The PediaSuit Protocol™
Presentation
PediaSuit Protocol™ is an intensive therapy with a holistic approach to the treatment of individuals with neurological disorders like cerebral palsy, developmental delays, traumatic brain injuries, autism and other conditions which affect a child's motor and/or cognitive functions.
Intensive PediaSuit Protocol™ Therapy combines the use of the suit with intensive physical therapy. These sessions are for up to four hours a day, about five times a week for about three to four weeks. The intensity of these sessions results in faster achievements than with the traditional half hour to hour-long sessions that normally take place one to three time per week.
How it works
The suit aligns the body as close to normal as possible. Reestablishing the correct postural alignment plays a crucial role in normalizing muscle tone, sensory and vestibular function. The Ability Exercise Unit is used to train a child to gain the ability to isolate the desired movements and strengthen the muscle groups responsible for that movement. The Ability Exercise Unit allows one to gain range of motion, muscle and joint flexibility, as well as functional skills. This is a structured program that enhances growth and development of each individual.
A typical day of an intensive generic program may consists of warming up and deep tissue massage, tone reduction and sensory integration techniques, decreasing pathological movement patterns, increasing active proper movement patterns, stretching/strengthening specific muscle groups responsible for functional movement, progressive resistance exercise, balance/coordination and endurance training, and transferring of functional activities and gait training.
Benefits of PediaSuit Protocol™ Therapy
- Re-trains the central nervous system
- Restores ontogenetic development
- Provides external stabilization
- Normalizes muscle tone
- Aligns the body to as close to normal as possible
- Provides dynamic correction
- Normalizes (corrects) gait pattern
- Provides tactile stimulation
- Influences vestibular system
- Improves balance
- Improves coordination
- Decreases uncontrolled movement in ataxia and athetosis
- Improves body and spatial awareness
- Supports weak muscles
- Provides resistance to strong muscles to further enhance strength
- Improves speech production and its fluency through head and trunk support
- Promotes development of both fine and gross motor skills
- Improves bone density
- Helps to decrease contractures
- Improves hip alignment
Further reading
Description of the Pediasuit Protocol™
Scheeren EM, Mascarenhas LPG, Chiarello CR, Costin ACMS, Oliveira L, Neves EB.
Indications
- Cerebral Palsy
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Developmental delays
- Ataxia
- Athetosis
- Hypertonia
- Hypotonia
- Autism
- Epilepsy
- Sensory Integration Disturbances
- Down Syndrome
- Post-stroke (CVA)
- Post-trauma
- Central Nervous System disorders
- Mitochondrial diseases
- Hydrocephalus
- Rheumatoid arthritis – (this type of suspension can be used to provide joint distraction, therefore it decreases the forces acting on the joint itself and helps eliminate pain and further joint damage)
- Sport injuries
- Orthopedic patients
- Vestibular disorders
- Burns
- Fractures – early stages in rehabilitation
- Spina Bifida