Impact of long-term hippotherapy on physical function of patients and quality of life of their caregivers

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10773
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Shimomura Hideo 東北大学, 医学系研究科, 非常勤講師 (10747116)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 武藤 達士 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 准教授 (80462472)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 乗馬療法 / 障がい者 / 介護者 / QOL

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hippotherapy has gradually been recognized as an excellent rehabilitation tool for children with cerebral palsy (CP). We performed a prospective trial to determine how hippotherapy affects the gross motor and gait functions in children with CP and how it may also impact the quality of life (QOL) of patients' caregivers. In addition to better gross motor function scores, hippotherapy was associated with increased cadence, step length, and mean acceleration; stabilized horizontal/vertical displacement of patients; and better relationship between the psychological status and QOL of the caregivers. Additionally, the initially improved children's step length and their caregivers' psychological QOL domain tended to be preserved up to the 3-month follow-up. These data suggest that compared with common day-care recreational activities, hippotherapy can improve not only the walking ability of children with CP but also the psychological health and QOL of their caregivers.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

乗馬療法は、諸外国では優れた社会復帰手段としての地位が確立されているが、日本での普及度は未だ低い。世界的な研究の流れを見ても、脳性麻痺児の乗馬療法に対する乗馬前後の身体改善効果は散見されるものの、長期的な機能予後(～1年以上)やその療育面での効果、介護者である母親の障害受容の変化について総合的に検証した研究は皆無である。この点からも本研究は独創性を有しており、リハビリテーション科学の領域におけるエビデンスレベルの高い研究成果が期待できる点で、重要かつ意義あるものである。