Effects of Mechanical Horseback Riding Exercise on Static Balance of Patient with Chronic Stroke

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of horse-riding simulator exercise on the static balance of chronic stroke patients. The study's sample included 30 stroke patients who were randomly classified into an experiment group and a control group. Both the experiment and control groups received therapeutic exercise one time per day, but the experiment group also received twenty minutes of horse-riding simulator exercise three times per week for six weeks. To compare the groups, an independent t-test was performed, and to compare each period, a paired t-test was conducted and its result was analyzed. The result of this study, moving distance under standing position with eyes closed, showed significant difference in horse-riding simulator exercise group after exercise. But, there was no significant difference between horse-riding simulator exercise group and control group. Further, various clinical studies focusing on effects of horseback riding exercise on function of stroke patients are needed.

Effectiveness of Mechanical Horse-Riding Simulators on Postural Balance in Neurological Rehabilitation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The methodological quality of the studies included in this review was generally acceptable (average total PEDro score = 4.4, range 3-8). Five studies [29,30,[40][41][42] were randomized clinical trials. The study with the highest score on the PEDro scale was that of Herrero et al [29] with a score of 8, considering good its methodological quality.…”

“…Concerning gender distribution, there are two balanced studies [30,44], three with a higher proportion of men [29,41,43], and one with a higher proportion of women [40]. Regarding the sample size, Park et al [44] had the highest total number of participants (N = 67); Choi et al [41], Cho et al [42], and Temcharoensuk et al [30] had the lowest sample size (N = 30). Furthermore, there is no information about the sample size calculation, and in some cases, the selected number of subjects could be insufficient, becoming a design drawback.…”

“…In terms of comparison intervention, five studies [40][41][42][43][44] compared the effects of HRS with CPT. Exercises performed on a mattress in the study by Park et al [44] have been considered CPT.…”

“…The one with the shortest intervention time was Temcharoensuk et al [30], who only performed one treatment session. Considering the target population on which the studies were conducted, four studies [29,30,40,41] analyzed the effects of HRS intervention in subjects with CP, while three other studies [42][43][44] analyzed the effects on subjects with stroke. Concerning the different HRS devices, they differ in the structure and type of programming they present, varying in directions of movement, numbers of speeds, and the inclusion or not of pre-established programs.…”

“…Concerning the different HRS devices, they differ in the structure and type of programming they present, varying in directions of movement, numbers of speeds, and the inclusion or not of pre-established programs. The most commonly used devices in the included studies were JOBA [40,41,43] and FORTIS [42,44]. Table 4 presents the main characteristics of the interventions and the results obtained.…”