NEW YORK—Finding yourself in need of rehabilitation services for a serious physical injury or illness is a daunting experience, but at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Rusk Rehabilitation, you can get extra special therapy—from bunnies.
That’s right—rabbits.
Patients pet the snuggly creatures or engage in therapeutic activities with them, and by the end of their session, some patients feel less pain than when they started out and even forget to ask for pain medication.
For about 15 years, bunnies have been part of the hospital’s horticultural therapy program, an adjunct clinical practice that helps patients forget about their troubles by connecting with nature. In some cases, patients’ rehabilitation seems to progress quicker than expected.
Resident bunnies Clovis and Nutmeg serve as companions and therapy buddies for patients suffering with brain injuries, strokes, orthopedic injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
The idea of adding the cuddly rabbits to the horticulture program was envisioned by manager Gwenn Fried, who has been working in the program for nearly 20 years.
