CP an d lycra suits

angela123 · 2010-05-06T20:48:06+00:00

Hi My son is 2 years 10 months with CP Spastic diplegia. Walking holding my hand but not more than a few steps independently. Yesterday at physio and they are going to get a lycra suit made to help him along. Just want to know if anyone has had such a suit and what help it was or even is... thanks

Ineed2shoeswhotovotefor · 06/05/2010 21:55

dd had one a few years back, she wore it for quite a while, but tbh it didn't seem to make enough difference to balance out her getting so hot(we had probles as we had to be careful of her over heating and the epilepsy kicking in)
but whilst she was wearing it it did help her.
hope that makes sense.

HairyMaclary · 06/05/2010 21:59

HAve to got o bed now as feeling v ill but my DS had one, he has sd CP also. It was very good. I'll come back tomorrow with more info!

chatee · 07/05/2010 12:48

dd wore one for a few years and we really did see an improvement in her mobility although by the age of 7.5 she really hated it with a passion and although the suit had become smaller (as in we started off with full body,long arms and long legs and finished with just lycra high waisted shorts)it was the right time to end-you do have to listen to your child and weigh up pros and cons but at your sons age i would definetly recommend trying

good luck

lou33 · 07/05/2010 12:55

same as 2shoes here, the benefit of it was minimal with my ds tbh, but i think it is worth a try as there is research to show it can be beneficial

verycherry · 07/05/2010 22:02

My ds is 2.9 with SDCP, have only recently heard about lycra suits but have no idea how they work - would be v grateful if someone could enlighten me!!

feelingbetter · 07/05/2010 22:13

Have a looky here or here
or google dynamic lycra garment (there are a lot of scientific papers on tinterweb.

lou33 · 07/05/2010 23:25

i meant to say that ds is 9 now and also has sdcp, but cannot walk or stand and uses a wheelchair

he had the suit a few years ago, when he was about 5 or 6 i think

iirc the theory behind them is based on the fact it is meant to increase muscle tone and posture, and therefore aid them in mobility

deepbreath · 07/05/2010 23:35

Sorry to interrupt, but thank you so much for putting those links on, feelingbetter.

My dd doesn't have cp, but has real problems walking due to low tone, hypermobility and hips rotating inwards amongst other things.

She has Piedro's and DAFO's for her feet and ankles, but Surgical Appliances said that there was nothing they could do to help with the problems further up her legs. The shorts/leggings on the 2nd link look ideal for dd

lou33 · 07/05/2010 23:41

deepbreath, have you looked at any kind of adapted seating?

something like a pommel between the legs can help stop hips rotating in (ds has this problem)

do you have an ot?

deepbreath · 07/05/2010 23:46

lou, yes we do now. Dd's 7 and has recently had her 1st O.T. assessment after a very long wait! We have got a Breezi chair on loan, and it has a large, padded bit on the seat.

lou33 · 08/05/2010 00:23

we used to have a breezi but are now waiting for a new ot department to assess for something else

good that you have something for her sitting though

what about at school?

verycherry · 08/05/2010 08:26

Thanks feelingbetter for the links they were really helpful and lou33.

It seems that most peoples dc have had some benefit from them, am seeing physio and orthotist on tues so will see what they think wrt ds, thanks.

HairyMaclary · 08/05/2010 09:56

Sorry I forgot about this. DS has one for about 6 months when he was 3/4. It had a noticeable effect in bringing his heels down and he was much straighter when wearing it. He did find it uncomfortable and because we noticed so much carry - over i.e. we began to see the same postural differences even when he wasn't wearing the suit, we decided not to give him another one.
I would recommend them, at least giving them a go.!

SookieD · 08/05/2010 15:19

My DS has had one for almost a year now (he is 2.5 years).

I'm a bit sceptical about how much difference it makes but his physio and others think he has more control over his tone (he can't sit unaided or walk). There's no doubt the kids don't like them, especially getting them put on, which is a bit of a kerfuffle but I think it's worth trying - I can imagine it gets harder when they get older though.

Our physio explained that she had been on a training course recently about suits where they had to put on a pair of cycling shorts made of similar fabric; then try to balance on one leg. She says the tightness of the fabric gives you greater support and balance which you can sort of imagine if you think about it - so that's what it does for the kids. They are expensive though so you don't always get them.

SookieD · 08/05/2010 15:19

My DS has had one for almost a year now (he is 2.5 years).

I'm a bit sceptical about how much difference it makes but his physio and others think he has more control over his tone (he can't sit unaided or walk). There's no doubt the kids don't like them, especially getting them put on, which is a bit of a kerfuffle but I think it's worth trying - I can imagine it gets harder when they get older though.

Our physio explained that she had been on a training course recently about suits where they had to put on a pair of cycling shorts made of similar fabric; then try to balance on one leg. She says the tightness of the fabric gives you greater support and balance which you can sort of imagine if you think about it - so that's what it does for the kids. They are expensive though so you don't always get them.