Physiotherapy
What is physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is an Allied Health profession that promotes, maintains or restores health and improves quality of life through clinical physical assessment, diagnosis, and the provision of physical interventions, advice and education.
Physiotherapists work autonomously and within multidisciplinary teams in the hospital setting to ensure holistic and family centred care for all patients and families.
Physiotherapists use manual therapies, exercise programs, casting, splinting and other equipment and techniques to treat and assist the management of physical issues in a variety of conditions, injuries or post-operative recovery journeys.
Physiotherapists provide interventions to treat the musculoskeletal system (muscles, bones and joints), the neurological system (nerves, brain and spinal cord) and the cardiothoracic system (heart and circulation).
How do we help children in need of physiotherapy?
The Physiotherapy departments at The Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick provide services to all paediatric patients under the care of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. This includes our local community and tertiary referrals from health services throughout NSW, other states and internationally.
Services provided include the assessment and physiotherapy management of children, both as inpatients and outpatients, and paediatric subspecialties including musculoskeletal, developmental, respiratory, neurology, burns, mental health, brain injury and rehabilitation.
Physiotherapy may be provided individually, in groups and at clinics. We provide a 24 hours per day, 7 days per week acute respiratory care service and referrals from the Emergency Departments. The Physiotherapy departments are also involved in outreach programs, including clinics that are held for Neuromuscular, Cystic Fibrosis/Chronic Respiratory and Spina Bifida patients.
In addition to clinical practice, our physiotherapists also are involved in Quality Improvement, Research, Education, Specialist Physiotherapist Consultation and Australian and international collaboration to ensure we are contributing to, and providing, current evidence based practice and the best up to date care for our patients.
Services and specialties can differ between sites (dependent on site specialty areas) however the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network works together in providing clinical and non-clinical care for patients and families. See below for site specific information.