand your child. Muscle TONE is defined as the tension in a muscle at rest. It…

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