Using animals for therapeutic purposes is really not a new idea. In fact, simply being around animals and having pets has been shown over and over again to be therapeutic in many ways. One way that cerebral palsy sufferers are sometimes helped with their particular problems is through therapy using horses. According to an article in Press Connects, one two-year-old child is being helped by taking them out to ride horses.
How it Works
Animals, obviously, can provide a means for people to do things that they would never be able to do. With horses, the animals have been used to help people extend the amount of distance they can travel in a day, how much cargo they can carry with them, and so forth. For a cerebral palsy sufferer, the act of riding a horse can actually be therapeutic.
Riding on a horse provides an action similar to what people do when they’re walking. To some extent – anybody who has ridden a horse for any length of time can tell you – you have to use your own muscles while you are riding. Because of this, the action of riding a horse has been used as a way for people with cerebral palsy to strengthen the same muscles they would use when walking.
Of course, if you can’t walk, any means of being able to get out and enjoy some scenery is a welcome one. Being on a horse not only helps people to strengthen their muscles, it’s also psychologically helpful in that it’s an activity that somebody who cannot use their legs can engage in and enjoy as much as someone who has full use of their legs.
Therapies and Cerebral Palsy
Many of the stories about therapies for cerebral palsy involve some of the newest techniques out there. These include sophisticated surgeries, advanced pharmaceuticals, and other resources that physicians and physical therapists can use to help someone with cerebral palsy. Some therapies, however, involve activities that people have been doing for thousands of years. Whether it’s riding on horseback, swimming with dolphins, or just spending time with assistance animals, animals can make a big difference in people’s lives, particularly when they have challenges that they need to overcome.
Medical mistakes that cause cerebral palsy sometimes mean that families have to pay enormous amounts of money to get treatments that work. Filing a lawsuit over such medical mistakes is sometimes a useful option for such families.