There are many forms of physical Cerebral Palsy therapy and treatments that can help reduce the physical disabilities associated with Cerebral Palsy. Each child or adult with Cerebral Palsy will often need a specialized kind of therapy treatment.
The Maribelle exercise assist system, otherwise known as the MEAS is one option for physical therapy that a child or adult with Cerebral Palsy special needs may be interested in and has had very beneficial results for cerebral palsy treatment.
Designed by an occupational therapist. Therapeutic Maribelle Exercise Assist System (MEAS) has been used for physical therapy for cerebral palsy with children & adults who have special needs, disabilities.
How is the MEAS used for Cerebral Palsy Therapy?
The MEAS is exercise equipment that is suspended from the ceiling with a body support for physical therapy. This allows a child or adult that has little muscle control or no use of their legs to actually be put in an upright position (supported standing), or a sitting position where they can move or move with assistance for physical therapy. For example, swinging.
The physical and emotional benefits for a child or an adult with cerebral palsy are many, including much enjoyment for the child or adult just from being in an upright position, or from the swinging and other possible physical movements. Remarkably, the muscle movements in the MEAS result in LESS spasticity! 3 to 5 minutes of gentle bouncing therapy, followed by swinging, invariably will relax tight elbow joints and clenched hands will open up. The Neurophysiological reasons for this change have been well documented in research studies about using rebounders for therapy and treatment.
Cerebral Palsy physical therapy will help your child or an adult in many ways. Progressive cerebral palsy therapy treatment goals, which have been achieved in varying degrees by the regular therapy use of the MEAS in an eight week or longer physical cerebral palsy therapy program include:
1. Eye contact, tracking, eye-hand coordination, focusing, dramatically improved vision.
2. Increased attention span, improved learning skills.
3. Social awareness, interaction with peers, self confidence
4. Vocalization, improved speech.
5. Independent purposeful muscle movement, muscle development.
6. Head Control, trunk balance, independent righting.
7. Improved circulation, improved bowel function.
8. Reduction in flexon spasticity, relaxed open hands.
9. Reduction in extension spasticity, less startle reflex
10. Release of frustration, improved morale, enjoyment.
11. Easier to feed after therapy, better appetite
12. Self feeding, finger foods, spoon, fork.
13. Desensitization of skin areas, particularly the soles of the feet, starting by letting the user splash their feet in warm water, shaving foam etc.
14. Crawling, independent mobility, knee walking, running.
15. Reduction of Athetoid movements allowing the child or adult to control their electric wheel chair independently after physical therapy exercise in MEAS
Therapists have reported that a child or adult who were fearful when they were placed in a hammock are much less afraid of doing Sensory Integration and Vestibular Stimulation techniques using MEAS.
Meas physical therapy is used for
* Sensory integration therapy
* Vestibular stimulation therapy
* Gait training
* Desensitizing soles of feet
* Occupying a child while tube feeding to distract the child from yanking tubes
* Encouraging weight bearing in hypertonic children
* Allows wheelchair-bound adults to move in upright position.
* Therapy for Early recovery periods after injuries
Besides Cerebral Palsy therapy, the Maribelle exercise assist system will also be of benefit for a child or adult with special needs therapy for
* Low muscle tone therapy
* Poor balance therapy
* Spastic cerebral palsy therapy (CP)
* Impaired vision/blindness
* Fearfulness & insecurity
* Sensory deprivation
* Hemiplegia
* Athetoid cerebral palsy therapy (CP)
* Congenital dislocated hips
* Leg length discrepancy
* Fetal alcohol syndrome therapy (FAS)
* Limited motor abilities
* Failure to thrive
* Poor head control
* Hyposensitive vestibular systems
* Cerebral cortical atrophy therapy
* Hydrocephaly
* Agenisis of corpus collosum
* Microcephalic
* Developmental delay
* Intractable seizure condition
* Epilepsy
* CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia)
* Deafness
* Scoliosis
The MEAS was designed by an occupational therapist and has been used in home, hospital, clinic, and school settings for different kinds of special physical therapy and treatment.
The MEAS includes pulleys, harness, upper body support, and 2 seats - bucket and pelvic support - for different exercises. The MEAS is available in sizes for a child to adult and each size can be adjusted for a custom fit and will grow with a child. The MEAS suspends from either an eye bolt screwed into a solid wood stud or beam, or from a track/suspension system.
