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Home / Equine Research Bank / Mult Scler / Hippotherapy for patients with multiple sclerosis: A multice...
Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)2017; 24(10); 1375-1382; doi: 10.1177/1352458517721354

Hippotherapy for patients with multiple sclerosis: A multicenter randomized controlled trial (MS-HIPPO).

Abstract: Evidence-based complementary treatment options for multiple sclerosis (MS) are limited. To investigate the effect of hippotherapy plus standard care versus standard care alone in MS patients. A total of 70 adults with MS were recruited in five German centers and randomly allocated to the intervention group (12 weeks of hippotherapy) or the control group. Primary outcome was the change in the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) after 12 weeks, and further outcome measures included fatigue, pain, quality of life, and spasticity. Covariance analysis of the primary endpoint resulted in a mean difference in BBS change of 2.33 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03-4.63, p = 0.047) between intervention ( n = 32) and control ( n = 38) groups. Benefit on BBS was largest for the subgroup with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ⩾ 5 (5.1, p = 0.001). Fatigue (-6.8, p = 0.02) and spasticity (-0.9, p = 0.03) improved in the intervention group. The mean difference in change between groups was 12.0 ( p < 0.001) in physical health score and 14.4 ( p < 0.001) in mental health score of Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQoL-54). Hippotherapy plus standard care, while below the threshold of a minimal clinically important difference, significantly improved balance and also fatigue, spasticity, and quality of life in MS patients.
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Publication Date: 2017-08-03 PubMed ID: 28770664DOI: 10.1177/1352458517721354Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research explores the impact of hippotherapy, a physical therapy technique that uses horse movement, in combination with standard care on multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The authors found that although the benefit is relatively small, it significantly improved balance, relieved fatigue and spasticity, and enhanced the quality of life of the MS patients.

Study Design and Participants

  • The study was a randomized controlled trial carried out across five centers in Germany.
  • It involved 70 adult participants suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, randomly divided into two groups.
  • The control group received standard care alone, while the intervention group received standard care plus hippotherapy, a treatment involving horse riding and care for 12 weeks.

Outcome Measures

  • The primary outcome the researchers were focusing on was the change in Berg Balance Scale (BBS), a standard measurement to assess balance after 12 weeks.
  • Secondary outcomes included changes in fatigue, pain levels, spasticity, and quality of life.

Key Findings

  • A covariance analysis revealed a mean difference in BBS change of 2.33 (with 95% CI: 0.03 – 4.63, p = 0.047) between the control and intervention groups. Although this result falls below the threshold of a minimal clinically important difference, it suggests a favorable effect of hippotherapy on the balance of MS patients.
  • The intervention group showed a larger benefit on BBS for participants with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) greater than or equal to 5.
  • Improvements in fatigue and spasticity for the intervention group were also observed, indicating positive effects of hippotherapy in relieving these symptoms.
  • Further, the intervention group demonstrated improvements in quality of life, as evidenced by the physical health score change of 12.0 (p < 0.001) and a mental health score change of 14.4 (p < 0.001) on MSQoL-54, a type of health-related quality of life measure specific for MS.

Conclusion

  • The research suggests that while the magnitude of the effects is not high, hippotherapy combined with standard care can significantly contribute to enhancing balance, reducing fatigue and spasticity, and improving overall quality of life for MS patients.

Cite This Article

APA
Vermöhlen V, Schiller P, Schickendantz S, Drache M, Hussack S, Gerber-Grote A, Pöhlau D. (2017). Hippotherapy for patients with multiple sclerosis: A multicenter randomized controlled trial (MS-HIPPO). Mult Scler, 24(10), 1375-1382. https://doi.org/10.1177/1352458517721354

Publication

Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
ISSN: 1477-0970
NlmUniqueID: 9509185
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 24
Issue: 10
Pages: 1375-1382

Researcher Affiliations

Vermöhlen, Vanessa
  • Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany/DRK Kamillus Klinik Asbach, Asbach, Germany.
Schiller, Petra
  • Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Schickendantz, Sabine
  • Zentrum für Therapeutisches Reiten Johannisberg e.V., Windhagen, Germany.
Drache, Marion
  • Zentrum für Therapeutisches Reiten Johannisberg e.V., Windhagen, Germany.
Hussack, Sabine
  • Department of Health Sciences/Public Health, School of Medicine, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.
Gerber-Grote, Andreas
  • Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany/School of Health Professions, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Winterthur, Switzerland.
Pöhlau, Dieter
  • DRK Kamillus Klinik Asbach, Asbach, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Equine-Assisted Therapy / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis / rehabilitation
  • Quality of Life

Citations

This article has been cited 18 times.
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