I. TheraSuit™ 
  
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 alike, both during therapy time and out of the clinical setting. 

TheraSuit™ is the only one of these kind of devices in United States  registered with FDA and meeting all requirements and regulations. Currently there is more than 50 clinics around United States and Europe successfully using TheraSuit. There is also hundreds of trained parents using TheraSuit on the daily basis. 
During last years hundreds of patients had a chance to receive therapy using our invention.

For the last three years TheraSuit has proven to be safe and effective to use at home by parents.

^{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 TherSuit 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:

• Re-trains central nervous system

• Restores ontogenic 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 the vestibular system

• Improves balance

• Improves coordination

• Decreases uncontrolled movements in ataxia and athetosis

• Improves body and spatial awareness

• Supports weak muscles

• Provides resistance to strong muscles to further enhance strengthening

• Improves speech production and its fluency through head control and trunk support

• Promotes development of both fine and gross motor skills

• Improves bone density

• Helps to decrease contractures

• Helps improve hip alignment through vertical loading over the hip joint 

IV. TheraSuit - Contraindications and Precautions

Contraindications:

• hip subluxation greater than 50%

• severe scoliosis

Precautions:

• heart conditions

• uncontrolled seizure activities

• hip subluxation

• hydrocephalus (VP shunt)

• diabetes

• kidney problems

• high blood pressure