Physiotherapy isn’t only for adults but kids too! Children can be prone to developing all sorts of conditions related to growth and development alongside sprains, strains and broken bones just like us adults. And just like adults, they too can benefit enormously from physiotherapy.

Read on to learn about five of the most common reasons that children may benefit from seeing a musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapist.

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Top 5 MSK conditions in kids

Knee pain

Knee pain is probably the most common reason under 18s present to physiotherapy. There can be many causes for this, some of which may come on very suddenly and some which may build gradually over time.

The most common conditions we see in clinic are ; Osgood-Schlatter’s disease, patello-femoral pain, Sinding-Larsson-Johansson syndrome and sporting knee injuries. To keep us on our toes, it’s not uncommon in children for knee pain to in fact be coming from the hip, and be nothing to do with the knee! So it’s always worth getting them checked, don’t rely on Dr Google.

You can read more detail about these conditions and other paediatric knee conditions by following this link.

Back pain

Although there are many non-concerning causes of back pain in children, it can sometimes be a red flag requiring urgent medical attention or imaging. Therefore we’d always recommend getting them checked over by a physiotherapist or GP. Some of the most common causes of back pain that we see in children include: poor posture, scoliosis, bone stress injuries and Scheuermann’s. You can read more detail about back pain in kids here.

Hip pain

As with knee and back pain, there are several reasons children can present with hip pain. You’ve probably heard of a few of the more common causes such as Perthes (or Legg-Calve-Perthes to give it it’s full name!) and hip dysplasia. Other causes of hip pain in children include slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) and irritable hip (transient synovitis) to name just a few.

Learn more about physiotherapy for common paediatric hip conditions here.

Gait abnormalities

You may notice that some children work in a peculiar way. This can be a huge concern for parents. You may see children walking with their toes turned in (in-toeing), or toes turned out (out-toeing). They may walk on their toes (toe-walking) or with a limp.

Reasons for these variations are vast and always require an assessment to eliminate an underlying cause for concern. That said, try not to worry. In many cases, walking ‘normalises’ as children develop. Read more about gait abnormalities in children here.

‘Growing pains’

The term ‘growing pains’ refers specifically to discomfort, typically in the legs of children aged usually 3-12 years of age. They are usually worse at night and may come and go over months or years. Growing pains are harmless and not a sign of anything worrying. It’s unclear exactly what causes them but they are more common in sporty children and also children with hypermobility. Be sure to get any reported pain in the middle of a bone that’s not improving checked as this can sometimes be a cause for concern.

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Children don’t suffer from the same ‘wear and tear’, age related conditions that adults do therefore it’s always worth getting a child reporting pain checked over by a physiotherapist or GP. This is especially the case if the pain they report is severe, worsening or is accompanied by them feeling generally unwell.

If you have concerns about your child and are wondering if physiotherapy is appropriate, call our friendly reception team on 0114 267 8181 who will be happy to answer any questions, and can arrange for your child to be booked in with the most appropriate member of our team.