Hippotherapy in the System of Motor Stereotype Correction in Children with Cerebral Palsy

The article presents the results of study checking efficiency of hippotherapy in the complex rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. The relevance of the study is determined by significant percentage of children's disability caused by cerebral palsy, severe motor, speech and mental disorders. Insufficient efficiency of traditional means of physical therapy in the residual stage of ICP leads to a gradual decrease in motivation, which negatively affects the results of further treatment and greatly limits the patient's capabilities. Slowing down the pace of forming positive response to rehabilitation interventions determines the need for new methods of rehabilitation, as well as the use of modern advances in the field of motor correction and expanding the patients' capabilities of life and improving the conditions for their professional and social adaptation. The main effects of hippotherapy use are the development of vestibular function due to balancing on the horseback, reducing the spasm of hip muscles, forming normal sustained tonus, recovery of the mental state of a child. The characteristic of the complex influence of therapeutic horse riding on the motor and emotional development of a child with disabilities is given. The conditions for increasing efficiency of correctional influence of hippotherapy are defined. The study included 24 children of 7-8 years old with spastic forms of cerebral palsy - the main (13 children) and control (11 children) groups which underwent rehabilitation course at the specialized boarding school for children with motor disorders. The method of hippotherapy along with the standard rehabilitation procedures was applied to the children of the main group. The lessons were conducted twice a week on the basis of the equestrian complex. The formation of correct motor stereotypes was analyzed according to the Gross Motor Function Measurement System - 88. The results were sorted by five outgoing test tasks: the ability to lie, sit, crawl, stand, walk, run, and total indicator of motor functions. The positive dynamics of indicators both in separate categories of tests, as well as the total indicator of general motility was observed in children of both groups. The most significant changes were obtained in the outgoing categories of sitting and standing. Thus, in the children of the main group in the category "sitting" with an average outgoing indicator of 55,11±2,16% after undergoing the rehabilitation the total indicator was 66,92 ±2,23%; in the category "standing" with an average outgoing indicator of 31,27±3,14% after undergoing the rehabilitation the total indicator was 43,85±3,12%. The increase of motor function indicators was more significant in the children of the main group. The systematic, long-term use of rehabilitation measures on the basis of specialized boarding schools and equestrian complex resulted in significant improvement in all five categories of motor functions. The use of hippotherapy method in the system of rehabilitation taking into account individual motor capabilities and peculiarities of reflex postures when taking the vertical position contributes to the suppression of tonic reflexes, accelerates the formation of the correct posture, walking and motor activity in children with spastic diplegia.