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Effects of hippotherapy on gross motor function and functional performance of children with cerebral palsy
Eun Sook Park1, Dong Wook Rha1, Jung Soon Shin2
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Hippotherapy significantly improved gross motor function and functional skills in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). The intervention group showed greater gains than the control group, highlighting hippotherapy
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Spastic cerebral palsy (CP) is a common motor disability in children.
- Gross motor function and functional performance are key areas for intervention in CP.
- Hippotherapy, a therapy using equine movement, is explored for its therapeutic benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of hippotherapy on gross motor function in children with spastic CP.
- To assess the impact of hippotherapy on functional performance in this population.
Main Methods:
- 34 children with spastic CP participated in an 8-week hippotherapy program (45 min, twice weekly).
- A control group of 21 children with spastic CP was included for comparison.
- Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-66, GMFM-88, and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory: Functional Skills Scale (PEDI-FSS) were used for assessment.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed improvements in GMFM-66 and GMFM-88 scores post-intervention.
- The hippotherapy group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in GMFM-66 total score and dimension E.
- Hippotherapy led to significant improvements in total PEDI-FSS scores and its sub-domains, unlike the control group.
Conclusions:
- Hippotherapy yields beneficial effects on gross motor function and functional performance in children with spastic CP.
- The significant improvements in PEDI-FSS scores suggest hippotherapy's utility in maximizing functional outcomes for children with CP.
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.
