Athetosis derives from the Greek word meaning “of no fixed position” and is the name given to the involuntary, slow, writhing movements that are often made by people affected with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders.

Athetosis is usually most evident in the hands, fingers, feet, toes and tongues of affected people and may also manifest in larger convoluted movements of the legs, arms and neck too.

The causes themselves can be difficult to treat or alleviate since brain damage is not in itself easily reversible. However, a variety of different therapies have had some success in alleviating the involuntary muscular symptoms and can help to improve the enjoyment and quality of life of some athetosis sufferers.

One such therapy is to try to retrain an affected person to relearn certain muscular movements so that they may develop some control over their involuntary body movements.

This is where the Revivo Intensive Suit Therapy may have a positive role to play in offering significant improvements to an athetosis sufferer’s quality of life. Wearing a special skeletal suit to keep their body posture correctly aligned, the patient works closely together with a therapist to follow an individually customized series of intensive exercises that are designed to take pathological reflexes and transform them over time into functional body movements.

Revivo Intensive Suit Therapy is designed to isolate specific muscles and muscle groups so that the patient can concentrate on improving their strength, flexibility and expand their range of movement, as well as reprogramming to some extent their Central Nervous System. Over time, most patients display significant progress in coordination, balance, and functional motor skills.

Through constant repetition of movement and progressively more difficult levels of resistance it has been proven that in some circumstances the brain can be ‘retrained’ so that muscular movements may become more normalized.

Call us today to find out more about our athetosis relief treatments.