Hippotherapy
As a form of therapeutic riding, hippotherapy is an animal-assisted , physiotherapeutic procedure in which specially trained horses are used. It is used in all age groups for diseases of the central nervous system, the musculoskeletal system and the musculoskeletal system.
Mode of action
Hippotherapy is a form of physiotherapy on a neurophysiological basis. The patient sits in the gait step on horseback and the therapy horse is used as a medium to transmit three-dimensional vibrations to the human pelvis . The resulting impulses enable the training of posture, balance and support reactions as well as normalization of muscle tension. This also makes it easier to cope with everyday life.
A healing effect is to be achieved here above all by the fact that the human body has to adjust to the impulses caused by the moving horse. All axes of movement and torsional movements are used. At the same time, the horse can serve as a motivational aid by giving therapists access to patients. There is also the opportunity to use hippotherapy to deal with so-called mat fatigue or disenchantment with therapy.
application
People who are paralyzed on one side ( hemiparesis ) can develop a feeling for their core. People with limb damage ( dysmelia ) and the following curvature of the supporting apparatus stabilize their muscles, learn corrective postures and thus prevent joint misalignments. At the same time, the muscle tension ( muscle tone ) is positively influenced; slack muscles tense, spastic, i.e. excessively tense, muscles give way. This trains the entire posture, especially that of the upper body, and improves the sense of balance .
Contraindications
Hippotherapy should not be used in patients with inflammation of the spine or seizure disorders that have not been properly controlled with medication, with an active attack in multiple sclerosis , with a risk of thrombosis or embolism , hemophilia or horse hair allergy.
Training as a hippotherapist
Physiotherapists and occupational therapists who want to offer hippotherapy can acquire an additional qualification, which is offered by the German Board of Trustees for Therapeutic Riding in Warendorf or by the European Academy for Equine Seminars near Hanover. For Switzerland , it can be purchased either in Basel or from the German Hippotherapy Group in southern Germany. The ZHW in Winterthur offers another training opportunity.
criticism
The main point of criticism of hippotherapy is the high financial outlay compared to other therapeutic methods with no proven higher benefit. Although an application was made to a health insurance company to cover the costs of hippotherapy in Germany as early as 1982, the Federal Social Court did not issue a judgment until March 19, 2002, Az. B 1 KR 36/00 R, according to which the therapy was not financed by the health insurance company got to. It was based primarily on a lack of recognition by the Federal Joint Committee of Doctors and Health Insurance Funds.
The Federal Ministry of Health announced on June 20, 2006 that a therapeutic benefit of hippotherapy has not been proven and that the therapy should therefore be used as a remedy that cannot be prescribed. On the other hand, hippotherapy has proven to be effective and a suitable method for the treatment of myalgia in myotonic dystrophy type 2 in diseases associated with increased muscle tone (e.g. spasticity ) .
reception
Hippotherapy plays a key role in the German documentary Stiller Kamerad (2017).
See also
literature
- Theres Germann-Tillmann, Lily Merklin, Andrea Stamm Näf: Animal-assisted interventions: the multi-professional approach . Hans Huber Verlag, Bern 2014, ISBN 978-3-456-85416-8 , 352 pp.
- Wipke C. Hartje: Therapy with horses. Curative education - hippotherapy - psychiatry . Ulmer. Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-8001-4646-8 .
- Ursula Künzle: Hippotherapy on the basis of the functional movement theory Klein-Vogelbach . Hippotherapy-K, theory, practical application, proof of effectiveness. Springer, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-540-65220-5 .
- Ingrid Strauss: Hippotherapy - neurophysiological treatment with and on the horse. 3. Edition. Hippokrates, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-7773-1368-8 . (With a contribution to children's hippotherapy by Emmy Tauffkirchen)
Web links
- German Board of Trustees for Therapeutic Riding of the FN is the German umbrella organization and trains riding therapists.
- European Academy for Equine Seminars also trains hippotherapists and equine occupational therapists.
- Swiss Group for Therapeutic Riding is the Swiss umbrella organization and trains riding pedagogues and riding therapists.
- Austrian Board of Trustees for Therapeutic Riding (OeKThR) is the Austrian umbrella organization and trains riding therapists.
Individual evidence
- ^ Christoph Gutenbrunner: Physiotherapy methods and concepts. Therapy principles and techniques presented systematically . 1st edition. Springer, Berlin 2003, ISBN 978-3-540-43524-2 , 4.12, pp. 289 ( books.google.de ).
- ^ Wording of the judgment of the Federal Social Court on Hippotherapy 2002 ( Memento of September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 54 kB).
- ↑ Federal Gazette , September 26, 2006, p. 6499.
- ↑ Study on the effectiveness of hippotherapy ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 256 kB), accessed on February 27, 2012.
