TMR Tots – Changing Lives Healing With Ease

As the vital partner for the profession, the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) leads, advocates, and inspires excellence and innovation to promote health. CPA’s goal is to provide exceptional service, valuable information and connections to the profession of physiotherapy, across Canada and around the world.

The Paediatric Division is a special interest group within the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Our membership consists of clinicians from all practice settings, students, educators, researchers, physiotherapy assistants and administrators all of whom have a passion for promoting participation and enhancing the lives of children and their families. We are dedicated to provide resources and information for paediatric patients and their families to promote participation and function independence in all aspects of life.

Paediatric physiotherapists employ clinical expertise in the early detection of health problems, treatment, education and management of congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal, cardiorespiratory or acquired disorders/diseases. Paediatric physiotherapists work with children of all ages, from infants through young adulthood to promote participation and functional independence. Paediatric physiotherapists have a unique role in that they not only work with the child, but also their families in the context of their daily home, school and recreational environment.

Paediatric physiotherapists use validated outcome measures to assess the level of strength, flexibility, gross-, and fine-motor coordination and overall functional capabilities to determine participation limitations or restrictions as a result of injury, disease or disability.

Through analysis of objective assessment findings, the paediatric physiotherapist uses evidence-based treatment interventions specifically tailored to the client and their family's goals. Treatment interventions focus on improving gross and fine motor skills, balance and coordination, strength and endurance, as well as cognitive and sensory processing/integration.

Susan Blum obtained her degree in Physical Therapy in 1975. She is the owner of Susan Blum Pediatric Physical Therapy, a private practice specializing in the treatment of children and empowerment of caregivers in their natural environments. Her practice includes patients with a wide variety of pediatric issues including cerebral palsy, orthopedic issues, gait asymmetries, torticollis, developmental delays, and other neuro-motor disorders. She specializes in mentoring therapists worldwide in developing care plans for children and adults who have profound motor challenges. In 2021 she was the recipient of the Pennsylvania Pediatric SIG Award of Excellence for her contributions to the pediatric PT profession.

Susan provides consultative PT services in Arizona and Pennsylvania treating children and adults with complex developmental challenges and coaching therapists to develop of care plans for their most complex patients.

Earlier in her over 40-year career, Susan had extensive experience treating adults with neurological and orthopedic disorders using a variety of treatment techniques which she has incorporated in her approach with children founded on her research, extensive review of current science and continuing education. After discovering the step-by-step TMR concept in 2008 she witnessed a dramatic improvement in the functional outcomes of her patients. All benefited from TMR and exceeded former expectations prompting her adaptation for pediatrics and development of the TMR Tots & Teens (Tots) program.

She has taught the Tots concepts to almost 3,000 therapists worldwide and presented the concepts at numerous state APTA and international programs including the International Fascia Congress. Susan continues the ongoing study of cutting-edge science supporting the TMR concept and networking with therapists collecting data for future publication. Included in her research is a grading system to analyze patterns of postural asymmetry related to associated developmental issues including torticollis and cerebral palsy.