Hippotherapy Essay
Results
This systematic review addressing the effectiveness of hippotherapy on gross motor function of children with (CP), resulted in 15 scholarly articles from the ProQuest Medical, Pubmed, and CINAHL were reviewed to address the research question. The articles provided background information and a thorough grasp of the impact that hippotherapy may have on the balance and postural capabilities, mobility, and overall gross motor function of children with CP. Thirteen of the 15 of articles included in this systematic review showed positive inclinations towards hippotherapy as a management technique for gross motor function in children with CP; two studies did not. Of the 15 peer-reviewed articles included in this systematic review, six specifically targeted the impact that hippotherapy may have on balance and/or posture in children with CP, four …show more content…
Thirty minute hippotherapy sessions, once a week, for a eight weeks, were held by physical therapists within an indoor arena at the Samsung Riding for the Disabled Center. The GMFM-88 and pediatric balance scale (PBS) were utilized as primary outcome measures. A total of three measurements were taken; one eight weeks prior to the intervention, one just before the first hippotherapy session, and one directly after the intervention was complete. An in-depth data analysis determined that the total GMFM scores, the scores within dimensions D and E of GMFM, and the PBS scores had all increased significantly between the pre and post-riding tests in comparison to the baseline tests. This study showed that hippotherapy may improve gross motor function and balance in children with Cerebral Palsy. The main limitation of this study was that the researchers did not include a control group, (Chang et al.,
This systematic review addressing the effectiveness of hippotherapy on gross motor function of children with (CP), resulted in 15 scholarly articles from the ProQuest Medical, Pubmed, and CINAHL were reviewed to address the research question. The articles provided background information and a thorough grasp of the impact that hippotherapy may have on the balance and postural capabilities, mobility, and overall gross motor function of children with CP. Thirteen of the 15 of articles included in this systematic review showed positive inclinations towards hippotherapy as a management technique for gross motor function in children with CP; two studies did not. Of the 15 peer-reviewed articles included in this systematic review, six specifically targeted the impact that hippotherapy may have on balance and/or posture in children with CP, four …show more content…
Thirty minute hippotherapy sessions, once a week, for a eight weeks, were held by physical therapists within an indoor arena at the Samsung Riding for the Disabled Center. The GMFM-88 and pediatric balance scale (PBS) were utilized as primary outcome measures. A total of three measurements were taken; one eight weeks prior to the intervention, one just before the first hippotherapy session, and one directly after the intervention was complete. An in-depth data analysis determined that the total GMFM scores, the scores within dimensions D and E of GMFM, and the PBS scores had all increased significantly between the pre and post-riding tests in comparison to the baseline tests. This study showed that hippotherapy may improve gross motor function and balance in children with Cerebral Palsy. The main limitation of this study was that the researchers did not include a control group, (Chang et al.,