Therapy in Disguise

Fun Programs Get Kids Back to Being Kids

Ja’carvys Cooper and Midnight run through a series of exercises prior to a Shreveport Shriners Hospital therapeutic riding session. The specialized program involves specific therapeutic goals to be completed on horseback.

On a playground at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport, a patient enjoys some time outside in a sandbox. Inside, another patient hits virtual tennis balls on a Wii gaming system. Across town, yet another patient rides a horse for the first time. Their common thread? Each is working toward specific therapeutic goals.

With a wide range of tools at their disposal, the hospital’s rehabilitation staff ensures patients receive extensive, expert therapy as part of their overall care. While such efforts often focus on conventional therapeutic approaches, the rehabilitation team excels in developing regimens that are not only effective, but also encourage active
patient involvement.

Therapeutic Riding
Since 2002, Shriners Hospitals for Children — Shreveport has participated in a unique therapeutic riding program that allows patients to saddle up and complete predetermined exercises on horseback. Sponsored by Great Results Equine Assistive Therapies (GREAT) of Greenwood, La., the program pairs patients with specially trained horses for riding sessions. Far more than simply a ride on a horse, therapeutic riding allows patients to work toward physical, psychological, cognitive, behavioral and communication goals, all while enjoying a new experience outside the hospital setting. The riding sessions are available during two 10-week periods each year for select patients undergoing therapy following multiple surgeries.

Adaptive Therapy
Designed specifically with therapy in mind, the hospital’s adaptive therapy center offers a wide range of therapeutic opportunities under the guise of outdoor play. Featuring tools including a hand cycling station, therapeutic hammock, and infant/ child Exploratorium with interactive pieces, the center allows therapists to help patients work toward physical, auditory and other sensory goals in an unassuming environment. “Therapy in a natural setting is a
preferred treatment approach which promotes carryover of learning to many settings,” said Debbie Banks, director of rehabilitation.

“By including specially-designed equipment, we allow our patients to work on therapy goals alongside their peers while gaining the physical and psychological benefits of being in an outdoor environment.”

Physical therapist Leslie Armstrong and patient Ryan Boudreaux work on balance training with a Wiigaming system. The virtual approach is just one of the hospital’s programs of ‘covert’ therapy.

“Virtual” Therapy
Long a valuable component of the patient experience at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Shreveport, video games also serve as a beneficial and enjoyable departure from standard therapeutic approaches. Utilizing ‘virtual’ systems including Wii and GameBike equipment, Shreveport therapists help patients work toward increased range of motion, upper and lower body strengthening, and improved balance. Like therapeutic riding and the adaptive therapy center, use of video games during rehabilitation helps address a critical consideration of therapy: the value of making it fun. For parents like Al Boudreaux of Cutoff, La., using gaming systems provides a welcome outlet that causes patients to unknowingly become more involved in their rehabilitation.

“When they say they don’t want to do something, you have to find something to make them work without realizing that they are working,” Boudreaux said. “With the video games, my son has no idea he’s in therapy. That’s the best thing about it.”