PediaSuit

 

KNOW MORE

about the PediaSuit protocol:

 

- HOW IT IS, WHAT IT CONSISTS OF AND WHAT CONCEPT IS WORKED ON.

 

- HOW, WHEN AND WHO WAS ITS CREATOR, IN ADDITION TO FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASES.

 

The PediaSuit is a soft, dynamic orthopedic garment consisting of a hat, vest, shorts, knee pads and tailored footwear that are interconnected by elastic bands. The basic concept of PediaSuit is to create a support unit to align the body as close to the functional as possible, reestablishing the correct postural alignment and weight bearing that are fundamental in the modulation of the muscular tonus of the sensorial and vestibular function. The elastic bands are adjustable, which means that a load of 15 to 40 kg can be applied axially on the body.

 

The PediaSuit is the most modern type of orthopedic therapeutic suit currently available. PediaSuit was created in 2006 by Leonardo de Oliveira, co-founder of Therapies4kids.

 

 

- FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF PEDIASUIT

 

After Lucas' success story, Leonardo de Oliveira and a group of therapists developed the PediaSuit based on the "Penguim Suit" from Russia, but with adaptations and improvements considered necessary, such as:

 

Short emergency exit;

More porous material with better perspiration;

More anatomical collar;

perforated screen

These changes were made by a collaborating group of US-based healthcare professionals.

 

The group realized that the material for making the orthopedic therapeutic coveralls needed to be lighter, breathable and also easy to apply and remove, in addition to being comfortable. The group of professionals, together with collaborators in the health area, frequently discusses what can be done to further improve the orthopedic therapeutic suit, making the PediaSuit a therapy in constant evolution. The idea was to make an easily accessible orthopedic therapeutic suit that could be taught to therapists around the world and also to parents of patients in other countries, where there are no PediaSuit clinics.

 

Sensory integration was also a concern for the designers. Based on the daily experiences and discoveries of Professor Temple Grandin (Texas), PhD in Animal Science and inventor of the hug machine, the group decided to design exercises for autistic patients. The group took into account the properties of the hugging machine and made the PediaSuit a dynamic hugging machine with which the patient can walk and perform occupational tasks with the necessary comfort and sensory input. To date, many patients with special needs have benefited from using the PediaSuit. Success stories are many and these do not only involve an improvement in your motor skills, but an improvement in your quality of life in general.

 

Regarding its construction, the PediaSuit is manufactured in the USA with several pieces coming from India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The PediaSuit is made from a soft, breathable fabric with padding to make long-term use more comfortable for your patients. Her shorts also have buttons at the bottom to make diaper changes, if needed, easier for caregivers without having to remove the entire therapeutic coverall, saving precious therapy time.

 

The exoskeleton produced by the orthopedic therapeutic suit significantly increases the effects on the patient's ability to execute new motor plans. The therapeutic overalls, combined with the repetition of the exercises, have the ability to provide brain plasticity for the apprehension of new movement patterns, making patients learn these new patterns and gain muscle strength at the same time. This, coupled with muscle strength training, makes the PediaSuit ideal for the treatment of many neurological disorders, especially cerebral palsy.

 

 

- NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS

 

The theory behind Therapy Suit Therapy (Proprioceptive Orthosis) is that once the body is in alignment, with support and pressure exerted on all joints, intensive therapy will re-educate the brain to recognize patterns of functional movements and muscle activity. The fact that the results obtained from treatment with this type of therapy are maintained after the treatment cycle is also of great importance. All phases and components of the PediaSuit protocol have their scientific basis described many years ago. The protocol added treatments of a single session with the optimization of the equipment and the Proprioceptive Orthesis for the training of Intensive Care.

 

The vestibular system is a fundamental system that affects our ability to move and balance. Our body has many sensory organs that send information to the brain about what our body is experiencing, where we are in space, and whether our body is following the brain's lead. The sensory and proprioceptive receptors that we have in all our joints are the main players in this communication. With the use of the orthopedic therapeutic overalls, this communication is facilitated, since its action causes the understanding of all the major joints.

 

The orthopedic therapeutic overalls help in the plasticity of the central nervous system, allowing the patient to adapt complex patterns of pathological movements and to execute and repeat patterns of previously unknown movements.

 

The principle of action of the therapy with the use of the Proprioceptive Orthesis is to focus on correcting the patient's posture and the functional pattern of movement. This can be achieved by giving the support the patient needs through adjustments made to the coverall. As a result, a powerful flow of afferent impulses influences the motor center of the brain in order to restore its damaged functions. As an effect, established pathological synergies are discouraged and new sequences of functionality are created.