(818) 783-1012 16133 Ventura Blvd Suite 1020, Encino, CA 91436

How We Help Your Child
Thrive

What is

Pediatric Physical Therapy?

At Blooming Steps Pediatric Physical Therapy, we are committed to providing expert care in pediatric physical therapy. But what is pediatric physical therapy? It’s a specialized field of therapy that addresses a wide range of conditions in children, from developmental delays and musculoskeletal injuries to neurological issues. Our approach is highly personalized, ensuring that each child’s specific needs are met. We use a combination of advanced techniques and nurturing care to help children develop essential motor skills, improve strength, and support overall physical development.  Whether your child is struggling with gait issues, balance, or coordination, we’re here to help them thrive.

How We Help

Infants

For infants, we focus on early developmental concerns, such as congenital torticollis, difficulty with tummy time, and early motor delays. Therapy at this stage is designed to support foundational motor skills, coordination, and posture, setting the stage for healthy physical development. Our approach is gentle and nurturing, ensuring that your infant feels safe and supported in every session.

Techniques Used

Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT)

Enhances coordination and motor patterns.

Therapeutic Exercises

Strengthen muscles and promotes healthy movement patterns.

Soft Tissue Mobilization

Helps improve flexibility and relieve tension.

Toddlers/Young Children

As children begin to explore their world through movement, we support toddlers and young children through the stages of walking, balance, and coordination. Therapy also addresses common conditions like clumsiness or developmental delays. Our engaging environment keeps children motivated while working towards important developmental milestones.

Techniques Used

Sensory Integration Therapy Techniques (SI)

Help children with sensory processing issues.

Peripheral Neuromuscular Rehabilitation (PNF)

Enhances coordination and motor patterns.

Pre-Gait and Gait Training

Improves walking and mobility.

Therapeutic Exercises

Build strength, flexibility, and coordination.

Pre-Teens/Teenagers

Pre-teens and teenagers may face more complex issues like sports injuries, poor posture, and growing pains. At this stage, physical therapy focuses on strengthening muscles and improving posture. We also help teens develop confidence in their physical abilities, fostering healthy movement patterns that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Techniques Used

Sports Injury Rehabilitation

Helps active adolescents recover from youth sports injuries and improve strength.

Gait Training

Enhances coordination and motor patterns.

Kinesio/McConnell Taping

Provides pain relief and prevents injury while activating and prohibiting specific muscles and muscle groups.

Neuromuscular Rehabilitation

Strengthens and restores motor control.

Treatment Techniques

Dynamic Flex Casting

Dynamic Flex Casting is a specialized technique used for children with musculoskeletal and neurological needs, offering support and promoting optimal positioning. Blooming Steps is one of the few providers on the West Coast licensed in this technique. This service is particularly helpful for children with range of motion issues, muscle weakness or who have poor alignment.

Learn More About Dynamic Flex Casting

PNF (Peripheral Neuromuscular Rehabilitation)

This neuromuscular rehabilitation technique focuses on enhancing movement patterns and strengthening neuromuscular coordination. It’s highly beneficial for children with neuromuscular conditions, like pediatric ataxia, and developmental delays as it helps improve coordination and motor control.

NDT (Neurodevelopmental Treatment)

Neurodevelopmental treatment promotes functional movement and posture, particularly for children with neurological conditions. This technique focuses on addressing muscle development issues and improving motor control, ensuring children can perform everyday tasks with greater ease.

Soft Tissue Mobilization

A key technique to improve mobility and reduce pain, soft tissue mobilization helps alleviate tightness in muscles and joints, promoting flexibility and muscle function. It’s commonly used in treating a variety of orthopedic conditions.

Neuromuscular Rehabilitation

This rehabilitation focuses on restoring movement and strength for children with neuromuscular diseases. It’s essential for addressing muscle function, promoting better coordination, and improving overall motor skills.

Therapeutic Strengthening & Stretching Exercises

These customized exercises build strength, flexibility, and mobility, tailored to each child’s specific physical limitations or goals. They are an important part of developing long-term functional abilities.

Pilates Physical Therapy

Adapted for older children, Pilates physical therapy helps improve posture, flexibility, and core strength, providing stability and dynamic movement. It’s particularly beneficial for developing stronger muscles and supporting overall mobility.

Conditions We Treat

Neurological & Developmental Conditions
Neurological & Developmental
Conditions
  • Ataxia
  • Balance/Gait Disorders
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Hypertonia (Increased Muscle Tone)
  • Neurological Insults (e.g., Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury)
  • Spina Bifida
  • Vestibular Disorders
Musculoskeletal & Orthopedic Conditions
Musculoskeletal & Orthopedic
Conditions
  • Brachial Plexus Injury
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Hypotonia (Low Muscle Tone)
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Scoliosis
  • Sports-Related Injuries
  • Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
  • Torticollis
Genetic & Congenital Disorders
Genetic &
Congenital
Disorders
  • Achondroplasia
  • Congenital/Genetic Disorders
  • Hypotonia (Low Muscle Tone)
  • Plagiocephaly (Flat Head Syndrome)
  • Premature Birth
  • Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Other Conditions
Other Conditions

  • Down Syndrome
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Clumsiness / Coordination Issues
  • Generalized Developmental Delay
  • Pulmonary Problems
Joint & Muscle
Joint & Muscle

  • Generalized Joint & Muscle Pain
  • Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Why Choose our techniques

Each of our therapy techniques is evidence-based, ensuring families that we provide the most effective treatments for their child’s unique needs. Our team continually monitors progress and adjusts therapy plans as needed to ensure the best outcomes.

Our personalized care, combined with ongoing assessments, allows your child to thrive and reach their potential.

TESTIMONIALS

Six months ago I walked into Pam's office, as a worried mother of an almost one-year-old who wasn't yet crawling. I had just spent four months with another pediatric physical therapy center (also Encino.) My daughter had been making very little progress and they had just told me it was time to see a neurologist because she wasn't progressing. As a parent can't even tell you how scary that is to hear.

At this point, I was scared and unsure what to do but knew I wanted a second opinion. I called Pam who took the time to talk to me about what we were currently doing and where my daughter was at in her development. She recommended I bring her in for a 15 minute free consultation. Upon meeting Pam, I was instantly impressed at how different her practice was from our past therapy experience. She was on time, her space was cleaned between clients and she radiated a positive attitude. I instantly felt comfortable with her and wanted to start therapy with her.

Over the next few months, I was amazed at Pam's gift for working with my daughter. We could come in and my daughter would be crying and miserable and not want to work. Yet, somehow Pam would turn her around. While never giving in and pushing my daughter to work hard Pam was always so patient and my daughter would leave with a smile.

Two weeks ago my daughter started walking! We absolutely owe this to Pam. She is an incredible woman and very talented therapist. I absolutely recommend her to any parent struggling with their children's development.

CJ J.

Pam is an incredible physical therapist. My husband found Pam when our two twin boys were still in the NICU. We were told some very scary possible outcomes for our sons physical abilities (they were born very premature). My husband got Pam's number and called her sobbing from the NICU after we were told it would be hard to find a good PT. Pam was incredible from that first phone call. She comforted my husband and immediately got our boys on her schedule.

Pam is very sweet, easy to work with and made us feel very comfortable and safe even though we came to her so scared. She worked so well with the boys and they made huge strides thank to her. They are now over a year old and thriving. We will forever be thankful to Pam and what she did for our family! Thank you Pam!

Georgia T.

Our kiddo started walking all thanks to Pam! From that time on, our child has seen Pam at different points of their growth and each time Pam has helped and supported us. She is very good at working with all different types of kids and knows how to get the best out of them. An expert at what she does, she has an in-depth knowledge of her practice and it shows. We have seen fantastic results from our sessions.

Pam prides herself in her work and you see that through her interactions with her patients, the cleanliness of the office and how organized she is. We feel so comfortable and at ease at her practice - she is caring and kind beyond measure.

I cannot say enough good things about Pam and her practice. If you are looking for someone who is brilliant at what they do, operates from a place of kindness and empathy and is always willing to help, go see Pam!!

Melissa L.

Pam has been a God send! Pam has always had a calming approach and right away made us feel comfortable and put our worries at ease. She has helped us through our process and has helped my son accomplish a lot from walking, jumping to talking. You would never know he had any trouble before. She is such a caring person and you can tell she genuinely loves what she does! My son has always felt comfortable with her and calls her his Pammy! We are so lucky to have found her! Thanks Pam for all of your help!

Jackie G.

I can't say enough good things about Pamela! We started with her when our daughter was 15 months and still not independently walking. Since Blooming Steps was outside our insurance network, she offered to do a free consult just to see if my daughter really needed to start PT visits or if she can offer tips/exercises for home to help! For a free consult I didn't expect much but wow, it was everything.

Pamela really took her time, didn't rush at all, and worked so well with our daughter! Her literal words to me were "if you do these exercises with her at home, she will be walking in 1 week". Well, SIX days later our baby girl was fully independently walking!!!

Fast forward to 9 months later, we noticed balance issues and struggle to run well with our now 2yo. So of course we turn to Pamela again. Without any hesitation she again offers a free consult just to make sure and this time she did see low muscle tone and weak core issues, so we started PT. Let me tell you.. worth every penny!!!! After the first 1-2 visits my shy (COVID) baby warmed up to Pamela and was so excited to see her each time. Today our baby girl graduated and happily gave Pamela a hug (I would have too!) The care, attention, kindness, professionalism and education she gives is just purely amazing. We are so grateful for her! Thank you!!!

Deanna G.

We love Blooming Steps and Pam! My son, who is now 12 has seen her for several years now. She has worked with him over the years, always with patience and perseverance to find the next right thing for him. He loves soccer and is very sports-minded, and Pam has been able to translate the PT he needs into activities that surround the things that he likes. In that sense, for him, it becomes more of a training session than PT... helping him to be more motivated and have fun with it. Pam is wonderful.

Heidi B.

Our daughter wasn't walking at 16 months so her ped. recommended PT. The 1st place we tried (because it took insurance) was terrible. The 2 trainers gave conflicting assessments, shamed my husband and me for not coming sooner, and declared without any diagnosis that our daughter would need twice weekly sessions for years.

We decided to try Pam even though she does not take insurance. She was worth every penny! She immediately diagnosed our daughter with an issue that was fixable and did NOT require years of PT. We could immediately see it too once she showed us what to look for. Our 1st session, Pam taught us some exercises to do at home. We did them & our daughter started walking that week!

We went to Pam once weekly for a few months, then a couple of times once per month to make sure our daughter progressed and the issue was resolved. Pam was honest. Also, our daughter is very shy and skeptical of new people, but Pam was super patient and has a great facility with fun toys. She was able to get our daughter to engage in the sessions.

I highly recommend Pam!

Robin D.

Ohhh my godddd I cannot say enough good things about Pam... She is very professional, educated and most importantly her office is very very clean . She always sanitizes all the toys and everything that the kids touch and play with. I take my son here and I am very impressed with all the progress and the results I see in him. All I can say is she is truly God sent and I can not thank her enough for what she does and how she does it. By the way this is my first yelp review and yes I did open up a yelp account to write this review. I hope this will help out all the mothers out there looking for an amazing pediatric physical therapist.

Yelena K.

Pam is an absolute Godsend! Our baby was already 18 months and not yet walking. Thanks to the very helpful Yelpers I found Pam and made an appointment for an initial consultation. Pam was able to assess that our daughter had some weakness in the trunk area of one side, which was causing her to feel wobbly when using the opposite leg.

From the very first visit she already opened our daughter up to a higher level of comfort when walking, and gave us some very helpful exercises to do at home. Once we started strengthening the weak side, Pam really worked with our daughter to give her the confidence she needed to walk on her own. Pam is incredibly knowledgeable, flexible if the baby gets fussy about a certain exercise, and uses fun toys/games to really engage the child. There were many times when our baby got frustrated or tired, and Pam was swift in changing up the routine and getting our daughter right back up!

The day we saw our daughter get up and take off on her own was truly magical and tear-inducing! We can't thank Pam enough for all of her help, compassion, and patience.

Thank you Pam!!!

MS. C.

My son was 16 months and not yet walking, so our pediatrist recommended taking him to see a physical therapist. We called and scheduled a free 15 minute evaluation with Pam but lo and behold, my son started walking the day before his appointment. My wife wanted to still take our son for his free evaluation but to be honest, I was skeptical, thinking that Pam would still recommend treatment for our son as a way to increase her business.

Boy was I wrong. Pam greeted us with a smile when we walked in and my son, who normally takes some time to warm up to strangers, had absolutely no problem warming up to Pam immediately. She evaluated him by making him do different tasks, and afterwards gave us some great tips about activities we could do at home to help his further development. Pam came across as somebody who is in her profession for the sheer joy of helping children, and while I hope that my son never needs her services, I wouldn't hesitate taking him there for treatment if the need ever arose in the future.

There's a pay parking lot in the back of the building but you can also find parking on the side streets if you're lucky.

Ed S.

Like the other reviewers, I am also giving it a 5 starts. I really appreciate what Pam has done for my son. Without her advices, I think I am still in a depression mode now. I wish I could have found her earlier so that my baby didn't have to go thru so much.

EXPERIENCE WITH BLOOMING STEPS

================================

When my son was 13 months, he still couldn't pull himself up, he couldn't even sit up from laying down position without my assistance, not to mention about clawing. When he sat at one spot and see his favorite toy away from him, he had no motivation to get it. He would just look at it or called me to get it for him. I was getting more and more concerned with his development. People around me continued to tell my that he will be okay, I just worried too much. However, my instinct was telling me that something was not right, I know boys develops slower than girls, but he was REALLY slow. The pediatrician told me that he may have the condition called hypotonia -- low muscle tone. He referred me to see a PT that is affiliated with Holy Cross Hospital, but turned out I didn't go there because that place was sooooo pushy, they care about money more than anything else. Since I have PPO insurance, I decided to look for another one on my own.

So, I started researching the pediatric physical therapists in the Valley. To my surprise, there are tons of physical therapists out there, but I could hardly find a PEDIATRIC PT. Thru Yelp, I found Blooming Steps with good reviews. I guess I had no other choices -- I was very desperate looking for help.

I called Blooming Steps, Pam picked up the phone. Over the phone, I told her about my son's situation, she was so nice spend time listening to me. She advised me to take him to her office for a consultation. The other excellent part of it was that she is in-network PPO with Blue Cross Blue Shield. It worked out just perfect.

Basically, Pam is the only person running the business. The office is very clean. She is so nice and she knows how to play with kids, although she is tough. From the one-hour consultation, Pam already pointed out my baby's weaknesses. She confirmed that my son has the condition, hypotonia. His motoring skill was equivalent to a 7-month baby. I was like... oh no!!! But she said that it is not related to mental illness or nervous system. He just needed to do exercises to tone up the muscle. I was quite skeptical about how exercises can be done on babies, but I had to trust her professionalism as I had no other choices. She wanted us to take him there 3 times a week because he was so behind. Both my husband and I are working parents, but Pam would work around with our schedule. It's a BIG HELP!

At each session, Pam would tell us what exercises my baby needed to work on. The good thing is that my son goes to pre-school and the teachers there are willing to help out. I have the teachers following Pam's instruction to force him to do the necessary exercises. After a week, my LO already learned how to sit up by himself. The other good thing about Pam is that she is not the type of provider keep making you to go so that she can bill the insurance. She doesn't waste your time. After only a week that she saw my LO improving, she told us that we could drop down to 2 times a week.

Of course, there was a lot of crying throughout the process. After 3 sessions, I almost wanted to give up because it was so torturing to see him crying for the whole session, and didn't see much improvement. She said that it would take about 4-6 weeks to see some big changes. While I was so frustrated and debating whether I should continue to go, My LO started to crawl after 4 weeks of PT, and cried less and less. She was right, I saw the big change in 4 weeks. Following Pam's advices and teachers' pushing, my LO improved so much that I couldn't even believe. After another 4 weeks (2 months with PT in total), Pam started to push him to walk from crawling, and she reduced his PT session to once a week. Now he is 15 1/2 months, he started to walk by himself a few days ago. We've been there for only 2.5 months so far, I really see the miracle. I really appreciate what Pam has done for us. To a lot of parents, it may not be a big deal, but to me, it means a lot.

Yvonne C.

I was referred to Pamela by another physical therapist that ended up being outside of my network coverage. her office is very clean and has a lot of versatile equipment. Being that my baby is only about 6 months old we were mostly doing mat work. Pamela was very patient with my baby when he would come in cranky from a nap or just not in the mood to crawl. she was also very patient with me while I asked dozens of questions to try understand what was wrong and what I could do better as a new mother to help my child develop physically.

Not only is she a great doctor but she is a great teacher and showed me a lot of ways I could help my son outside of her office. I have seen a big difference in his development and I would recommend her highly to anyone else with similar concerns.

Sabrina F.

If your looking for the best you've found it! Blooming Steps is the best in pediatric PT! (trust me I've worked with many therapist) Pamela Vartanian is amazing, I saw major improvements in my son in 3 wks of working with her and on top of it my son totally loves her! Pamela is extremely wise, professional and gives 110 percent every session. I can honestly say I have no regrets and will definitely recommend Blooming Steps!

Kay J.

I will just state that Pamela is a fantastic physical therapist! She is knowledgeable, honest, kind, patient, and fun. I first visited Pam a few years back with my daughter. Upon just a few visits Pamela helped my daughter tremendously. Pam worked well with my 9 month old and was really supportive. Her therapy plus the combined at home instruction she gave me had my daughter neck strengthened in just a handful of sessions. Recently I returned to visit Pam with my first born who is now 8.

Again, her knowledge, patience and professionalism has just blown me away. I was afraid that because my son was older, it was going to be a struggle bringing him to regular sessions. Exact opposite! Pams ability to keep the atmosphere light and fun makes her patients excited to see her. My son has come leaps and bounds with the help of Pam. Without her support and help I don it believe my son would have developed the strength and confidence he has today. I highly recommend Blooming Steps Physical Therapy

Kullan M.

Just to add to the great reviews. Our 11-month-old had several gross motor skill delays caused at least in part by torticollis. Pam was great with him, and he was caught up to his milestones by the time he was crawling. She gave us specific skills to work on at home and the difference was remarkable. We highly recommend Pam's great work and sweet spirit.

Michelle A.

I cannot say enough amazing things about Pam Vartanian. Not only is Pam an amazing physical therapist, she is so sweet, warm, loving and amazing with children. I was so excited when Pam said, "as much as I would love to see your daughter for the rest of her life, she really doesn't need me anymore. " She then handed my daughter a little "graduation" bag of goodies but my daughter insisted she wasn't ready to graduate. She continued to cry the whole car ride home and that evening, saying she "didn't want to be graduated" and that she really missed Pam and wanted me to call first thing in the morning to set up another appointment! That's how amazing Pam is!

Lizzie S.

My 9 month old who was not even anywhere near crawling was diagnosed with mild gross motor delay. Our HMO physical therapist was nice but our daughter wasn't connecting well with her. With Pam it was instant connection. In just under 2 months, with Pam's gentle guidance, my baby went from sitting only to competently crawling, changing positions to seated, pulling up to stand, and almost cruising. Wow! Thank you, Pam!!! My coworker also has a baby who sees Pam for PT and concurs with this experience. Absolutely the best!!!

T M.

Pam is AMAZING! Both of my little ones absolutely LOVE HER! Both of my daughters (3 yrs and 1yr) have shown great improvement and ENJOYMENT for their sessions! My 3 year old asks me all week long, "is it Miss Pam day today?"! She is by far one of the kindest, most genuine and caring professionals I have ever worked with. As a mother, there is nothing greater than KNOWING that your children are getting the absolute BEST CARE POSSIBLE & that your children are HAPPY!

Blooming Steps provides just that! Pam, we love you and will forever be in debt to you. You have given my daughters a great gift, the gift of strong healthy bodies and the confidence and drive to overcome obstacles! (Even the dreaded squishy ball steps! :) 

Amy R.

Ready to Help Your Child Reach Their Full Potential? 

If you would like to learn more about how Blooming Steps can support your child’s needs through physical therapy for children, we invite you to schedule a consultation. Our team is here to answer any questions and help you get started on your child’s path to recovery.

Feel free to reach out to us today to explore the specific services we offer and how we can help your child thrive.

Schedule My Child’s Free Consultation Now

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