Hippotherapy Assists Boy with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy can have debilitating effects on those who suffer from it. Because of this, many types of therapy can be used to lessen symtoms and improve a patient’s quality of life. For 2 ½-year-old Ryan Woods, the therapy that has helped his birth injury has turned out to be hippotherapy.

Woods was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was only 13-months-old. Soon after that, his parents began utilizing hippotherapy – which is defined as a treatment that uses the moment of a horse to assist in therapy by addressing impairments, physical limitations, and disabilities in patients suffering from conditions such as cerebral palsy.

“Hippotherapy has helped Ryan build trunk control, the warmth of the horse relaxes the high tone that he has in his legs and the gait of the horse provides both sensory perception as well as mimicking the gait of a person, meaning the rider will gain strength by the side-top side, up-and-down, and back-and forth motions,” said Michelle Woods, Ryan’s mother.

According to Press Connects, the service that the Woods use for hippotherapy has scholarship options for families who may not be able to afford the treatment otherwise. However, scholarships are not always available to patients who need treatments such as this but cannot afford them. In cases such as this, pursuing a birth injury lawsuit against a negligent doctor could result in a financial settlement dedicated specifically to cover medical costs.

If your child suffered a birth injury that may have been caused by medical error, call Sokolove Law today to learn more about what is required to pursue a cerebral palsy lawsuit.

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