Pediatric Physical Therapy in Missoula, MT
Help Your Child Move, Play, and Explore with Confidence
Is your child struggling with coordination, strength, or mobility? Or maybe you’ve noticed they seem to be falling behind their peers or having difficulty participating fully in group play or sports. These challenges can affect your child’s confidence, keep them from participating in daily activities, and even impact their overall happiness.
At Samara Therapy Specialists, our pediatric physical therapists understand these challenges and are here to support your family. We provide personalized treatment in a fun, judgement-free setting to help your child gain the strength and confidence they need to thrive.
What Is Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Pediatric physical therapy is an effective treatment that helps children gain, restore, or improve their ability to move and function effectively. It focuses on building strength, improving coordination, increasing mobility, and promoting independence in everyday activities.
Whether your child is facing developmental delays, recovering from an injury, or has an underlying condition affecting their movement, pediatric physical therapy can help them overcome these barriers and achieve greater confidence and independence.
Why Would a Child Need Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Many children can benefit from physical therapy. Here are some common reasons your child might need support:
- Delays in reaching developmental milestones (rolling, crawling, walking)
- Poor balance, coordination, or frequent falls
- Difficulties with running, jumping, or playing sports
- Differences between sides of the body (for example, one side seems stronger, weaker, or moves differently than the other)
- Concerns with alignment or postural control (such as slouching or uneven posture)
- Limited range of motion or stiffness in joints
- Muscle weakness or limited endurance
- High or low muscle tone affecting movement or coordination
- Use of adaptive equipment to support mobility, positioning, and play
- Recovery from surgery or injury
- Conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or torticollis
Our Specialized Physical Therapy Services in Missoula, MT
We offer specialized therapy services to help children reach their full potential:
Pediatric Physical Therapy in an Equine Environment
This unique treatment uses the natural movement of horses to gently build your child’s strength, balance, and coordination. Riding and interacting with horses provides a great opportunity for your child to improve their posture, build their muscle tone, practice their motor planning skills, and much more. Plus, it’s a lot of fun and keeps kids motivated to work on their therapy goals.
Pediatric Aquatic Therapy
Aquatic therapy is when we deliver physical therapy sessions in a swimming pool to improve your child’s outcomes. The water reduces stress on joints and muscles, which allows your child to move more freely and confidently. This gentle approach promotes muscle strengthening, coordination, flexibility, and improved overall mobility in a fun way.
Custom Orthotics
Our custom orthotics are designed to support your child’s unique movement needs. By improving the alignment and stability of the feet, ankles, and knees, orthotics can help children move more comfortably and confidently. Whether your child needs extra support for walking, standing, or playing, our team ensures each orthotic is carefully fitted to promote better balance, posture, and independence in everyday activities.
What to Expect During Your Child's Physical Therapy Session
We believe therapy should be playful, judgement-free, and fun. Our sessions are designed around activities your child enjoys to make therapy feel like play. We use games, obstacle courses, and hands-on activities to help your child build the skills they need for a lifetime of success.
Parents are welcome and encouraged to participate in therapy sessions because we want you to feel confident supporting your child’s progress at home.
What Your Child Can Achieve with Physical Therapy
By attending routine physical therapy sessions with our expert team, your child can:
- Reach developmental milestones like crawling and walking
- Improve coordination, strength, and balance
- Gain independence in daily activities and play
- Become able to participate in school and sports
- Experience reduced pain and improved comfort during movement
- And much more
Why Choose Samara Therapy Specialists for Your Child's Care?
Families trust Samara Therapy Specialists because:
Our practice is warm and accepting of everyone in our community. We’re proud to offer your family a safe environment for care that feels like your second home.
We offer all three pediatric services under one roof, plus specialized treatments like equine-assisted physical therapy and aquatic therapy.
Our team prioritizes individualized attention and compassion for every family we serve. You are always welcome to share your concerns and what goals you want your child to achieve so we can work together to make it happen.
We collaborate with parents and providers, maintain clear communication, and ensure each child gets the best care available.
We focus on the positives, on what your child can do, to encourage them to achieve even more. And when they gain a new skill, we celebrate along with you!
Reach Out to Get Started Today
Let’s work together to help your child move confidently and independently. Our experienced team at Samara Therapy Specialists will create a customized treatment plan to help them achieve their fullest potential. Give us a call at (406) 830-4500 to schedule your child’s evaluation today.