Hippotherapy intake evaluation

Deirdre's hippotherapy intake evaluation is coming up! Hopefully the PT will determine that she is able to get this specific type of therapy that could help her improve lung prowess and positioning for daily activities.

As a consequence of Deirdre’s disease, she is unable to stand, sit or perform stretching or walking exercises without proper help. SMA creates severe muscle weakness that hinders the ability to lift or move arms and legs, hold the head, swallow and talk.  Deirdre  must undertake alternative forms of therapies in order to maintain her already limited strength, mobility, and flexibility as well as to minimize the serious and costly medical complications which can result from such profound immobility. Based on medical data, Deirdre would benefit from a continued program of trunk and upper/lower extremity movement through hippotherapy. 

Hippotherapy provides a complex rehabilitation treatment. The multidimensional equine movement (which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive) achieves coordinated muscle movements in the arms, trunk and the legs, which will allow Deirdre to receive a therapeutic dosage of intensive diverse movement which she would not otherwise be able to obtain. 

Benefits of hippotherapy: Hypertonia prevention (muscle tightness),  enhances neurological and musculoskeletal functions and sensory processing, enhances postural control and trunk equilibrium, enhances speech and language skills, and improve social, behavioral and cognitive skills.