Beneficios de la hipoterapia en la parálisis cerebral infantil.

Abstract

Hippotherapy is a physiotherapeutic technique, which takes advantage of the movement of the horse and the environment that is generated around it. Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects the movement and posture of children due to brain damage that can occur before, during or after birth Objective: To determine the benefits of hippotherapy in the treatment of infantile cerebral palsy (CP). Methodology: Preexperimental study with a retrospective approach, descriptive in scope, cross-sectional, the population consisted of 127 pediatric patients with CPI who were treated with hippotherapy at the Centro Integral de la Prefectura del Guayas during the period from May to September 2023, data were collected through medical records and a survey that assesses quality of life. Results: The main findings revealed that 76% of the infants showed improvement in spasticity, 63% in balance and 63% in motor control. The conclusions confirm that hippotherapy represents a valuable alternative for the management of CP.