Effects of Hippotherapy on Gross Motor Function and Functional Performance of Children with Cerebral Palsy.
10.3349/ymj.2014.55.6.1736
- Author:
Eun Sook PARK
1
;
Dong Wook RHA
;
Jung Soon SHIN
;
Soohyeon KIM
;
Soojin JUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. werch@yuhs.ac
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Cerebral palsy;
spastic;
hippotherapy;
function;
physical activity;
disability evaluation
- MeSH:
Activities of Daily Living;
Cerebral Palsy/physiopathology/*rehabilitation/*therapy;
Child;
Child, Preschool;
Disability Evaluation;
*Equine-Assisted Therapy;
Female;
Humans;
Male;
*Motor Skills;
Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care);
*Physical Therapy Modalities;
Recovery of Function
- From:Yonsei Medical Journal
2014;55(6):1736-1742
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of hippotherapy on gross motor function and functional performance in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 34 children (M:F=15:19, age: 3-12 years) with spastic CP who underwent hippotherapy for 45 minutes twice a week for 8 weeks. Twenty-one children with spastic CP were recruited for control group. The distribution of gross motor function classification system level and mean age were not significantly different between the two groups. Outcome measures, including the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-66, GMFM-88 and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory: Functional Skills Scale (PEDI-FSS), were assessed before therapy and after the 8-weeks intervention as outcome measures. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between intervention and control groups in mean baseline total scores of GMFM-66, GMFM-88 or PEDI-FSS. After the 8-weeks intervention, mean GMFM-66 and GMFM-88 scores were significantly improved in both groups. However, the hippotherapy group had significantly greater improvement in dimension E and GMFM-66 total score than the control group. The total PEDI-FSS score and the sub-scores of its 3 domains were significantly improved in the hippotherapy group, but not in the control group. CONCLUSION: The results of our study demonstrate the beneficial effects of hippotherapy on gross motor function and functional performance in children with CP compared to control group. The significant improvement in PEDI-FSS scores suggests that hippotherapy may be useful to maximize the functional performance of children with CP.
