title: Horseback riding therapy in addition to conventional rehabilitation program decreases spasticity in children with cerebral palsy: A small sample study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the short-term effects of horseback riding therapy in addition to a conventional rehabilitation program in children with cerebral palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine children receiving horseback riding therapy in addition to conventional rehabilitation (Group 1) and seven children receiving conventional rehabilitation alone (Group 2) were assessed at baseline and 5 weeks later. Assessed were: modified functional reach test (MFRT), hip abduction angle, the Ashworth Scale for hip adductor muscle spasticity, knee distance test, and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage change in hip adductor spasticity on the Ashworth Scale was 22% in Group 1 and 0% in Group 2 (significant difference; p = 0.016). Comparison of changes on the MFRT, GMFCS, knee distance test and hip abduction angle showed that the differences between Groups 1 and 2 were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In these children, horseback riding therapy in addition to conventional rehabilitation resulted in significant improvement in adductor spasticity on short-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: ealemdaroglu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alemdaroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: İnci
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Yanıkoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Öznur
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Öken
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uçan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ersöz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Belma Füsun
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Köseoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet İsmail Safa
authors.initials: Mİ
authors.lastname: Kapıcıoğlu
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D056147:Equine-Assisted Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Cerebral palsy; Horseback riding therapy; Spasticity