DM Orthotics
We love DMO!
Our team highly recommend DM Orthotics Lycra suits! We are trained in measuring, fitting and measuring for alterations for their off-the-shelf and custom-made Lycra suits and shorts. We know talented occupational therapists who are trained to measure and fit DMO Lycra assistive gloves and work jointly with them to enable to the best outcome for the superhero. We like adding customised panels to the suits we order, to target or inhibit specific muscle groups, enabling maximum function and FUN!
Benefits of DMO suits
At BBP, we typically measure and fit short arms and legs Lycra suits, sleeveless suits, or abduction shorts. These suits are practical, do not show when the client is dressed, and can be worn for long periods of time throughout the day. They also come in a huge range of colours, and you can choose several in one suit! One of our clients has her own ‘super-girl’ Lycra suit in red, gold and blue that helps her sit up in her wheelchair! She loves it so much, she leaves it on display on hot days!
Low muscle tone
We love using DMO suits for children who have low muscle tone, or hypotonia in their trunk. These children have to work hard to sit up, using up lots of energy! DMO suits help to activate the right muscles to hold the trunk up straight, and wearing one helps these children to function with learning, playing and socialising by making anti-gravity positions more efficient.
High muscle tone
Children with high muscle tone, or hypertonia, can benefit significantly from DMO suits which help to ‘dampen’ and inhibit unwanted and involuntary movements. We find that our superheroes with DMO suits and high tone are able to carry out purposeful movements with more fine motor control when wearing their suit. Seven-year-old Audrey has quadriplegic CP with lots of dystonia, but her DMO suit gives her superpowers and she can bang the drum in music lessons when wearing it!
Get in touch with us to find out if a DMO suit can help your superhero.
Jobskin
We recommend, order and fit all of our gaiters from Jobskin! Gaiters are a perfect for adding stability to difficult and anti-gravity positions, such as standing and sitting.
We also use gaiters for active hamstrings stretches in children with hypertonia! Check out our therapy doll, Bea doing a long sitting hamstring stretch with her London themed Jobskin gaiters!
Piedro shoes
We are always recommending Piedro footwear at BBP! Not only do Piedro shoes help our superheroes achieve their full potential, by improving their balance and confidence, they also look great and are long lasting and durable, perfect for exploring and adventures!
Infant shoes
Our infants and superbabies with gross motor delays really benefit from the extra ankle support and stability, and usually learn to weight bear much quicker when they have Piedro shoes! Our favourite infant shoes are the Sparkle Rehabilitation Stock shoes, these are perfect for toddlers who curl their toes, with the tongue opening up fully.
School shoes
Piedro’s supportive shoes come in all black and shiny black, perfect for being smart at school! Piedro’s school shoes have all of the support, quality and rigid panels of their usual shoes, in a smart finish for school. This means our superheroes do not have to compromise their outfit to take part in their physiotherapy programme! Children can continue to get all the support they need, whether at their ankle, encouraging knee flexion, or around the midfoot, while fitting in at school with Piedro’s inclusive footwear. Our favourite school shoes are ‘Ellie’ in black patent leather!
Adventure shoes
Lots of our clients take their Piedro shoes on adventures! We recommend all sorts of activities for gross motor skills and balance, such as walking on sand, over pebbles, up hills, on unstable surfaces and over wibbly wobbly playground equipment! Piedro footwear is stable enough and supportive enough to withstand whatever adventure your superhero chooses to experience! The Quartz shoes are brilliant for exploring the outdoors, and our superhero with autism enjoys taking his to the forest!
Sandals
Piedro make some fantastic sandals with a similar level of support to their stability footwear, helping to align the heels and ankles, and promoting symmetry. These are the perfect balance between support and lightweight function for those cool summer days on the beach! The ‘Ibiza’ sandals look great with shorts, and the ‘Shelley’ ones complete a summer dress!
AFO shoes
All special needs parents know the difficulties of finding footwear to go over AFOs. Piedro’s AFO and Backflips range are perfect for AFOs. They are quick and easy to get on, and the Velcro fastening encourages independence. All the AFO shoes are deep and wide, and our favourite Backflips Beckham style has a removeable back for super quick and easy dressing!
Insoles
Piedro are suppliers of some of the best insoles on the market, suitable for moderate to severe arch pronation. We are experienced in prescribing the best footwear and insole combination for your superhero to promote the finest foot position for balance and stability, ready to take on the world!
London Orthotics Consultancy
We love LOC!
London Orthotics Consultancy is a private orthotics clinic based in Kingston. Their attention to detail and gait lab are fantastic, and our superheroes get excellent results from there.
NHS orthotics
Increasingly, though certainly not all the time, the NHS use orthotic companies who work with adults and children, over a wide range of specialties, which offer the NHS a ‘one fits all’ approach. This means that children’s NHS orthotics are often prescribed and fitted by an orthotist who works predominantly with adults, in different areas such as wound care, diabetes and sports injuries. Children’s and neurological expertise is often limited and this shows in the quality of the NHS orthotics and the children’s outcomes.
However, some NHS trusts have excellent children and neuro specific orthotics services. At BBP we are able to advise on further private orthotic assessments if their NHS orthotics are not optimum, and we always recommend the LOC.
AFOs
The London Orthotic Consultancy’s AFOs are extremely high quality and the difference they make to our clients is invaluable. Four-year-old Henry had never stood until he received his AFO/DAFO combination from the LOC, and he stood for the first time for 30 seconds when wearing them! He is now on his second pair and can stand for around six minutes! Go Henry!
Spinal braces
Our clients’ spinal braces from the LOC are more comfortable, padded, practical and flexible than NHS braces. We are able to get suitable one-piece spinal braces, without compromising on posture, which are comfortable and tolerable for long periods of time.
Team
The team at LOC are highly experienced in both paediatrics and neurological conditions. We find all of their appointments friendly and fun, and the orthotists are very responsive to queries.
