Extra Blog 2: September

Extra Blog 2: Library vs. Google

 When we were going to the library, I had extreme doubts that it could help me out, mostly because I'd forgotten how expansive the online catalog is. Researching my topic on Google had been hard enough, and I very much doubted any books had been written on Hippotherapy by itself. I was hoping to look through some physical therapy books and find minor articles on the subject. I'm just glad I was wrong about the database, since I was right about a lack of books.

  I've found plenty of scholarly articles and lab reports to cite and work with, I don't think I'll need to use Google again. Though I may have to turn to another database at some point, this one will most likely work for the rest of the year. Frankly, I'm most glad about the library trip because I was out of sources from Google.

Extra Blog 1: Hippotherapy as a Treatment

   As I'm doing my research, I tend to find conflicting reports from different organizations, such as Aetna and Apta, talking about the legitimacy of hippotherapy. While there is relatively little evidence to support any claims made about hippotherapy, Apta recognizes it as a form of supplementary treatment, saying that alongside other physical therapy methods, it performs beneficially to the patients. Aetna, however, calls for more research before they publish any official recommendation on the practice. In my opinion, Aetna and others like them simply don't want to go out and get their hands dirty in the practice, while others at Apta and similar organizations have seen the real applications of hippotherapy in the field of physical therapy.