Children's Physiotherapy for Orthopaedics and Trauma
Paediatric Physiotherapists are key members of the team looking after patients who are admitted for Trauma and Orthopaedic care at the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales. This service is available 7 days a week, although there is limited service on the weekends.
A Physiotherapist plays an essential role within the multidisciplinary team of Doctors, Nurses, Occupational Therapists and Play Therapists. We work to rehabilitate patients so they regain the functional skills needed to be safely discharged home.
In order to ensure each child reaches their best physical outcome, we provide advice and exercises to do at home. We also link with the child’s own physiotherapy team in the community or make a new referral for ongoing physiotherapy to ensure recovery and rehabilitation continues once at home.
Trauma
Trauma patients have an unplanned admission where a limb, joint or soft tissue is injured or damaged. This can include:
- fractures
- dislocations
- infections
- soft tissue injuries
These injuries can be managed with pain relief, splints, plasters, exercises or, when it is necessary to aid healing or recovery, surgery.
The Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales is the only Paediatric Major Trauma Centre in Wales and forms part of the South Wales Trauma Network. (Children from North Wales are cared for at the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.)
Children admitted to the Major Trauma Centre have usually sustained significant injuries. Throughout their time at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital, Physiotherapists will co-ordinate and deliver rehabilitation to these patients.
Orthopaedics
Orthopaedics patients are those admitted for planned surgery to a joint or limb. This includes:
- surgery on the hip, knee, foot or ankle joints
- surgery to the muscles, tendons or ligaments
- BOTOX injections
- surgery on the spine for conditions such as scoliosis
Paediatric Physiotherapists are involved with planning for the patient’s admission before their operation and offer assessment and rehabilitation after the operation, to prepare the patient for discharge and arrange referral for ongoing physiotherapy.
Treatment can be carried out at the patient’s bedside, in the ward therapy room, in the physiotherapy gym or in the hydrotherapy pool.
We aim to make sessions as fun as possible and use games and toys to promote physical activity and movement.
Useful websites
Children's Muscle, Joint and Bone Conditions - Keeping Me Well