Effects of Weekly Hippotherapy Frequency on Children With Cerebral Palsy

University of Brasilia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy

Treatments: Other: Hippotherapy twice a week; Other: Hippotherapy once a week

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03024099

50019415.3.0000.0030

Details and patient eligibility

About

The hippotherapy is considered a therapeutic modality that provides numerous benefits in the rehabilitation process and has often been recommended by doctors for children with cerebral palsy. Despite being in frank ascent, this therapy still lacks scientific evidence. Objectives: To analyze and compare the effects of hippotherapy program, often 1 or 2 days a week in gross motor function, trunk balance and functional performance of children with cerebral palsy.

Full description

Study characterized by a controlled experiment with a sample of 24 children, aged between 2 and 4 years, were randomly divided into control group (CG), with 9 participants, with the use of 1 to week and experimental group, also with 11 participants, 2 times a week intervention. The call followed protocol and took place once or twice a week lasting 30 minutes.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 2 to 4 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children from 2 to 6 years of age with diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy, besides medical, physiotherapeutic and psychological referral with indication of the practice of Hippotherapy
• Children classified with GMFCS levels 2, 3, 4 or 5
• Understanding, agreement and signing of the Free and Informed Consent Form
• Understanding, agreement and signing of the Free and Informed Assent Term, when applicable
• Possibility to participate in a riding program 1 or 2 times a week for a period of 16 weeks
• Conduct traditional physiotherapy concomitantly 1 or 2 times a week

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of associated syndromes or structural deformities that make Hippotherapy impossible
• Present seizures without medication control
• Does not have enough hip joint amplitude for riding (about 20 degrees of abduction)
• To have an invasive or surgical procedure during the study
• Have previously participated in an Equine Therapy program

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Hippotherapy once a week

Experimental group

Description:

Hippotherapy once a week;

Treatment:

Other: Hippotherapy once a week

Hippotherapy twice a week

Experimental group

Description:

hippotherapy twice a week

Treatment:

Other: Hippotherapy twice a week