SUIT THERAPY
Total Credit for this report goes to
TheraSuit™
http://www.suittherapy.com/
The
Cerebral Palsy Network does not support one therapy for these
"suits" over another we only choose to provide information about
the suits available allowing you the consumer to decide which
will best suite your needs.
In 2002 a
device called TheraSuit™
(U.S. patent pending) was designed
by Richard and Izabela Koscielny (Physical
Therapists, parents of disabled child, and the owners of
Therasuit LLC company). TheraSuit™ is manufactured,
imported and distributed by Therasuit LLC.
TheraSuit™ is the most recent and
sophisticated design yet, but does not require lengthy training
or special skills. TheraSuit™
was created to be used by therapists and parents a like, both
during therapy time and out of the clinical setting.
TheraSuit™ is
the only one of these kind of devices in USA registered with FDA
and meeting all requirements and regulations. Currently there is
about 30 clinic around United States successfully using
TheraSuit. There is also hundreds of trained parents using
TheraSuit on the daily basis.
During last two years hundreds of patients had a chance to
receive therapy using our invention.
TheraSuit proved to be safe and effective therapeutic and
exercise tool.
TheraSuit™ consists of :
-
cap
-
vest
-
shorts
-
knee pads
-
shoe
attachments
All the mentioned above elements of the suit are connected with
each other through a system of elastic bands.
TheraSuit™ comes in 5 sizes:
-
small
(yellow)
3-5 years
old, 34" - 44" tall
-
medium (red)
5-8 years old, 44" - 51" tall
-
large
(green)
8-12 years
old, 51" - 56" tall
-
x-large
(blue)
12 -
adulthood, 56" - 66" tall
-
xx-large
(blue/yellow) adults
II. How does the TheraSuit works?
TheraSuit™,
thanks to its construction and improvements creates a breathable
soft dynamic orthotic. Its major goal is to improve and change
proprioception (pressure from the joints,
ligaments, muscles), reduce patient's pathological reflexes,
restore physiological muscle synergies (proper patterns of
movement) and load the entire body with weight
(process similar to a reaction of our
muscles to the gravitational forces acting up us for 24 hours).
All of the above normalizes afferent vestibulo-proprioceptive
input (information arriving to the
vestibular system). The vestibular system is a very
important center. It processes, integrates and sends back all
the information that arrives from muscles, joints, tendons etc.
It influences muscle tone, balance and the position of the body
in space.
The
more correct proprioception from the joints, ligaments, muscles,
tendons, joint's capsule etc., the more correct alignment. The
vicious cycle (picture 1) can be
interrupted and incorrect information is replaced by " new"
correct information (picture2).
A patient (child) diagnosed with
Cerebral Palsy and other neuro-motor disorders requires hundreds
of repetitions of any particular movement.
We believe that as individuals, we all have a "magic" number.
For example: a baby that is trying to push-off the floor will
need to repeat this movement a few hundred times in order to
master it. Another one may need either more or less repetitions
to learn the same skill.
For the Cerebral Palsied child however, this fairly low "magic"
number grows to a thousand or more repetitions to learn and
master new skills.
TheraSuit™ worn over a prolonged
time will correct proprioception and accelerate the progress.
Thanks to the TheraSuit™ and
physical movement (therapy) the
skills practiced will become more fluent and require less and
less effort. Therefore,
TheraSuit™
facilitates the development of new gross and fine motor skills
like sitting, standing, walking.
III.
TheraSuit - Indications and Benefits
Indications:
-
Cerebral Palsy
-
Developmental delays
-
Traumatic Brain Injury
-
Post stroke
(CVA)
-
Ataxia
-
Athetosis
-
Spasticity
(increased muscle tone)
-
Hypotonia
(low muscle tone)
Benefits:
