TITLE:
The Effects of Hippotherapy on Standing Balance in Patients with Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries: A Pilot Study
AUTHORS:
Bo-Ra Choi, Ju-Hyun Kim, Jeong-Uk Lee, Junghwan Kim
KEYWORDS:
Spinal Cord Injury; Standing Balance; Hippotherapy
JOURNAL NAME:
Neuroscience and Medicine,
Vol.4 No.1,
March
5,
2013
ABSTRACT: The
present study was designed to evaluate the effects of hippotherapy on standing
balance in patients with incomplete cervical spinal cord injuries. Ten patients
(8 men and 2 women) who were diagnosed with cervical levels of injury between 3 and 6, and D according to the ASIA Impairment
Scale. All patients were tested by the physiotherapists prior to and after
hippotherapy treatment. Standing balance was measured using the Interactive
Balance System (IBS). The weight distribution index was significantly increased
in application of hippotherapy compared with control groups in patients with a
neurologic level of cervical 3 and 4, and with Brown-Sequard syndrome,
respectively. However, most of the patients exhibited no significant changes in
the standing balance index, such as F1, F2-4, F5-6, F7-8, and SI scores, after
hippotherapy. These results suggest that hippotherapy did not have a
significant effect on the standing balance of patients with incomplete cervical
spinal cord injuries.