Pets Therapies

Aquarium

People visit public places every day, and it seems more and more often that aquarium display tanks are being seen. We are hypnotized by their peaceful and serene nature, creating a calming effect for a few moments in our hectic lives. For example, have you ever been sitting impatiently and anxiously in a doctors' overcrowded office or a hospital emergency room waiting area that has had an aquarium in it? You stared into this wonderful miniature water world before your eyes and seemed less agitated and anxious. You may have felt more willing to temporarily accept that things are just the way they are, rather than get more upset or worried.

From your own experiences, no matter where the location of an aquarium you may have been seen was, did you feel this same type of stress reducing response? It's no wonder. Researchers are finding that fish aquariums, whether salt or freshwater, do have therapeutic health benefits.

Dogs

According to the Delta Society, an organization dedicated to promoting the beneficial relationships between animals and people, animal-assisted activities involve pets visiting people for the purpose of motivational or recreational purposes, such as bringing animals to visit nursing homes. Therapeutic goals may or may not be set for the activity.

Animal-assisted therapy on the other hand is goal oriented and is designed to meet criteria as part of an overall treatment program.

The benefits of both activity and therapy:

• promotes empathy and nurturing skills
• encourages socialization and communication
• provides physical and emotional contact in a non-threatening way

Ride Horses

Horses have been used in rehabilitation in the U.S. since the 1960s, but references to the benefits of horseback riding date back to the 1600s. Using a horse to reach therapeutic goals--which may be physical, cognitive, or emotional in nature--benefits individuals with a variety of disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and spinal cord injuries.

Working with a team comprised of trainers, volunteers, speech, physical, or occupational therapists, and perhaps behavioral specialists, the rider gains physical and psychological benefits from the movement and gait of a horse.

Riding consists of a standard lesson in combination with other movements to improve functioning and skills. The benefits of therapeutic riding include:

• improved balance, coordination, and posture
• increased flexibility and strength
• improved confidence and self-esteem

There are over 500 therapeutic riding centers around the country. A good resource is the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NAHRA). Their site includes a directory of riding centers as well as FAQs and links to other organizations.