Effects of Hippotherapy on Postural Control in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review : Pediatric Physical Therapy

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Effects of Hippotherapy on Postural Control in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

Peia, Fernanda PT; Veiga, Nathalie Caroline PT; Gomes, Ana Paula PT; Santos, Bruna Neves dos PT; Marques, Nívia Maria Silva PT; Glória, Igor Phillip dos Santos PhD; Goulardins, Juliana Barbosa PhD

Author Information

Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, São Paulo, Brazil.

Correspondence: Juliana Barbosa Goulardins, PhD, Av. Dr. Ussiel Cirílo, 225 Vila Jacuí, São Paulo, SP 08060-070, Brazil ([email protected]).

At the time this article was written, Ana Paula Gomes, Bruna Neves dos Santos, Fernanda Peia, Nathalie Caroline Veiga, and Nívia Maria Silva Marques were undergraduate students at Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, São Paulo, Brazil.

The affiliation for Juliana Barbosa Goulardins has been updated to Postdoctoral fellow, Health Technologies Program, Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Bahia, Brazil.

Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's Web site (www.pedpt.com).

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Pediatric Physical Therapy 35(2):p 202-210, April 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000999

Abstract

Purpose: 

To summarize and update the current knowledge on the effectiveness of hippotherapy on postural control in children with cerebral palsy.

Methods: 

Using a systematic review methodology, the electronic databases PubMed, Virtual Health Library, PEDro, Scielo, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for eligible articles from 2011 up to September 2021. Quality assessment of eligible studies was performed using the PEDro scale.

Results: 

There were 239 identified studies. Eight clinical trials were selected. The total sample consisted of 264 individuals, with 134 allocated to the experimental group (hippotherapy) and 130 individuals to the control group (conventional therapy). Most studies had moderate to high methodological quality.

Conclusions: 

Hippotherapy can be an effective intervention to improve several aspects related to postural control, such as static balance (especially in the sitting posture), dynamic balance, and alignment (body posture) in children aged 3 to 16 years, particularly with spastic hemiplegia or diplegia.

What This Adds to the Evidence: 

This review summarizes studies that explore potential effects of hippotherapy on postural control in children with cerebral palsy.

© 2023 Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association

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