Study on the Effects of Hippotherapy on Balance/Gait in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Central Michigan University recently completed a multi-center, randomized control trial assessing the effects of the addition of 12 weekly sessions of hippotherapy compared to the children’s usual therapy routines. The project was funded through a grant from the Horses and Humans Research Foundation and was lead by Principal investigators Debbie Silkwood-Sherer DHS, PT, HPCS and Nancy H. McGibbons MS, PT, HPCS.
Children with cerebral palsy, from the ages of three to six, participated in this study. The team assessed balance, gait, participation and quality of life of all participants before and after intervention. Researchers also assessed whether improvements continued or were maintained by completing follow-up assessments 12 weeks after the hippotherapy sessions were concluded.
A number of children in the control group dropped out resulting in an imbalance in the age and the level of CP involvement of the children receiving hippotherapy vs. the control group. This was a confounding factor for the researchers in analyzing the data. Despite these complications, the researchers found that when analyzing changes within each group, both groups improved in most measures. This was not a surprising outcome since all children were receiving some form of therapy (physical, occupational, and/or speech). However, results indicated that only the group receiving hippotherapy demonstrated statistically significant improvements on measures of balance, participation, and quality of life.
Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) is the only organization dedicated solely to funding research to support the equine-assisted activities and therapies field. Since its founding The Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) has awarded $400,000 in professional research efforts led by eight research teams in the United States, Canada and Germany. HHRF is a non-endowed foundation dependent solely on donations. To make a donation and/or learn more about this and other Horses and Humans Research Foundation projects visit http://www.HorsesandHumans.org.
