Christine Egan Physical Therapy
Pilates for Kids with Sensory-Motor Disorders
The application of Pilates-based exercise for children is not common, but extremely useful. The youngest child Christine has used on the Reformer was 4-years-old. Child size is an issue and the standard equipment must be adapted to accommodate “little people”. The benefit of the supine position is that once out of gravity, children who have difficulty maintaining their postural alignment vs. gravity, can move with greater ease and control on the Reformer. The resistance provides proprioceptive and kinesthetic input to the child, so they have greater body awareness and thus, more controlled, coordinated movements. The concept of core strength and stabilization is critical for children and adults with any neuromuscular or tonal (muscle tone) disorder. Providing alignment, resistance and assistance for difficult movement assists in learning new movement patterns. Offering children cutting edge techniques that have been used primarily for dancers and athletes gives them a sense of importance, confidence and willingness to rise to the challenge offered.
If you are interested in learning more, contact Christine at 415.259.8626 or by email her at Christine(at)PT4Chilldren.com or by completing the Intake Form found on the Contact page.
Read about Christine's new chapter…
Early in 2020, Christine was approached by world-renowned Pilates instructor Madeleine Black to contribute to a book that she is co-editing with Elizabeth Larkam on medical applications of Pilates. Madeleine and Christine have crossed paths many times since she began her exploration of Pilates in 1992. Over the years, they have often discussed the crossover between developmental movement, Pilates and rehabilitation. While preparing her chapter, she recalls how she was introduced to the Pilates method, and how she applied its principles in her pediatric physical therapy practice.
Christine participated in a webinar hosted by Handspring Press, publisher of the upcoming book Pilates Applications for Health Conditions, in which she is contributing a chapter on applying Pilates for children and adolescents. She shared her experience of working with children and young people, including movement choices for Pilates teachers considering working with children. She also talked about how she uses Telehealth and how it has impacted her practice and patient treatment strategies. Watch this webinar video.
Pilates Applications for Children with Christine Egan PT MPH CNDT:
Christine participated in a webinar hosted by Handspring Press, publisher of the upcoming book Pilates Applications for Health Conditions, in which she is contributing a chapter on applying Pilates for children and adolescents. Watch this webinar video.
Read the article by Christine Egan in Advance Magazine called Little Movers about using Pilates to treat children with neuromuscular disorders.
