PediaSuit 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PEDIASUIT PROTOCOL

 

The PediaSuit Intensive Care Protocol with the orthopedic therapeutic overalls provides faster results.

 

Therapy with the orthopedic therapeutic overalls, combined with intensive therapy, consists of a program of 80 hours of treatment performed in 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of maintenance therapy, and this cycle should be repeated according to the needs of each patient.

 

The program combines physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy (in their respective area of expertise) and can, according to the needs of each patient, combine maintenance therapy with other rehabilitation treatments, which will be indicated according to each specificity.

 

In a regular therapy program it would take more than 6 months for the child to complete 80 hours of therapy. For this reason, with the intensive protocol, results can be seen early.

 

The protocol is based on three principles:

 

1 - Effect of the orthopedic therapeutic overalls (activities performed against the resistance given by the elastics, proprioceptive increase and postural realignment - (IMPERABLE USE OF THE THERAPEUTIC OVERALLS);

2 - Intensive Therapy of FOUR HOURS A DAY / 5 DAYS A WEEK / FOR 4 WEEKS - Followed by maintenance therapy (For 2 weeks) - (Cycle that should be repeated according to the needs of each patient);

3 - The active motor participation of the patient;

The 4-hour session: begins on the mat with warm-ups and therapeutic exercises. This part lasts about 45 minutes. Soon after, the Jumpsuit is dressed on the patient. Within the next three hours, children perform isolated muscle-strengthening activities in the “Monkey cage” and practice transitions in the “Spider cage”. In addition, activities to improve postural control, balance, coordination, gait, and motor skills are also performed.

 

After two hours of therapy, patients have a 15-minute break for a snack.

 

After 4 weeks of intensive therapy, patients have a maintenance period of 2 weeks, this means that for 2 weeks they will participate in only 12 hours of PediaSuit therapy, 6 hours each week, which can be combined with other therapies according to as already explained. After these two weeks of maintenance they are ready again for the next cycle of intensive therapy for 4 weeks.

 

Training in the PediaSuit Protocol courses is essential so that professionals (Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Speech Therapists) can carry out consultations with the PediaSuit.

 

 

GAIN AND MAINTENANCE OF MUSCLE STRENGTH AND RESISTANCE WITH PEDIASUIT

 

Muscle training is the use of muscle contraction against resistance to build strength, endurance and increase muscle fiber size. There are many methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity. In the case of the PediaSuit, most patients meet the strength training goal with the use of repetition, weight, and the constant resistance provided by the elastic bands. The exercises depend on each individual's functional capacity and the goals of the individual therapy.

 

When properly performed, strength training can provide significant functional benefits, improved overall health, including an increase in bone density. Also an improvement in joint function, a reduction in the potential for injury and an improvement in heart function. Children who participate in the PediaSuit protocol show improvement in most or all of the areas mentioned above. This protocol is intensive for a period of four weeks with little rest between sets to maximize therapy gains. This part of the PediaSuit protocol is designed to increase the level of neurotransmitters in children. However, each child must be closely monitored, since the appearance of fatigue is a reality when the frequency of exercise is intense.

 

Muscle fatigue occurs when the muscle is no longer able to sustain contractions, or produce force, which can occur in a variety of conditions. These conditions include: lactate formation (a by-product of energy metabolism), phosphocreatine depletion (a contributor to energy metabolism), glycogen depletion (especially in activities greater than 30 minutes in duration), neuromuscular fatigue (caused by failure to neural transmission, which signals muscle contraction), and the central nervous system may also perceive fatigue as a protective mechanism.

 

Most patients seen in intensive care have some type of neurological disorder such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, genetic syndromes, autism, etc. Neuromuscular fatigue is the type most often seen in intensive care. 

 

Another fact that concerns therapists during the PediaSuit protocol is caloric intake. Many children seen in this intensive care program have a gastrostomy (a gastric tube, which is passed through a small incision in the abdomen into the stomach and is used for long-term nutrition). When using the tube, children should take a break after two hours of therapy to receive the necessary nutrition to gain strength. Children receiving oral feeding also take a 15-minute break after 2 hours of therapy for caloric replacement.

 

The maintenance phase, under the PediaSuit protocol, allows the patient to rest from intensive care. Muscles experience great stress after an exercise session, whether the training is weight training or the activity is aerobic. The strain on the muscles varies according to the intensity of the exercise, the amount of nutrients in the diet and the duration of the activity in which the muscles were worked. A break is needed for the muscle to recover for the next exercise cycle.

 

There are four components involved in muscle recovery: fluid and electrolyte restoration, muscle glycogen replenishment, immune and muscle stress reduction, and muscle protein rebuilding.

 

FLUID AND ELECTROLYTE RESTORATION

 

During exercise, water and certain minerals called electrolytes are expelled from the body through sweating. The function of sweat is to prevent the body temperature from rising during exercise, which is important, but this comes at a cost, as water and electrolytes perform important functions within the body that can no longer be performed when these are lost through sweat.

 

The more water the body loses, the less effective the "cooling system" becomes. At the same time, mineral electrolytes like magnesium, sodium and potassium are needed for a variety of processes ranging from nutrient transport to nerve transmission.

 

THE PEDIASUIT PROTOCOL - MUSCLE GLYCOGEN REPLACEMENT

 

The primary energy source for moderate to high intensity activities is glycogen stored in the muscles and liver and glucose present in the bloodstream. Both glycogen and glucose are breakdown products of carbohydrates, and for this reason they are often referred to as "carbohydrate fuel". After exercise, the sooner the patient begins to replenish muscle glycogen by consuming carbohydrates, the better. That's because, after exercise, muscle cells are much more receptive to insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting glucose through the bloodstream to the liver and muscles, where it can be stored as glycogen. The body can synthesize glycogen 23 times faster during the first two hours after exercise than it can at other times.

 

 

REDUCING MUSCLE AND IMMUNE STRESS

 

In the long run, muscle training strengthens your muscles and your immune system. However, individual workouts can strain muscles and temporarily suppress immune system function. Fortunately, proper nutrition can minimize these effects and speed recovery from them.

 

 

RECONSTRUCTION OF MUSCLE PROTEIN

 

While not a preferred fuel source, protein is used to produce energy during prolonged exercise when muscle glycogen is depleted. This process is known as catabolism. In addition, the high concentration of cortisol in the blood, which is associated with catabolism, also makes it difficult to rebuild muscle protein, diverting amino acids to the liver. Since protein is an important structural element of muscles, catabolism leaves muscles in a weakened state. In order for patients to recover and adapt to this physical exertion, they need to act quickly to rebuild muscle protein right after exercise.

 

 

Credits:

 

Luana Pedrozo (Therapist)

Justin Thomas (Physiologist)

Leonardo de Oliveira (Breeder and Occupational Therapist (A)

Silvana Vasconcelos (PediaSuit Protocol Instructor Therapist)