INFORMATION AND ADVICE

Core stability, balance and co-ordination difficulties

Core stability is the ability of the muscles in the torso and trunk to assist in the maintenance of good posture, including whilst producing controlled movement of the limbs and/or the body as a whole.

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Balance is the body's ability to maintain posture and 'centre of gravity' enabling an individual to remain upright and steady; it helps individuals to navigate their surroundings and co-ordinate the motion of their body parts.

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Co-ordination is the working together of different muscles or muscle groups to carryout complicated movements or tasks in a smooth, accurate and controlled manner.

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Children and young people can experience issues with core stability, balance and coordination, often presenting as:

• Frequent trips and falls

• Clumsiness

• Difficulty completing certain balance activities such as walking along a bench

• Difficulty throwing and catching

• Excessive tiredness following an activity.

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Please note that children with certain long-standing conditions may also present with these symptoms and require more frequent input from physiotherapy services.

What you can do to help

• Consider the child’s age and stage of development related to milestones, as their physical ability should correlate with their learning levels, e.g. if a 10 year old child is learning at 5 year old level, it would be anticipated that they would experience some physical delay in their skills in line with this.

• Increase the child’s activity levels and provide them with opportunities which encourage natural development of skills, in line with their appropriate developmental level. Activities such as swimming, cycling and martial arts can be very useful to encourage core stability, balance and coordination.

• Consider the child’s footwear as the weight and support from shoes can have an impact on a child’s ability to complete an activity, and can help to reduce trips and falls. Shoes with arch support, and that come up around the ankles are usually preferable.

  • Take a look at the Parent Leaflets available from the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists, in particular:- 'Choosing footwear for Children'.

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Disclaimer - Always seek the advice of your doctor/physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the internet.

Need more

If you have tried all the suggestions above but require further support, contact us on the link below.