Keeping kids on the move

Physical therapy can go a long way in improving adults' quality of life, helping to eliminate unnecessary pain, and keeping a stable sense of well-being.

It's not just the grownups that need the benefits of freedom of movement, however.

Since August of this past year, Amy Richter has been on staff at Summit Physical Therapy and Sports Performance as a pediatric physical therapist (DPT), focusing her energies on kids from just several months of age up to 15 years old.

A native of the small northwest Minnesota town of Badger, Richter graduated from high school in 2016, and received her DPT from the University of North Dakota in 2021.

"I was able to finish my degree a bit quicker than normal," she says. "In high school, I did some physical therapy [credits] and knocked off a few years.

Upon graduation, Richter moved to Arizona and did some work there "just for fun," in her own words, before moving to Mandan and eventually coming to Carrington late last summer.

In those few years, she has worked with kids in an outpatient setting.

To prepare for her chosen clientele base, Richter says she took more pediatric-focused classes.

"I also took clinicals that were strictly pediatric patients, and I've been taking continuing education classes that have focused on that age group," she said.

One of the challenges Richter says she experiences with the patients in her care mainly comes with communication at times, and conveying the message she wants to deliver to a younger patient.

"I have to use some creativity to get them to understand what we're trying to accomplish, and that's kind of what's fun about it," she noted.

Richter says that the conditions she works to fix can sometimes be age-based.

"With babies and toddlers, it's more about getting those developmental milestones," she said. "A lot of what I see is related to torticollis, or neck tightness, as they're learning control of those muscles."

Other toddler issues Richter addresses include teaching kids how to walk if that part of their development is delayed, or even how to jump.

Preschool kids, she observes, often come in with coordination and balance problems, or sometimes walk on their toes instead of being heel-strikers.

In all, Richter uses a holistic approach in taking on the overall health of the child.

"My goal is in helping children to develop appropriately so they can function with their peers, and gain confidence," Richter says.

She lives in Sykeston with her husband, Sam, and cat, Jack.

"I come from a small town, so it's not too different from what I'm used to," Richter said.

To schedule an appointment with Richter at Summit Physical Therapy, call their office at 652-7179, e-mail Kyle Smith at [email protected], or leave a message via their contact page at their web site, summitphysicaltherapynd.com.