Animal-assisted therapy
Animal-assisted therapy procedures are alternative methods of medical treatment to cure or at least relieve the symptoms of psychiatric and neurological disorders and disabilities in which animals are used. Depending on the species animal-assisted therapy in various applications is practiced. There are, for example, deals with dolphins, dogs, cats, horses and llamas.
Dog therapy
There are basically two ways for the use of dogs to improve the well -being and state of health of the patient:
The dog -assisted therapy is a form of animal assisted therapy. It is applied by trained professionals from the areas of therapy, education, social or Medicine with training for animal-assisted therapist. Because the disease- healing effects of animals alone is not proven. Animal-assisted therapist, therapy or assistance dogs teams work with the trained therapy dog as a medium to facilitate the therapy / treatment of disease or disability of the patient or enjoyable. The dogs based Psychodiagnostics is indicated especially in the areas in which fail verbal diagnostic procedures. In areas where no or minimal verbal communication is possible ( speech disorders, language barriers, deafness, autism), the dog -assisted Psychodiagnostics applies to their users to be particularly effective. Try to show that different autistic or psychotic disorders could be distinguished only by the dogs based Psychodiagnostics.
The other known form is the animal-assisted promotion with the dog, or dog -assisted activity called, such as visiting dogs in care services and nursing homes and kindergartens. This is much better known and more common and is often confused with the animal-assisted therapy (therapy companion dog teams ), but not therapeutic, educational, social or medical basic training is mandatory for all dog owners. In the dog -based promotion, a dog handler attended with his dog (possibly with additional training ) facilities to the clients specific activities to promote general well-being and quality of life to make. This takes place just as in individual sessions, as well as in small groups.
Dogs act on the one hand and reassuring as a safety signal, on the other hand works its communication other than interpersonal communication. This shift in the way communication causes between dog and patient injury free and open interacted. Dogs have a very inviting when it comes to contact and attention. In addition, that they are inclusive. The sensitivities of all parties ( therapist / dog handler, client and any trainees ) improved in the presence of a dog in the therapeutic situation.
The " therapy dog race " does not exist, a dog should always be trained in a training targeted to the effect and socialized. Most therapy dogs come from stringent working dog breeds, primarily of breeds: Retrievers and various hats breeds. The trend today is towards targeted breeding and selection of suitable dogs.
Hippotherapy
Hippotherapy uses specially trained horses for a physiotherapy. In this form of physiotherapy, the horse is used as a medium to transmit motor impulses to the basin of the people. The patient sits in the gait step on horseback.
A healing effect is to be achieved mainly by the fact that the human body must find a new balance to the pulses caused by the moving horse, here. So could develop a sense of their midsection, for example, one side paralyzed people. At the same time the muscle tension will positively influence; flabby muscles tensed, spastic, ie to highly strained muscles, however, were after. Thus the entire attitude especially the upper body would be trained and improved sense of balance.
Should not be used hippotherapy in patients with inflammation of the spine or medically not well-controlled seizure disorder, with an active boost multiple sclerosis risk of thrombosis or embolism, bleeding disorder or horse hair allergy.
The classification of the term " hippotherapy " is not uniform. Hippotherapy is sort Physiotherapy on the horse and predominantly affects the physical component. There are also therapeutic riding, which will likely appeal to the psyche. ( as the Board of Trustees for therapeutic riding). The latter school of thought based on the fact that the client is sitting on the therapy horse, but does not ride because the seat of the client is different than that of the typical rider and the horse, the client is also no rider's aids.
Physiotherapists who want to offer Hippotherapy, this can acquire an additional qualification that is offered in Germany, for example, by the German Association for therapeutic riding in Warendorf and the German group for hippotherapy in Kirchheim / Teck.
In Switzerland, hippotherapy is paid by the insurance company. For Germany, the Federal Ministry of Health on 20 June 2006 announced that a therapeutic benefit of hippotherapy has not been established and therefore to guide the therapy as a non- prescription remedy is enabled (see v. Federal Gazette, September 26, 2006, p 6499 ).
Delimit From Hippotherapy is the area of " Special Education riding and vaulting " (HPR / HPV), also recognized as a therapeutic riding. Here children and teenagers be encouraged with behavioral problems and other social and psychosocial problems among educational and psychological objectives. For more information, offers the Fachhochschule Hildesheim in their publication Curative Education and Social Work: For use of the horse in the disabled and youth services (including extensive bibliography) that there e together with the former Institute for Therapeutic Riding V. and numerous experts has been developed.
Lama therapy
The Lama therapy is a form of animal assisted therapy, be involved in the llamas as companion animals in a pro-development, educational or therapeutic process in order to achieve specified goals in the run for or the clients. This therapy is not funded by the payers of the social and health care and must be paid by the client.
The species-specific properties of the Lamas be used in the llama therapy as motivating factors. These are, especially the restrained and at the same time friendly and curious creatures of llamas, their slow and well observed movements and postures and the fact that most clients Lamas against are very open and value-free, since generally no bad experiences with these animals were made. The Lama therapy may find application in people with a disability, for which there is a mental disorder in addicted patients, at a present trauma or behavioral problems.
There is currently no formal qualifications for the provider of a Lama therapy. A recognition of the Lama therapy is sought, as well as the establishment of quality standards and a unified profession through the possibility of an additional qualification as professional in the field of hippotherapy.
Dolphin Therapy
The dolphin therapy is a controversial form of therapy without scientific proof of efficacy. It is supposed to help particular children with mental, physical, and especially with emotional disabilities.
It was developed by the psychologist and behavioral scientist David E. Nathanson. He directs the activities carried out in America therapy programs of the " Dolphin Human Therapy ". On his website, he reports, however, even himself, that treatment with a real dolphin is not more effective than treatment with an artificial robotic dolphin (Therapeutic Animatronic Dolphin. ) The basis of the developed by Nathanson therapy concept that conservative therapies may be enhanced by the encounter with the dolphin is designed as a reward for the cooperation of the patient and his parents. Patients may only interact with the dolphin when they have fulfilled their ( derived from conservative method ) therapy tasks. The effectiveness of his therapeutic approach will have is in their own Studies repeatedly Nathanson. Critics point out, however, that no independent studies have been made and in the existing studies, the encounter with the dolphin was not considered in isolation ( control group, which participates in the overall concept of DHT, only that the dolphin encounter is replaced ).
Both in America and in Israel other dolphin therapy programs are offered in which the animals live in separate bays.
This therapy is associated with significant costs and is offered in Germany within a research program at the University of Würzburg. Patients may initially not in the basin of the animals, but act out during the first few sessions only from the pool edge. On the last day of therapy the child may, if they wish, also in the basin to the dolphins.
In Germany there are concerns on the part of animal welfare, as in aquariums and dolphin shows animal welfare these large mammals can not be guaranteed. Likewise, many biologists reject that deal with marine mammals, as well as some of the most respected former dolphin trainer in the world from the dolphin therapy, since it represents a danger to people and conveys a misleading picture of dolphins. Within a period of five years, about 18 cases have been documented in the U.S., where people broken bones, internal injuries which contributed or severe wounds in the encounter with dolphins in captivity.
Completely on the use of dolphins waived developed since 1997 by Dolphin Space Programme. It is based on a combination of playing under water Echolokationslauten of wild animals, including the caregivers and complementary therapeutic elements as well as short-term training. This initially applied to behavioral problems, learning disabilities and autistic children's program is now being used to senile dementia, and since 2005 also in the high-performance sports therapy.
The effectiveness of the dolphin therapy is doubted by some scientists: A study by the University of Würzburg in 2006 came indeed to the conclusion: " Because of the demonstrated therapeutic effects in severely disabled children aged five to ten years will be offered in the future dolphin therapy in Nuremberg Zoo, by the participating families is self-financing. " in fact, however, this study showed that no measurable or lasting improvements were found by the therapists and all the supposed effects occurred only in the subjective perception of the parents.