The Benefit of Hippotherapy in Stroke Patients

Stroke Clinical Trial

Official title: The Benefit of Hippotherapy in the Therapeutic Management of Stroke Patients in Sequel Phase

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

This study aims to explore the interest of hippotherapy in the management of patients with stroke in the sequelae phase by evaluating the psychological and physical well-being. It is a controlled and randomized prospective longitudinal study. Hippotherapy is a rehabilitation method entrusted to a paramedical or medical profession that uses the horse in its treatment program in addition to conventional medical care. Hippotherapy has benefits at the psychomotor and motor level. The method is based on the use of the horse's characteristic movements when walking to provide sensory information and to induce motor adjustment responses mainly at the level of the pelvis and the trunk of the rider in order to work on balance, postural control, muscle tone and joint mobility of the patient sitting on his back. In particular for people with paresis or plegia sequelae, it contributes to rehabilitation programs. In addition, by inducing a helical movement of the pelvis, the horse's walk reproduces in the the disabled rider a pattern of trunk reactions very similar to that of the normal human walking pattern. This pattern can be integrated as a normal sensorimotor reaction and help the patient to improve his sitting balance and his coordination. Hippotherapy is also interesting because getting out of the traditional rehabilitation framework and being in contact with an imposing animal has positive repercussions on the psyche and therefore on functional recovery. All patients will undergo an assessment that will focus on their physical and psychological well-being at the beginning and end of the study as well as during a follow-up at 2 weeks, one month and 3 months. Patients assigned to the experimental group (EG) will receive, in addition to their physical therapy, a weekly hippotherapy session of 30 minutes. The follow-up will take place during 3 months for a total of 12 sessions. The EG will also be monitored in the short term (before and after each session) for well-being and fatigue. Quality of life will be explored using the SF-36 questionnaire and the SS-QOL scale. Self-esteem will be measured using the Rosenberg scale. Patients' physical abilities will be assessed with functional tests, standing balance measurements on a strength platform and the ABC-S self-evaluation scale.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Stroke

• NCT number: NCT05345886
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liege
• Contact: Helena Cassol, PhD
• Phone: 085519238
• Email: hcassol@chuliege.be
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 1, 2022
• Completion date: January 1, 2025