Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 238
Therapeutic eurythmy (TE) is a movement therapy in the context of anthroposophical medicine. As a holistic therapy TE affects both physical and spiritual aspects of illness. TE entails the practice of movement exercises learned from a trained therapist. In this exploratory study, the effects of TE on behavioural functioning were examined. This paper addresses five single patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder where the therapy induced positive changes in the client’s attention span, concentration, tempo of work and motor skills, such as co-ordination, dexterity and social behaviour. Standard psychological tests parameters for movement and attention were used to assess aspects of performance. A positive shift was observed with reference to concentration and development of movement skills. Results were less pronounced but showed positive improvements on working speed and social behaviour problems. Hyperactivity also diminished to some extent. Generally, children were considered to be more mature in their development after therapy.