Physiotherapy
What is physiotherapy?
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.
Physiotherapy promotes, maintains or restores health and improves quality of life through:
- clinical physical assessment
- diagnosis
- physical interventions
- advice and education.
We provide support in treating:
- muscles, bones and joints
- nerves, brain and spinal cord
- heart and circulation.
About our service
We provide assessment and physiotherapy management to all paediatric patients under the care of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. This includes tertiary referrals from health services nationally and internationally.
Our department sites are based at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
We cover all subspecialties including:
- musculoskeletal
- developmental
- respiratory
- neurology
- burns
- mental health
- brain injury
- rehabilitation.
Physiotherapy may be provided individually, in groups and at clinics. We provide a 24/7 acute respiratory care service including referrals from the Emergency Departments.
The services and specialties differ between sites, however the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network works together to deliver care to patients and families.
Outreach programs, research and collaboration
We are involved in outreach programs, including clinics for neuromuscular, cystic fibrosis, chronic respiratory and spina bifida patients.
Our physiotherapists also partake in quality improvement, research, education, specialist physiotherapist consultation and Australian and international collaboration to ensure we are contributing to the latest evidence-based practice and the best up to date care for our patients.