Paediatric physiotherapy in Dubai for children and teenagers, at our JVC clinic.
Physiotherapy for children aged 5 and over and teenagers at our Jumeirah Village Circle clinic, near Circle Mall and JSS Private School. Sports and growth-related injuries, posture and back pain, scoliosis, recovery after fractures, and developmental and neurological conditions, with Hafsina K K, our female DHA-licensed physiotherapist.
Pediatric physiotherapy in JVC —
supportive, age-appropriate care for children and teens, helping improve movement, strength, balance, coordination, posture, and everyday physical activities through individualized physiotherapy plans.
THE QUICK ANSWER
Paediatric physiotherapy at Vedara Care, in one paragraph.
Paediatric physiotherapy at Vedara Care Polyclinic in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), Dubai is for children aged 5 and over and teenagers. Hafsina K K, a female DHA-licensed physiotherapist (DHA-P 64812828), treats growth-related knee and heel pain such as Osgood-Schlatter and Sever's disease, sports injuries, posture problems and back pain, scoliosis, recovery after fractures, flat feet, toe walking, hypermobility, developmental delay and coordination difficulties, and neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy. Sessions are play-based for younger children, a parent stays in the room, and our in-house GP can see your child if a medical check is needed. The clinic is near Circle Mall and JSS Private School. Insurance works on reimbursement.
Medically reviewed by Hafsina K K, DHA-Licensed Physiotherapist (DHA-P 64812828). Reviewed October 2026.
AGE-APPROPRIATE CARE
Two age groups, two different approaches.
A seven-year-old and a sixteen-year-old need very different sessions. Hafsina K K adapts how she explains, assesses and treats to your child's age.
5-12
School-Age Children
Play-based sessions for posture, coordination, walking pattern, growth-related pain, developmental conditions and sports injuries. Parents learn the home exercises.
Common conditions:
Posture, coordination, flat feet and toe walking, growth-related pain, sports injuries, developmental conditions
13-18
Teenagers
More adult-style sessions for sports injuries, growth-related knee and heel pain, scoliosis and back pain from study and devices. Teenagers take part in decisions about their plan.
Common conditions:
Sports injuries, Osgood-Schlatter, scoliosis exercise, back and neck pain, recovery after fractures or surgery
We see children from age 5.
CONDITIONS WE TREAT
Children's conditions we treat at our JVC clinic.
Growth-Related Knee and Heel Pain
Osgood-Schlatter disease (pain below the kneecap), Sever's disease (heel pain) and other growth-plate irritation in active children. Read more.
Sports Injuries
Ankle sprains, muscle strains, knee and ligament injuries, growth plate injuries, overuse injuries from football, swimming, gymnastics, tennis and padel, and a safe, staged return to play.
Posture, Back and Neck Pain
Back and neck pain from school bags, desks and devices, rounded shoulders, and exercise programmes for scoliosis alongside the specialist's plan.
Fractures and After Surgery
Stiffness and weakness after a cast is removed, and rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery, following the surgeon's plan.
Feet, Gait and Walking Pattern
Gait abnormalities, painful flat feet, toe walking, in-toeing and out-toeing, and joint hypermobility that causes pain or tiredness.
Developmental and Neurological Conditions
Developmental delay, developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia), gross motor, balance and coordination difficulties, cerebral palsy, and movement support for children of determination, including children with Down syndrome or autism, with play-based sessions and a home programme.
We see children from age 5. For babies and children under 5, ask your paediatrician about a specialist early-intervention service. Not sure if we can help? WhatsApp us.
Does my child need physiotherapy? Signs to watch for.
Book a physiotherapy assessment if your child has pain that keeps coming back during or after sport, limps or walks differently, often trips or seems clumsier than other children their age, complains of back or neck pain, has one shoulder or hip that looks higher than the other, or is still stiff or weak weeks after a cast comes off.
See a doctor first if
pain follows a fall or injury and your child cannot put weight on the leg, there is swelling with fever, pain wakes your child at night, or there is a sudden change in walking. Our in-house GP can see your child at the same clinic.
You do not need a referral
You can book directly. Some insurers ask for a doctor's referral before they reimburse sessions.
Osgood-Schlatter and Sever's disease: knee and heel pain in growing children.
Osgood-Schlatter disease causes pain and a tender bump just below the kneecap; Sever's disease causes heel pain. Both happen in active children during growth spurts, when tendons pull on growing bone, and both usually settle once growth slows. Physiotherapy is the first-line treatment.
What physiotherapy does
Adjusts training load so your child can usually keep playing, stretches tight thigh and calf muscles, strengthens the muscles around the knee and ankle, and checks footwear and technique.
How long it lasts
Symptoms can come and go over months during growth. With the right load management most children stay active, and the condition rarely causes long-term problems.
Teenage sports injuries
All physiotherapy for under-18s, including sports injuries, is covered on this page. Adults should see our sports injury physiotherapy page.
How paediatric physiotherapy actually differs from adult physiotherapy.
Paediatric physiotherapy is genuinely a different practice from adult physiotherapy — not just adult techniques applied to smaller bodies. Several principles shape every paediatric session at our JVC clinic.
Play is therapy Children, especially under age 8, cannot engage with structured exercise prescription the way adults can. The exercises that strengthen, stretch, and re-pattern movement must be embedded in play that the child finds enjoyable. This requires creative therapeutic skill — designing activities that achieve specific therapeutic goals while feeling fun to the child. Sessions that look like play to outside observers are precisely calibrated therapeutic intervention.
The parent is part of the team Adult physiotherapy patients perform their home exercises themselves. Children typically need parents to facilitate the home programme. This means parents must understand what to do, why, when, and how to encourage their child without making it feel like punishment. Significant time in paediatric physiotherapy sessions is spent teaching parents — often more important than the direct treatment time with the child.
Children grow — and that changes everything Adult patients have stable bone structure, established movement patterns, and predictable tissue responses. Children are growing — sometimes 8-10 cm in a single year during growth spurts. A treatment that worked at age 9 may need adjustment at age 11. Growth itself can create new physiotherapy concerns (Osgood-Schlatter, Sever's disease, growth-related postural changes). Long-term paediatric physiotherapy involves continuously adjusting to the child's developmental trajectory.
The child's experience mattersIf physiotherapy is traumatic, painful, or boring, the child stops cooperating — often refusing to come back. Effective paediatric physiotherapy requires building genuine rapport with the child, finding their interests, respecting their pace, and making the experience genuinely worthwhile from their perspective. Children remember physiotherapy experiences for years; the way we treat children in our clinic shapes their relationship with healthcare for life.
Working with your child's doctors and school
When needed, and with your consent, we write to your child's paediatrician, specialist or school, and our in-house GP can review your child at the same clinic.
"A great paediatric physiotherapist makes the child want to come back next week. Everything else follows from that."
YOUR FIRST VISIT
What to expect at your child's first paediatric physiotherapy appointment.
Parents often ask what to expect — particularly for children who may be anxious about healthcare visits or for parents who are not sure whether paediatric physiotherapy will help. Here is what actually happens at your first visit.
The initial consultation is 60-75 minutes - longer than typical adult physiotherapy. Time is built in for the child to settle, for thorough family-centred history, for assessment that respects the child's pace, and for parent education at the end.
Settling in
The therapist greets you and your child, introduces themselves at the child's level, and gives the child time to explore the room and become comfortable. We do not start with formal assessment when a child is anxious — that produces unreliable results and starts the relationship poorly. For very young children, this settling period may be longer. A parent stays in the room throughout the appointment.
History and observation
Detailed family history with you (often while your child plays nearby and is observed informally). Birth history, developmental milestones, any concerns you have noticed, school or activity context, family history of relevant conditions. Throughout this conversation, the therapist is also observing your child's movement, attention, social engagement, and how they interact with their environment — much of paediatric assessment is observational.
Assessment
Structured assessment appropriate to your child's age and concerns. For a school-age child: movement screening, strength testing, balance and coordination tests. For an adolescent: more adult-like assessment with sport-specific or activity-specific tests. All assessment is framed as games or activities the child can engage with.
Your plan
Discussion with you about findings, recommendations, and treatment plan. Your child may be playing during this time or, for older children and adolescents, may be included in the discussion. You leave with a written summary and home exercises. Session length depends on your child's age and needs.
What to bring
- ✓Your child's medical history summary
- ✓Any paediatrician referral letter
- ✓Imaging or test results if available
- ✓Current medication list
- ✓School performance reports if relevant
- ✓A comfort item for your child (favourite toy, blanket)
- ✓Snack or water for your child
- ✓Comfortable clothing for movement
Who should come
Both parents are welcome at the first visit. If only one parent attends, we suggest the parent who knows your child's medical history most thoroughly. Siblings can come but may need supervision in the waiting area for older children's sessions.
Timing to avoid
Does insurance cover children's physiotherapy in Dubai?
Most Dubai insurance plans cover physiotherapy for children when it is medically needed, usually with a yearly session limit; some insurers ask for a doctor's referral first. Our in-house GP can provide one if appropriate.
Vedara Care works on reimbursement with all major insurers: you pay at the clinic and we give you the reports your insurer needs. WhatsApp a photo of your child's insurance card to check cover before you book.
SUPPORTED INSURANCE PROVIDERS
- Daman
- AXA
- Allianz
- Oman Insurance
- Now Health
- Bupa
- MetLife
WhatsApp +971 55 573 6312 for coverage confirmation.
WhatsApp UsWorking with your child's doctors, school and family.
Our in-house GP
If your child needs a medical check, a referral or advice before starting physiotherapy, our GP can see them at the same clinic.
Your paediatrician and specialists
When needed, and with your consent, we send a written summary to your child's paediatrician or specialist, or recommend one.
School and sport
When it helps, we can write a short note for PE teachers or coaches about what your child can and cannot do while they recover.
Other therapists
Some children also benefit from occupational or speech therapy; we tell you when that would help.
Parents
You learn the home exercises in the session, so progress continues between visits.
What patients say about physiotherapy with Hafsina K K
Real reviews from our Google Business Profile, quoted as written.
"I've been taking physiotherapy sessions at Vedara Care Polyclinic with Ms. Hafsina KK, and I'm genuinely grateful for her care and expertise. She is attentive, compassionate, and takes the time to understand what each patient needs. Along with regular physiotherapy, she incorporates effective traditional techniques such as dry needling and dry cupping when appropriate. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for thoughtful, personalised physiotherapy care."
Mohammad G.
Google review · 5 stars · September 2026
"Really happy with my physiotherapy treatment here, would recommend."
Anil K.
Google review · 5 stars · September 2026
4.7
Google rating
23
Google reviews
Your child's physiotherapist at our JVC clinic.
Hafsina K K
Hafsina K K treats children and teenagers herself at every session. She is female, which many families prefer, particularly for teenage girls.
Paediatric physiotherapy: what parents ask.
Answers reviewed by Hafsina K K, DHA-licensed physiotherapist.
Ask Our Team on WhatsAppVISIT US
Where to find our children's physiotherapy clinic in JVC.
Vedara Care Polyclinic, Binghatti Azure, Shop 4, Al Barsha South Fourth, Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai — walking distance from Circle Mall and close to JSS Private School. A children's treatment area with age-appropriate equipment, room for a parent in every session, and a waiting area for siblings. Free and paid parking nearby. Open daily 9am to 10pm.
NEARBY LANDMARKS
- ✓Walking distance from Circle Mall
- ✓3 min from FIVE Jumeirah Village Hotel
- ✓5 min from JSS Private School
- ✓Free patient parking
DISTANCE FROM DUBAI COMMUNITIES
READY TO START?
Physiotherapy designed for children, not adult physiotherapy in smaller doses.
If your child has a sports or growth-related injury, a posture problem or a developmental concern, the first step is an assessment with Hafsina K K at our JVC clinic. You stay in the room, and you leave with a clear plan.
Children aged 5 and over · Near Circle Mall and JSS Private School, JVC · Open daily 9am to 10pm
EXPLORE FURTHER
Related services and resources.
Physiotherapy in JVC
All physiotherapy services at our JVC clinic.
Learn moreKnee Pain Physiotherapy
Knee pain and ligament injuries in adults.
Learn moreSports Injury Physiotherapy (adults)
Sports injuries in adults; under-18s are treated on this page.
Learn moreMeet Hafsina K K
Our DHA-licensed physiotherapist.
Learn more