TY - JOUR
T1 - Can Hippotherapy Make a Difference in the Quality of Life of Children with Cerebral Palsy? A Pragmatic Study
AU - McGibbon, Nancy H
AU - Silkwood-Sherer, Deborah
PY - 2020/5
Y1 - 2020/5
N2 - ABSTRACTObjective: To determine if the addition of 12 weekly therapy sessions, incorporating hippotherapy as the primary intervention to each child’s usual therapy program, will improve balance, participation, and quality of life.Methods: Pragmatic, multi-center, randomized, controlled trial of 13 children with cerebral palsy (CP), ages 3 to 6 years. A treatment group received 12 weeks of weekly hippotherapy interventionin addition to their usual therapy. A control group continued with their usual therapy only. Assessments were completed for the treatment group pre-intervention (P0), post intervention(P1), and 12 weeks post no intervention (P2). Control group assessments occurred in the same timeframe: baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks.Results: The only significant difference between the groups, post intervention, was on the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS). Within group analysis showed no significant changes for the controlgroup between any pretest/posttest measures. The treatment group demonstrated significant improvement on the PBS (P0-P1, p = .02; P0-P2, p = .02) and Activities Scale for Kids (P0-P1, p = .02; P0-P2, p = .02) with delayed improvement on the 1 Minute Walk Test (P1-P2, p = .02) and Pediatric Quality of Life – CP Module (P0-P2, p = .03).Conclusions: Improvements in balance in children with CP may promote increased participation and quality of life when hippotherapy is added to their treatment plan.
AB - ABSTRACTObjective: To determine if the addition of 12 weekly therapy sessions, incorporating hippotherapy as the primary intervention to each child’s usual therapy program, will improve balance, participation, and quality of life.Methods: Pragmatic, multi-center, randomized, controlled trial of 13 children with cerebral palsy (CP), ages 3 to 6 years. A treatment group received 12 weeks of weekly hippotherapy interventionin addition to their usual therapy. A control group continued with their usual therapy only. Assessments were completed for the treatment group pre-intervention (P0), post intervention(P1), and 12 weeks post no intervention (P2). Control group assessments occurred in the same timeframe: baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks.Results: The only significant difference between the groups, post intervention, was on the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS). Within group analysis showed no significant changes for the controlgroup between any pretest/posttest measures. The treatment group demonstrated significant improvement on the PBS (P0-P1, p = .02; P0-P2, p = .02) and Activities Scale for Kids (P0-P1, p = .02; P0-P2, p = .02) with delayed improvement on the 1 Minute Walk Test (P1-P2, p = .02) and Pediatric Quality of Life – CP Module (P0-P2, p = .03).Conclusions: Improvements in balance in children with CP may promote increased participation and quality of life when hippotherapy is added to their treatment plan.
UR - https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2020.1759167
M3 - Article
JO - Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
JF - Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
SN - 0959-3985
ER -