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I am very excited to be one of the FIRST to write about the amazing new Tornado Suit.  Invented by Dr. Mark Morningstar of the Natural Wellness and Pain Relief Centers of Michigan, this suit is the newest bracing option and my son was the first test case to be put into the suit.  As I write this, Dr. Morningstar is scheduling interviews with the top medical journals to discuss this product, but he has given me the go-ahead to blog about it.  He is currently in the testing phase and he has several patients waiting for fittings.  The suit is available very inexpensively through this initial testing phase, so give them a call – I have a link to their website in my sidebar under “Favorite sites”.  And, because I support this endeavor, each person to be fitted (for a VERY limited time), will receive a FREE EmBraced In Comfort bodysuit with their Tornado Suit - to maximize the comfort and effectivity of the brace.

But, let’s get to the nitty gritty about this suit – made of perforated neoprene, this suit is the most comfortable yet to be on the market.  It’s a flexible system (like the Spinecor), but what makes it unique is that it doesn’t use the pelvis as an anchor.  Many people with Scoliosis have uneven pelvises, so a system that anchors there may be less than effective.  The Tornado Suit uses the LEG to anchor, which is the only part of a person that is usually even and stable.  This suit works hand-in-hand with the Pettibon system of weights and works to correct both the rotational and horizontal rotation/curvature of the spine (similar to Spinecor and the Cheneau).  Minutes after being fitted (and, my son, at 7 was VERY excited to be fitted – after all, what little boy would not want a TORNADO suit?  He thought it would protect him from tornadoes, but was just as excited after finding out that it was not the case).  Anyway, minutes after being fitted, he was running, jumping, rolling around – all the things that little boys like to do.  And, it stayed in place, did not ride up or shift, and when he needed to run to use the restroom, he was able to go quickly and without taking off any components because of the bodysuit underneath.  He’s wearing it to school for the first time today, so I can tell you more how THAT goes, but let me show you the x-rays so you can see the effect.

Before the Tornado suit - 28 and 23 degrees

While in the Tornado suit - 20 and 20 degrees! And, the sideways shift decreased 3 degrees.

 

As you can see, we got about 8 and 3 degrees correction, with a correction in the overall sideways shift of the spine (keeping him more centered with the pelvis and feet).  And, the best part is that Dr. Morningstar did not put it on very tight!  Over time, as he gets used to it, we can slowly tighten it until  we get better correction.

The suit consists of 4 pieces.  First, the torso piece, which is like a one-sleeve cut-off tank top (this tackles upper curves – if you don’t have an upper curve, you may not even need this component).  Second, the wraparound abdominal piece, which the torso piece attaches to, and the leg piece, which is the anchor and what the abdominal piece attaches to.  The last component is a set of 2 straps that the Doctor can place anywhere that needs extra support or tug.  The pieces attach with very sturdy hook-and-loop (Velcro) and the entire outside of the suit is the loop, so the pieces can attach ANYWHERE.  The neoprene is perforated to try and cut down on the warmth of the suit.  If there is any downside, it would be that it will be a warm suit – neoprene is very warm.  But, only pieces of the body are covered and, in the chill Michigan winters, that’s just a bonus.  Summers, well, we’ll need to swim more.

So, if you’d like to be a part of this groundbreaking new system, contact Dr. Morningstar – he is working with several doctors across the country, so there may be someone close to you that you can get fitted by, or, just take a trip to beautiful, snowy Michigan.  Scoliosis patients just need to travel to get the best sometimes.  And, one thing I can personally attest to is that Dr. Morningstar, his wife Dr. Strauchman (who I also highly recommend, but that’s for another post), and his entire staff, truly care about patients.  And, I feel that the quality of a caring professional may SEEM like just icing on the cake, but can really be the driving force behind great products.

Now, go out and do some tornado chasing!  I’ll post more photos when I can wrangle down my son – I told him that it might not protect him FROM tornadoes, but maybe turned him INTO one.

Dr. Morningstar fitting V. for his Tornado suit.

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