Patients at °µĶųTV Langoneās Rusk Rehabilitation are receiving a unique supplement to assist in their healing process: horticultural therapy. Whether itās tilling the soil of a small plant or bonding with the programās two bunnies, patients are finding it a helpful elixir in their recovery from surgery or other musculoskeletal ailments.
Gwenn Fried, who oversees horticultural therapy at Rusk Rehabilitation, says patients are initially taken aback when approached about participating in the program. āBut once they become involved,ā she tells The New York Times, āthey immediately ask if they can have horticultural therapy tomorrow!ā
The first documented benefits of horticultural therapy in the United States are credited to Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who noted the curative benefits of ādigging in a garden.ā It also has been used as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the First World War.
Lori Bloomberg, one of °µĶųTV Langoneās horticultural therapists, sums it up this way: āItās a very spiritual practice. When youāre in the hospital, caregivers often focus on the physical. We try to focus on the things that may be forgotten.ā
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