Effectiveness of therapeutic suits and intensive suit trainings in individuals with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders: a scoping review

Abstract

Introduction. This review aims to find if there is any effectiveness in the application of therapeutic suits or intensive suit trainings or both together, among people with cerebral palsy and other pathologies. Methods. Articles published from 1997 to 2019 were reviewed. Fifteen articles met the inclusion criteria that involved: English, Spanish, or Polish language; published studies; studies about the effectiveness of suit therapies regardless of the used protocol (Adeli suit, Therasuit, Penguin suit, or suit therapy); studies conducted among people with cerebral palsy or other neurological disorders regardless of age, type of cerebral palsy, and severity level. Results. There were some positive effects in gross motor functions, functional gait, and joint mobility. However, the evidence was not clear and there were numerous factors that could have affected the results and produced methodological limitations. Conclusions. The findings justify further exploration of the potential of suit therapies in people with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders.