Immediate Effects of a Hippotherapy Session on Gait Parameters in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

In Brief Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate effects of a hippotherapy session on temporal and spatial gait parameters in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: Subjects comprised 9 children with a diagnosis of CP, 6 girls and 3 boys, 7 to 18 years of age. Data for temporal and spatial gait parameters were collected immediately before and after a hippotherapy session. Results: No statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were noted in the postride temporal and spatial gait parameter values when compared with the preride values. Conclusions: This study provides baseline data for future research and useful clinical information for physical therapists using hippotherapy as a treatment modality for children with spastic CP. The authors found no significant changes in the gait parameters measured immediately following a hippotherapy session in this small group of children with CP. They point out that other studies reporting positive effects of hippotherapy have been carried out for longer periods of time.