Which children can benefit from assessment and treatment by a pediatric musculoskeletal professional?

Starting from the youngest patients, the very young infant who has had a lie inutero that has resulted in asymmetry should be assessed. Having a suboptimal lie inutero can result in a difficult birth as well as the infant being in significant pain. These infants are usually difficult to console, and they do not want to be put down, they may even acutally have difficulty with feeding because they can not find a pain free position. . Some may want to feed often as it soothes them. Suboptimal positions include a breech or transverse lie, some infants have had their head cocked to one side or they may have had a facial or brow presentation. From pictures it is usually obvious if the baby has a favorite position or an asymmetry. This has a direct effect on motor skill development, the activation of the core muscles which support the body, and their mood. Babies that can not achieve their motor skills because they have not turned on both halves of the body and integrated movement will be frustrated and usually protest against tummy time, some refuse to lie on their back. Assessment rules out any serious problems as well as where they are in motor skill development. Treatment for the pediatric patient is gentle and not invasive. Restoring normal function is the goal as well as working with the infant to help them achieve age appropriate motor skill development. An integral part of management is teaching parents how to help the infant meet their motor milestones.
Toddlers and preschoolers present usually with gait anomalies, sometimes even issues with the hips. It is not as common, but some toddlers can have back pain or neck pain after a fall from a height or other trauma.
The school age child not uncommonly seeks help for headaches. Neck pain and back pain can occur following trauma. Neck pain and headache present when vision needs correction and presents when children start school and use their eyes more for school work and looking at the board. Once the child has suffered an injury, the weight of the head can load the neck causing neck pain and headaches. In this case, restoring normal function and learning how to activate the core muscles is a critical aspect of care.