Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants

Results of an Intensive Hippotherapy Program on Gait and Speech

Department

Occupational Therapy

College

College of Health Professions

Date Range

2011-2012

Abstract

This presentation will report on the results of an intensive hippotherapy program on the gait and speech abilities of a 28 year old man with a traumatic brain injury. "GA" suffered a severe TBI at age 14 following a motor vehicle accident resulting in balance and coordination difficulties across all motor acts including walking and talking. GA participated in five thirty minute hippotherapy sessions over five consecutive days. His walking and articulation abilities were measured before and after each session. Results indicated improvement in all measured categories: stride length, walk speed, times off balance, diadokokinesis, intelligibility, and sustained /ah/ following each session with baseline improvements noted before the 5th session. These results indicate that hippotherapy may be beneficial for persons with chronic brain injury.

Conference Name

XIVth International Congress of Therapeutic Riding

Conference Location

Athens, Greece

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