Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine

Pediatric rehabilitation medicine specialists diagnose and manage congenital and childhood-onset impairments and disability. Specialists work with an interdisciplinary team to improve a child’s mobility and daily function at home, in the community and at school by prescribing equipment and therapies and managing medical conditions such as spasticity, pain, bladder or bowel dysfunction, and nutrition.

The UF Health Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation team provides rehabilitation services to children with complex medical and therapy needs in partnership with Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital. Specialty services and clinics at Wolfson and the UF Health Pediatric Multispecialty Center care for children with severe disabilities such as cerebral palsy, brain and spinal cord injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. These services include Botox injections for spasticity, Baclofen pump management and bracing. The comprehensive rehabilitation team at Brooks serves children with severe physical and cognitive injuries in an inpatient setting.

Physicians and staff evaluate and treat children diagnosed with:

• Balance issues
• Brachial plexus palsy
• Brain injury
• Cerebral palsy
• Developmental delay
• Developmental coordination disorders
• Gait issues/toe walking
• Muscle tone abnormalities
• Neuromuscular disease
• Prematurity
• Spasticity and movement disorders
• Spina bifida
• Spinal cord injuries
• Torticollis

Spasticity Management and Rehabilitation Team (SMART)

The Spasticity Management and Rehabilitation Team (SMART), a collaboration between the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville and Wolfson Children's Hospital Rehabilitation, offers a team of medical specialists who work together to treat spasticity and other movement disorders in children. Following comprehensive evaluation by the clinic team, each family will receive an individualized care plan for their child. Goals are to increase mobility, function, independence, and reduce pain. SMART team members include:

• Board-certified pediatric rehabilitation medicine physiatrists and advanced practice registered nurses who specialize in pediatric rehabilitation medicine
• Pediatric physical therapists and occupational therapists
• Social workers

Treatment options include:

• Oral medications
• Botox and phenol injections for spasticity
• Baclofen pump consultation and management
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy referral
• Orthotics and serial casting referral
• Coordination with pediatric neurosurgeons for selective dorsal rhizotomy evaluation
• Coordination with pediatric orthopedic surgeons