"Much ado about..."

Last week I wrote about trying hippotherapy which is a form of physical, therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input.

I was very nervous about trying this for several reasons.  They were:

It was so new and different and I’m not really comfortable riding a horse

I had to sign about six waivers in the event of an accident

My husband and several family members thought I was crazy to try it because of the risk of a horse bucking me off and getting hurt.  The reality is if I break something and wheelchair bound again, it is game over for me it could mean a nursing home because I can’t and won’t put Bob through another round of full-time care.  The night before I texted my friend, Gigi about my reluctance. We drove out to the stables and arena the next morning and it couldn’t have been a nicer day and the therapists were great.  We practiced what it might be like to mount a horse

(They simulate it by putting a blanket over a barrel that is the exact width of the horse). I just backed up, sat down and they pulled my left leg over so I wouldn’t hit the horse in the head.  Then we immediately applied this on the real thing.  Sven a Norwegian-Welsh breed horse or as Bob called him “plug” because he was so slow.  We walked around their arena for 30 minutes with two people on each side of me.  I have to admit I did get a sense of what actual weight-shifting is supposed to feel like.  The therapist recommends this therapy 1-2 times a week for 3 -4 months.  Bob and I are assessing whether we will pursue due to the cost.   The moral of the story was I made much ado about nothing.  I’m also reminded of one of my favorite phrases:  “don’t pay interest on a loan you haven’t taken out.”  

Try anything once

Recently, my friend, Gigi brought to my attention a form of therapy called hippotherapy.  It is defined as:  a form of physical, therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input. Gigi owns a horse and discovered an organization in Austin Called R.E.D. which stands for Riding Equines for the Disabled. This past week we met with a therapist from R.E.D. to evaluate if I was a candidate for this type of therapy.  She wants me to try it next Thursday.  I think it will take at least that long to get my nerve up to get on a horse. 

I asked the therapist, Jennifer, to write a paragraph on the benefits of this form of therapy.  She wrote:  “A disabled individual can attempt to benefit from the horses symmetrical, rhythmic weight shift through the pelvis. The horse is the only “equipment” that facilitates a pelvis through all three planes of motion—similar to the motion needed for walking. The pelvic muscles are stretched, activated and engaged the entire time the horse is walking.  Working up from the pelvis, a person’s trunk is adjusting to the lateral weight shifts and counter rotations from the pelvis—again, similar to the motion needed while walking.  As an individual gets stronger through this type of therapy and gains more symmetrical balance, therapy then uses this basic support to progress to the left side with range of motion, elongation, eccentric and concentric activations.”

If you have followed my blog you know that my issues center around weight shifting. I tell myself there is no magic bullet to get me walking correctly, but this just might help me improve my walking. I have to try it.  

Remedies

There seems to be one remedy for every need.  Casey, my PT, could not comfortably approve more therapy because I had not shown enough improvement.  She put me on hold for two weeks instead of four months to give me time to work through my reticence for weight shifting. I think she was as concerned as I was to have such a big gap in my therapy – a remedy.   I start up again next week. And thanks to Bob’s coaching I’m hoping she will see some improvement.  Casey also works with me on the treadmill.  While on the treadmill, I look out the window and yearn to exercise outside.  Her remedy was to introduce me to Bob, her colleague; Bob is responsible for managing the use of a recumbent bike at the clinic.  Last Sunday, Bob delivered the bicycle to our home. He, along with my Bob, checked me out in it to make sure I didn’t crash and burn.  I put 4.8 miles on it on Monday and again today and absolutely love cycling outside. To get started, my Bob is behind me with a leash and easing me down the hill while I’m squeezing the brakes so tight because our driveway is so steep. I truly don’t have the words to describe how it feels to be outside riding a bicycle.  The freedom, the sun and wind in my face, and the dogs I have to dodge. There is a remedy – keep moving forward.