Available online xxxKeywords: Hippotherapy Biofeedback Cerebral palsy Children Trunk stability EMG Rehabilitation a b s t r a c t Introduction: Damage to the central nervous system in children with infantile cerebral palsy (ICP) can cause aberrant and uncoordinated muscle contraction resulting in postural instability. Hippotherapy is a method of motor rehabilitation, rooted in neurophysiology, which utilizes the natural motion of a horse's gait to entrain trunk stability in the seated rider.Aim: The aim of this research was to assess the effect of hippotherapy in improving trunk stability in children with spastic ICP.Material and methods: The research was conducted on 24 children with ages ranging from 2 to 18 years (average age: 10.63 AE 4.95) who suffer with spastic ICP. Each child underwent physiotherapeutic assessment twice, an initial assessment at the start of the study period and a follow up assessment after 3 months of hippotherapy. All study subjects undertook 2 sessions of hippotherapy each week for a period of 3 months.Results and discussion: An increase in the maximum tension of the rectus abdominis muscle was observed in 17 out of 24 participants (81%). Further analysis of response to therapy according to subtype of ICP revealed an improvement in 13 out of 16 children with spastic diparesis and in 3 out of 7 children with tetraparesis. Improved trunk stability was seen in 6 out of the 11 children who were mobile with a wheelchair, and in 11 out of 12 independently mobile children.Conclusions: This study proves that hippotherapy has a significant impact on improving the trunk stability of children with ICP. # 2016 Published by Elsevier Sp. z o.o. on behalf of Warmińsko-Mazurska Izba Lekarska w Olsztynie.
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