Hippotherapy is a form of speech, physical
and occupational therapy or treatment using a horse as a healing medium in
order to effectively challenge a rider’s core muscles. The rhythm of the
horse’s gait continuously engages the client’s balance and posture, while the
supervising physical therapist seeks to improve the client’s overall
coordination and fine motor skills through various activities. This combination
of movement and therapist-directed activity can have significant impacts on the
client’s postural control and physical function.
In recent years, the prevalence of children
with developmental disabilities that may cause lifelong issues has increased.
It is important to find therapeutic interventions that improve function, are
enjoyable to children.
In this study, eight children between the
ages of 2 - 12 years old that had been previously diagnosed with a variety of
different developmental delays or disorders participated in 8 - 12 weeks of
hippotherapy. Subjects were tested before, during, and at the completion of
their therapy. The physical function measures included a timed level and
unlevel walking test, a coordination-based reach test, and were scored using
the Gainesville Riding through Equine Assisted Therapy (G.R.E.A.T.) Postural
Scale to measure quality of posture. Psychological changes were also evaluated
based on the physical therapists’ notes and on parent questionnaires given
preand post-study.
Results indicated that 62.5% (5/8) of the
subjects improved in their Postural Scale score, 87.5% (7/8) decreased their
time to complete the level and unlevel distances, and 50% (4/8) of the subjects
showed better coordination. Physical therapists’ notes and preliminary parent
report analyses suggested improvements in subjects’ self-esteem and overall
quality of life.
In conclusion, these results indicate that
hippotherapy sessions are a very effective way to improve physical function,
specifically postural control, strength, and coordination in children who have
been diagnosed with any type of developmental delay or disorder. This research
has implications for the benefits of hippotherapy for the pediatric population
for both function and quality of life.
Article
by Freda Thompson, et al, from Elon University, Elon, USA.
Full
access: http://mrw.so/5nKMnl
Image by cgermano, from Flickr-cc.
评论
发表评论