Study seeks to understand how dogs might help spinal patients' rehabilitation

A COLLABORATION between the NHS and a canine charity is to investigate how dogs may aid recovery in people with spinal injuries. Patients at the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital will take part in a pilot trial of Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) with a trained therapy dog from the charity Dogs for Good. AAI is a well-established practice in many parts of the world, but is less advanced in the UK. Charlotte Simcock, a patient at the NSIC, suffered a spinal stroke in 2016 that left her with limited movement from the chest down. Her wish is to improve movement in her arms so she can feed herself, as well as gain confidence and get out into the community in her wheelchair. The pilot will run for eight weeks and consist of weekly one-hour sessions with therapy dog Danny and his handler, working alongside occupational...
Source: Veterinary Record - Category: Veterinary Research Tags: News section Source Type: research