Picture of two females and a child that is wearing a helmet and sitting on top of a horse.
Marshall Browning Therapy Center to Offer Second Hippotherapy Session
Du Quoin, Illinois - February 8, 2012 - Marshall Browning Therapy Center will offer their second Hippotherapy session at the W Ranch and Equine Escape located at 7230 State Route 152 in Du Quoin.
The Hippotherapy Program provides an opportunity for adults and children 6 years and over to participate in an 8-week program.
Hippotherapy, which utilizes horses as the treatment tool, is provided by Occupational Therapists to help address sensory issues and postural and/or motor responses. As the horse moves, patients integrate postural reflexes, develop balance and equilibrium reactions, normalize muscle tone, and helps increase strength of trunk and extremities. The horse's movement and the horse itself provide sensory stimulation and help foster an emotional connection that promotes language, focus and motivation.
Hippotherapy can assist people with many diagnoses. Some of the most common diagnoses treated are stroke, head injury, spinal cord injury, amputees, back pain, developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy and sensory integration disorder.
The next Hippotherapy session will begin on March 5 and continue through April 27. Future sessions include May 7 through June 29, July 9 through August 31, and September 10 through November 9.
Participants will be required to have a physician's order for Occupational Therapy that states that the participant is physically able to participate in an equine-assisted activity. Participants will then contact Occupational Therapy at Marshall Browning Hospital at 618-542-1099 to schedule an evaluation prior to the March 5 start date. Occupational Therapy services are covered by most private insurance providers and the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
Interested participants should contact Marshall Browning Therapy Center as soon as possible. Space in this program is limited.