People who hold physical therapy jobs in Arkansas have embarked on a unique form of the practice that helps patients improve their health, according to a published report.
Arkansas State University physical therapy professor Roy Aldridge heads the school's program for hippotherapy, which capitalizes on the use of horses to treat people with a range of development issues, such as autism, The Arkansas State University Herald reports. Those involved in the program includes both adults and children.
The program also works with veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which the program has very successfully addressed, the physical therapy professor told the news source.
"I've seen some great personality changes," Aldridge told the news source late last month.
The program at the school has been in operation since 2002 and it has been hosted at the equine center since 2005. Sensory stimuli, various smells and additional sounds from the outdoors augment the therapeutic value of the program.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapists help patients recover from injuries, illnesses and surgery by aiding their management of pain and increasing their range of motion.