Physiotherapy (Physical Therapy)
Improves movement, strength, balance, and physical function through exercises, manual therapy, and mobility training.
What Is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy (PT) focuses on improving physical function including movement, strength, balance, coordination, endurance, and mobility. Physiotherapists assess how a person moves and develop exercise programs and interventions to improve physical abilities.
For children with disabilities, PT helps achieve motor milestones (rolling, sitting, crawling, walking), improves strength and endurance, prevents contractures and deformities, and maximizes mobility whether through walking, wheelchair use, or other means.
PT uses a range of techniques including therapeutic exercise, stretching, strengthening, balance training, gait training, manual therapy, and recommending mobility equipment (walkers, wheelchairs, orthotics).
Who Benefits from Physiotherapy?
cerebral palsy
Core therapy for managing spasticity, building strength, preventing contractures, improving gait, and maximizing mobility and physical function.
spinal cord injury
Essential for rebuilding strength, learning wheelchair skills, preventing secondary complications, and maximizing physical independence after injury.
muscular dystrophy
Maintains mobility and function as long as possible, manages contractures, supports respiratory function, and adapts activities as strength changes.
multiple sclerosis
Maintains mobility, manages fatigue, addresses balance and coordination difficulties, and adapts exercise programs as the condition fluctuates.
down syndrome
Supports gross motor development accounting for low muscle tone and joint laxity, helping children achieve milestones like walking.
What to Expect in a Session
First Session
A comprehensive PT assessment (60-90 minutes) evaluates range of motion, strength, balance, mobility, and functional movement. Standardized assessments specific to the condition are used to establish a baseline.
Ongoing Sessions
Sessions include exercises, stretching, strengthening activities, balance challenges, and practice of functional movements. For children, therapy is play-based and motivating.
Your Child's Role
Active participation in exercises and movement activities. Your child or the adult practises specific movements, builds strength through activities, and works on mobility skills.
Caregiver's Role
Caregivers learn a home exercise program and stretching routine. Consistency with daily exercises is critical for maintaining progress and preventing contractures.
When to Start
Early Childhood (0-5)
Begin as soon as motor delays or concerns are identified. For children with known conditions like cerebral palsy or Down syndrome, PT should start in the first months of life.
School Age (6-17)
Continue PT to address changing physical demands, maintain flexibility, prevent secondary complications, and support participation in physical activities.
Adults (18+)
Ongoing PT for maintenance, fitness, pain management, and adapting to progressive conditions. Post-injury rehabilitation is often intensive initially then transitions to maintenance.
General guidance: Physiotherapy is most effective when it's consistent and long-term. A good home exercise program practised daily is more effective than weekly clinic sessions alone.
| Item | Range | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Assessment | $100–$250 | Initial physiotherapy evaluation |
| Per Session | $80–$150 | 30-60 minutes |
| Insurance | Most extended health plans cover physiotherapy, typically $500-1,500/year; some provinces cover limited visits | |
| Tax Credit | Eligible for Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) when provided by a registered physiotherapist | |
Money-Saving Tips
- Some provinces (e.g., Ontario, Alberta) offer publicly funded physiotherapy for eligible conditions
- Community health centres and hospital outpatient clinics often provide lower-cost PT
- Ask about supervised group exercise programs as a lower-cost supplement to individual PT
| Province | Status | Program | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC | Partially Funded | MSP / At Home Program | MSP covers hospital-based physiotherapy; At Home Program funds community PT for eligible children with disabilities. |
| AB | Partially Funded | FSCD / Alberta Health Services | Publicly funded through Alberta Health Services and hospitals; FSCD covers additional PT for children with disabilities. |
| SK | Partially Funded | Saskatchewan Health Authority | Hospital and health region PT is publicly funded; limited community-based physiotherapy coverage. |
| MB | Partially Funded | Manitoba Health / Children's DisABILITY Services | Hospital-based PT covered by Manitoba Health; Children's DisABILITY Services funds additional sessions for eligible children. |
| ON | Partially Funded | OHIP / Children's Treatment Centres | Hospital-based and children's treatment centre PT is OHIP-covered; community PT has a limited OHIP program for seniors and post-surgical only. |
| QC | Partially Funded | CISSS/CIUSSS | Physiotherapy available through the public system at CISSS/CIUSSS centres; significant waitlists for non-urgent conditions. |
| NB | Partially Funded | Extra-Mural Program / Medicare | Covered through hospital outpatient departments and the Extra-Mural home care program. |
| NS | Partially Funded | Nova Scotia Health Authority | Hospital-based PT is publicly funded; community physiotherapy has limited public coverage. |
| PE | Partially Funded | Health PEI | Available through Health PEI hospitals and community clinics; AccessAbility Supports may supplement for disability-related needs. |
| NL | Partially Funded | Regional Health Authorities | Hospital-based PT publicly funded; community-based services limited especially outside St. John's. |
| NT | Limited | Supplementary Health Benefits | Some physiotherapy available at Stanton Territorial Hospital; remote communities rely on visiting therapists. |
| NU | Limited | Supplementary Health Benefits | Very limited local physiotherapy; NIHB covers medically necessary PT for Inuit residents including medical travel. |
| YT | Partially Funded | Yukon Hospital Corporation | Hospital-based PT available in Whitehorse; community physiotherapy coverage is limited. |
Evidence & Research
Physiotherapy has a strong evidence base for improving motor function across disability populations. Research supports PT for children with cerebral palsy (particularly intensive, goal-directed approaches), spinal cord injury rehabilitation, and maintenance of function in progressive neurological conditions.
Red Flags to Watch For
Be cautious of any provider who:
- Causes significant pain during therapy — therapeutic exercises should be challenging but not painful
- Does not set measurable, functional goals or track progress over time
- Provides only passive treatments (massage, modalities) without active exercise and skill-building
- Is not a registered physiotherapist (check your provincial regulatory college)
- Does not provide a home exercise program or adapt it as your child progresses
How to Find a Provider
- 1
Ask your paediatrician or specialist for a referral to a paediatric physiotherapist
- 2
Search the Canadian Physiotherapy Association directory at physiotherapy.ca
- 3
Contact your local children's treatment centre — most have physiotherapy programs
- 4
Check if your provincial health plan covers physiotherapy for your condition
- 5
Ask about publicly funded PT through hospital outpatient programs or community health centres
Conditions That Use Physiotherapy
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