When the average person thinks of physical therapy, they immediately picture a trained expert and a gym that is equipped with the latest exercise equipment, all of it designed to help the patient recover from some sort of injury or illness. What the average person does not think of is stables and horses. The reality is that in some cases the use of a horse is every bit as good as a gym for healing the mind and body. The use of horses for therapy, both physical and cognitive, is called hippotherapy. Hippotherapy has been successfully used to help people who have been diagnosed with all kinds of physical and or cognitive disabilities. A few of the conditions that can benefit from hippotherapy include; cerebral palsy, speech impediments, autism, and traumatic brain injuries. Winston Churchill once made a comment about there being something undefinable about horses that was good for mankind. Hippotherapy proves that he was correct. In addition to seeing the condition that the patient is being treated for improve after several hippotherapy sessions, many caretakers have noticed that they patient also seems to be changing in other ways as well. They seem to be experimenting a healing process that is spiritual, psychological, and physical. It is something that is rarely seen with other types of therapy programs. Scientifically, the reason that hippotherapy is a successful means for helping the body heal is that the movement of the horse mirrors the movement of a person in motion. Horse and humans, (and most other mammals for that matter) move three-dimensionally. When a person is mounted on the back of a horse their hips swing in the exact same way that they would if they were walking on their own feet. Since riding is a non-weight bearing exercise, the riding is a great way to help develop and condition muscles that have not been used in a long time. In addition to being a great way to get the patients body in shape, riding is also a tactile experience. While the patient is going through the physical part of their therapy, they are also being bombarded by the smell and feel of the horse. Even better they are interacting with another living creature, a creature who is beautiful, kind, and does not make snap judgments about how the person walks or talks. The horse gives the person the freedom to be themselves. A person is not set on a horse and turned loose when they enroll in a hippotherapy program. Before the patient is allowed anywhere near a horse, their condition has to be evaluated by their physician Once this happens the patient physical or cognitive therapist needs to work directly with the patient during their hippotherapy program. In addition to the physical therapist, there is also a trained therapeutic riding instructor who is usually responsible for the horse. Not every horse is suitable for hippotherapy. Before they can be integrated into the program the horse is put through an extensive evaluation program. The horse must display a good personality, meet a certain level of training, and also have gaits that are suitable for the program. Hippotherapy has been an international sensation for the past 30 years, but until recently the medical community did not give it much credence. Doctors and physical therapist simply could not see how a person could benefit from riding a horse. However attitudes are finally starting to change and now organizations like the American Physical Therapy Association encourage people to try out hippotherapy in addition to traditional forms of physical therapy.

A massage is an ideal way to relax and reduce stress. Massage therapy supplies or oils can further tailor the experience to the recipients taste. If you need a massage table, you should check out massage therapy equipment also.

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