Paws for recovery: therapy dogs get trauma patients moving

This study looked at whether walking with a therapy dog encourages adult trauma patients to move more during their hospital stay. Early movement after injury can prevent complications like blood clots and muscle loss, but pain and anxiety often get in the way. Each of the 64 patients tried walking with a dog and without, and researchers measured pain, anxiety, and motivation before and after. The goal is to see if animal-assisted therapy can make rehab safer and more enjoyable.