Purzelbaum Kinderphysiotherapie
For parents
What a course of treatment looks like, what Bobath and Vojta actually involve, what the health insurer pays, and the questions parents ask us most often — sorted by the age of the child.
How a course of treatment works
From the prescription to the last appointment. Nothing here is unusual; it is simply the sequence, written down.
- 1
The prescription
Physiotherapy for a child is prescribed by the paediatrician, or by an orthopaedic or neuropaediatric specialist. The prescription (Heilmittelverordnung) names the therapy, the number of sessions and the frequency. Treatment has to start within 28 days of the date on the prescription unless the doctor notes otherwise, so book as soon as you have it.
- 2
The first appointment
Sixty minutes for a first appointment with a child, of which about twenty are conversation. We ask about the pregnancy and birth, milestones, the day at nursery or school, sleep, and what you have already tried. Then we watch your child move — on the floor, on the bench, on the ball. Your child keeps their clothes on except where we need to see the back or the hips.
- 3
The goal
We agree one or two goals in your words, not in ours: sitting without hands for a minute, walking to the nursery without the buggy, getting through a school day without back pain. A goal we can check is worth more than a goal that sounds ambitious.
- 4
The sessions
Usually once or twice a week. A child works in short bursts, so a 45-minute session is not 45 minutes of exercise — it is several rounds with breaks, and the breaks are part of the therapy. You stay in the room. Younger siblings are welcome; there is a play corner and a changing table.
- 5
At home
You leave with two or three things to do at home, chosen so they fit into a day you already have: how you carry, how you sit at dinner, one exercise before bath time. We would rather you do a small thing every day than a programme once a week. If it is not working at home, tell us and we will change it.
- 6
The review
At the end of the prescription we write a short report for the prescribing doctor and go through it with you. Sometimes the answer is a follow-up prescription, sometimes a break, sometimes a referral somewhere else. We say which we think it is.
Bobath and Vojta, described plainly
Both are established paediatric therapy concepts in Germany. They work differently, and they are experienced very differently by a family. Below is what each one involves, including the parts that are difficult.
Bobath for children
€72
45 min · per session
The Bobath concept treats movement as something a child learns, not something that is corrected from outside. We set up a situation the child wants to move in — reaching for a toy, climbing onto a bench — and guide the movement with our hands only as far as the child needs. Sessions run in short blocks with breaks, because attention is the limit, not effort. Typical reasons for referral are delayed motor milestones, muscle tone that is too high or too low, cerebral palsy, and asymmetries that persist beyond infancy. Bobath is a framework for how we work, not a fixed exercise set, so two children with the same diagnosis rarely get the same session.
- Delayed motor milestones
- Cerebral palsy
- Low or high muscle tone
- After neurological illness
Vojta therapy
€55
30 min · per session
In Vojta therapy the child lies in a defined position while the therapist applies firm, sustained pressure to defined points on the body. This triggers movement patterns the child does not produce voluntarily. Many babies and small children cry during Vojta. That is an expected reaction to being held still and to the effort involved; it is not a sign of injury. It is still hard to watch, and parents are right to ask about it. We explain each step before we do it, we keep the session short, and we stop when you ask us to stop. Vojta is practised at home, usually three to four short sessions a day — that commitment is part of the decision, not a detail. The evidence base is limited and the concept is discussed critically among professionals and parents. For many children, Bobath or advice on handling and positioning achieves as much. If Vojta has been prescribed and you would rather not do it, say so: we will look at alternatives with you and speak to the prescribing doctor.
- Prescribed reflex locomotion
- Marked asymmetry in infancy
- Second opinion on a Vojta prescription
Infant consultation
€48
30 min · per session
A short, calm appointment for the first months. We look at how your baby lies, turns and pushes up, and at how you carry, feed and change them, because most of the day is spent in those positions. You get concrete things to change: which side to approach from, how to vary the carrying position, how much tummy time is realistic. If we see something that needs a doctor's assessment — a strong, fixed head preference, a marked asymmetry, a flattening of the skull that is getting worse — we say so and send you back to your paediatrician. We do not diagnose.
- Head preference to one side
- Flattening at the back of the head
- Uncertainty about carrying and positioning
- Late rolling
Scoliosis check
€65
45 min · per session
Scoliosis is usually noticed during the growth spurt, often by a parent or in a school sports lesson. In this appointment we take a structured look at posture, the forward-bend test, shoulder and pelvis position, trunk rotation and flexibility, and we measure what can be measured without imaging. You leave with a written summary you can take to the paediatrician or orthopaedic specialist. A physiotherapist does not diagnose scoliosis and does not replace an X-ray — this appointment tells you whether a medical assessment is warranted, and gives you a baseline to compare against in six months.
- Uneven shoulders or waist
- Back pain during the growth spurt
- Follow-up after a known curve
- Before or after a specialist appointment
Prescription, insurance and costs
The short version: with a prescription from the paediatrician, statutory insurance pays, and under-18s pay nothing towards it.
- Statutory insurance (GKV)
- We are licensed with all statutory health insurers. With a valid Heilmittelverordnung from the paediatrician or a specialist, the insurer pays for the prescribed sessions. We bill the insurer directly; you do not pay us and you do not claim anything back.
- No co-payment under 18
- The statutory co-payment (Zuzahlung) of 10 euros per prescription plus 10 percent of the cost of each treatment applies only to insured people aged 18 and over. Children and adolescents under 18 are exempt by law — you pay nothing at all. From the eighteenth birthday the normal co-payment applies unless there is an individual exemption.
- Private insurance and Beihilfe
- You receive an invoice under the GebüH schedule and submit it to your insurer or Beihilfe office. How much comes back depends on your policy — please check the rate for physiotherapy for children before the first appointment so there are no surprises.
- Without a prescription (self-payer)
- You can book any of our appointments without a prescription. The prices on this site are the self-payer prices, payable after the session by card or in cash. A scoliosis check or a one-off infant consultation is often booked this way.
- Missed appointments
- An appointment that is not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance is charged privately, because the slot cannot be given to another child at short notice. Health insurers do not cover this. If your child is ill, call us — we will not charge you for that.
Questions by age
The same question sounds different at eight months and at fourteen years. Choose the age group.
My baby always turns their head to the same side. Is that a problem?
A preference for one side is common in the first weeks and often settles by itself. It is worth looking at if it is still marked at three months, if your baby cannot turn to the other side at all, or if the back of the head is flattening on one side. Bring it up at the U-appointment; your paediatrician decides whether physiotherapy is indicated. We can also see you as a self-payer for a single consultation and tell you honestly whether we think it needs more.
My baby hates tummy time. What now?
Then do less of it, more often. Thirty seconds on your chest while you are lying back counts. So does a nappy change on your lap and carrying facing outwards along your forearm. Time on the front is about strength and orientation, not about endurance.
Is physiotherapy for a baby painful?
Bobath work with a baby is not painful. Vojta is different: many babies cry during it, and we describe that openly rather than talk around it. Read the Vojta section above before you decide, and ask us anything at the first appointment.
My baby is not rolling at seven months. Should I worry?
Milestones vary widely and a single late milestone is usually not the point — the pattern is. If your baby is not rolling at all by around seven months, is not bearing weight through the arms, or has lost a skill they had, tell your paediatrician. That is a medical assessment, not a physiotherapy one.
Before the first appointment
You can send us the essentials in advance so the first appointment starts with your child rather than with paperwork. Everything here is optional; you can also fill it in on paper when you arrive.
This form asks for data about a child. A parent or guardian completes and sends it — never the child. We ask only for what we need to prepare the appointment, we store it in the patient record for the legally required ten years (§ 630f BGB), and we do not use it for anything else. Legal basis: Art. 9 (2) (h) GDPR together with § 22 BDSG (health care), and Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR for the appointment itself. Please do not send photographs of your child through this form.