Pontiac, MI -- Doctors’ Hospital of Michigan in Pontiac has been awarded a legal patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a medical device used during therapy for children with cerebral palsy and other gross motor disorders.  The patented device, called the Euro-Pēds Therapy Suit^®, was designed by two pediatric Physical Therapists from the Euro-Pēds Intensive Pediatric PT clinic, a very specialized division of Doctors’ Hospital of Michigan. 

The Euro-Pēds Therapy Suit^® was designed by current Euro-Pēds Director, Michelle Saunders Haney, PT, MSPT, a resident of Pontiac, and former Associate Director of Euro-Peds, Slawek Walenski, PT, of Waterford, MI.    

The therapy suit is used exclusively in the Pontiac-based clinic as a therapeutic device.  It is worn by patients during therapy who have diagnoses of cerebral palsy or other non-progressive neuromuscular disorders.  “Suit Therapy,” when administered and supervised by specially-trained therapists, is used to create better alignment in the child’s body, compression throughout the joints, and enhanced strengthening and endurance during long physical therapy sessions.  The therapy suit is manufactured in Poland and is comprised of a durable fabric, Velcro straps and elastic bands. The unique medical device takes 15-20 minutes for the therapists to put on the patient.  The patients wear it during therapy for 1-2 hours at a time.   

The Euro-Pēds Therapy Suit^® concept, as well as the concept of “intensive therapy,” was inspired by methods commonly used in Europe beginning in the 1970’s.  Prior to the Euro-Pēds clinic opening in the U.S.A. in October 1999, families were traveling to Eastern Europe for intensive therapy.  The Euro-Peds clinic is the only known hospital-based intensive pediatric physical therapy clinic of its kind.  For more information contact 248-857-6776, europeds@dhofm.com or www.europeds.org.