Development and characterization of a new measurement technique for monitoring changes in acceleration during hippotherapy

Abstract

Background:The benefi cial effects of hippotherapy lie in the transmission of the horse's movements to the patient. The aim of our work was to create a measurement method for objective evaluation that can be used in natural settings without interfering with therapy. Methodology/Principal fi ndings: Our measurement system consists of three treble axis accelerometers connected to a data logger. Software was developed for data analysis and post processing. A commercial DVD recording camera was used to document the hippotherapy session. In this paper we present the results obtained in pilot measurements on ten children with cerebral palsy. For reference, a skilled rider was measured on the same horse using a passive following seat. Conclusions: The acceleration diagrams show common characteristics useful to the interpretation of the movement transfer during hippotherapy as well as individual patterns indicating alterations in the movement reactions of different patients.