Equotherapy Center at a Glance for Ergonomic Activity: Epidemiological Profile Versus Therapeutical Practices

Abstract

An ergonomic study at an equotherapy center – method in which a horse is used as the mean to promote the handicap people, positive results according to the individual therapeutical objectives for the rehabilitation of themselves. The study has its primary focus, the equotherapeutical personnel who faces on the therapeutical attendance, constraints by the biomechanical efforts. The demand reflected on identifying, knowledge need and comprehend how to establish the activities done by the professionals. The study was based on the Ergonomic Work Analysis (EWA). On the initial phases of the EWA, a perception questionary was applied in order to characterize. The professional profile, demographic and epidemiological, at the same time with the job description done and its specificity for the professionals. To comprehend the epidemiological profile of the organization, it has been applied the bipolar questionary, resulting in information which brought the activities which cause the major discomfort. Within all the listed activities the major ones detected was “stabilize the practitioners by the horse” and “walking by the horse side.” It has been understood during the data collection, the practitioner diversity, whose biomechanical efforts demanded by the professional vary (practitioner versus therapy). It has been observed that major incidences of discomfort and intensity were identified on the shoulder and forearm. The results allowed to correlate the difficult degree with the epidemiological profile of the professionals. Such understanding allows that each professional adequate the appointment agenda, alternating the daily shift between the cases which demand more or less physical and posture efforts.