Motor Skills Development

Motor development occurs at a rapid pace throughout infancy and childhood. Learning coordinated movement requires the freedom to move and sensory feedback to correct and refine the movement pattern: when a joint is restricted, we lose the full capacity of both these necessary functions. The lack of joint mobility rarely prohibits motor development: in most cases your kiddo will learn to work around the restriction.  

This means compensation can occur early! What this may look like in infancy is a preference of your baby to roll to one side only, one leg does not flex as much when crawling, or one arm cannot come as far forward to support during tummy time. As your child grows, plays, and learns more complex skills, tumbles can lead to joint restriction and repetitive use can cause muscle tightness, in turn leading to movement imbalances. Periodic adjustments and muscle release throughout all stages of development can be used to balance and align the body and reinforce optimal movement patterns.