Physical handling treatment for children with neuromotor dysfunction strives to
provide active intervention to improve control of posture, sensory tolerance of
movement, organization of body sides and therefore improved functional
efficiency. The therapeutic principle of physical handling treatment is to provide
the least amount of control needed to achieve a more efficient response and then
gradually turn over more and more active control to the child.
Within this treatment principle, various techniques are required to prepare the child
for an active response. These techniques include activating muscle contraction
through direct tapping, use of intermittent support to activate stability and
sustained postural control, oscillation to increase or decrease tone, deep pressure
tapping to reduce tightness, mobilization of the body over the limbs to normalize
sensory tolerance in various ranges of movement and improve dissociation of body
segments, and changes in degree and intensity of input, and key points of control to
advance the child's potential for activating more organized movement patterns
