Physiotherapists help rider back into saddle after broken neck
Monday 1st November 2010
A horse riding enthusiast from Oxfordshire is returning to her favourite pastime just months after a horrific spinal injury, thanks to the pioneering work of one physiotherapy job holder.
Dressage rider Thea Maxfield, 26, from Bicester, sustained a major 'hangman's fracture' when she was thrown from her mare Fiorella last year, the Daily Telegraph has reported.
However, Ms Maxfield has now made a considerable recovery, having worked with groundbreaking physiotherapist Don Gatherer, a former medic for the Great Britain Olympic team.
The expert fitted his patient with a patented harness, connecting her head to a computer via a number of tiny sensors, allowing her progress to be monitored.
"He built the rehabilitation programme around computerised results so I could see if I was improving or not. It was amazing. Within six weeks, I could see a marked improvement," she told the newspaper.
Ms Maxfield went on to explained how Mr Gatherer had given her a wooden horse to 'ride', allowing her to exercise and maintain the strength in important leg muscles.
Written by Angela Newbury
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