Effects of horse riding simulator on sitting motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

研究概要

Forty children clinically diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy were randomized to receive hippotherapy via a horse riding stimulator (HRS) plus with conventional physiotherapy or conventional physiotherapy alone for 12 weeks. The outcome of interest included sitting motor function, evaluated using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-88 at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Results revealed that a statistical improvements in both the control and HRS groups when comparing values at 4 weeks to baseline, 4 weeks to 8 weeks, and 8 weeks to 12 weeks (p<0.001). However, more improvement was observed in the HRS group compared to the control group.