Rehabilitation Treatment Motivation Increased after Animal-assisted Therapy Intervention：A Case Study
- VernacularTitle:動物介在療法の介入によりリハビリテーション治療に対する意欲向上を認めた症例
- Author:
Rei MIZOBE
1
;
Nobuyuki SASAKI
2
;
Yoshie KOJIMA
1
;
Yasuyuki HATANAKA
3
;
Toshiki NISHIYAMA
1
;
Nana OIZUMI
2
;
Ryota MIZOBE
4
Author Information
- Keywords: animal-assisted therapy; rehabilitation treatment; increased motivation; postoperative pain; depression
- From:The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 2025;():24020-
- CountryJapan
- Language:ja
- Abstract: Objective: Studies have reported that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) intervention can improve patient motivation to complete rehabilitation treatment.Methods: AAT was administered four times for a patient whose rehabilitation treatment was hindered by pain and depression following cervical myelopathy surgery. Ward nurses evaluated the patient's behavior and facial expressions before and during each AAT session using our hospital's own Faces Pain Scale. The AAT intervention was timed to coincide with the implementation of training items that were likely to induce pain.Results: The patient, who underwent cervical myelopathy surgery and whose rehabilitation treatment was severely hindered, reported significantly improved treatment motivation after the AAT intervention. A significantly better treatment response was obtained immediately after the AAT intervention. The Faces Pain Scale score was the worst prior to starting AAT (at 5). However, it peaked at 1 and remained there from the initial intervention to the fourth and final intervention. These results suggest immediate and lasting effects of AAT.Conclusion: Significant changes were observed after the initial AAT intervention, suggesting that its effect was more significant for the awareness of pain and motivation for rehabilitation than for pain relief.
