Terapie z udziałem zwierząt w leczeniu i rehabilitacji chorych i niepełnosprawnych

Wojciech Giermaziak, Iwona Fryzowska-Chrobot

Summary
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) – supports rehabilitation as well as therapy and care of patients by their contact with an animal. Fondling and hugging animals lead to endocrine system’s stimulation and producing endogenous substances, that relieve pain and influence patient’s well-being; it reduces stress levels because the cortisol and noradrenaline release – the hormones produced by the body in stress – is being reduced and the patient’s immune system is being stimulated.
It has been proven that the company of animals hasten the recovery after a disease, calms stressed, hyperactive people and at the same time stimulates the activity of a person suffering from depression or apathy. In Poland the most popular is dog-assisted therapy, hippotherapy (horse-assisted therapy) and felinotherapy (cat-assisted therapy). In the world onotherapy (donkey or mule-assisted therapy) and dolphin therapy are known.
In the article animal assisted therapies were discussed, showing the role that they play in treatment and rehabilitation of sick and disabled.

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