DOES HIPPOTHERAPY HAVE AN EFFECT ON MOBILITY, GAIT, BALANCE AND PERCEIVED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN PERSONS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE?
Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY
The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of hippotherapy (horse assisted therapy) (intervention group) compared to usual care (control group) on mobility, gait, balance and perceived health-related quality of life in persons with Parkinson's disease. The main objectives of this study are: * The primary objective is to investigate the effects of hippotherapy on mobility of pwPD, walking speed and the ability to perform daily movements. * The secondary objective is to investigate the effects of hippotherapy on (a) balance, (b) self-perceived physical and mental health and (c) specific gait parameters. * Furthermore this study, aims to gather critical information that will inform about the design and implementation of a larger, more definitive randomized controlled trial. In addition to the three-week, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program the intervention group will receive hippotherapy (20 minutes) three times a week (7 sessions in total) and the control group will receive additional physiotherapy sessions (30 minutes) two times a week.
Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:
• Confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson's diagnosis
• Age \> 18 Years;
• Hoehn \& Yahr stage ≤ 4;
• Category 3 in the Functional Ambulation Categories
• Climbing stairs is possible (with support).
Locations
Other Locations
Switzerland
Rehabilitation Centre Valens
RECRUITING
Valens
Contact Information
Primary
Jens Bansi, PhD
jens.bansi@kliniken-valens.ch
+41 58 511 13 02
Backup
Isa Slotboom, MSc
isa.slotboom@kliniken-valens.ch
+41 58 511 13 73
Time Frame
Start Date:2025-01-01
Estimated Completion Date:2027-01-01
Participants
Target number of participants:30
Treatments
Experimental: Hippotherapy
In addition to the three-week, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program the intervention group will receive hippotherapy three times a week (7 sessions in total). The hippotherapy sessions last 20 minutes each and aim at trunk rotation (in the transverse and frontal plane), rhythm and trunk stability. They will receive this in addition to the usual three-week rehabilitation program. This program includes 30 minutes of physical therapy daily plus two additional physiotherapy sessions of 30 minutes, 30 minutes of occupational therapy 3x/week, strength training 3x/week, 45 minutes of balance training 2x/week and, as required, other therapies such as nutritional advice, speech therapy and/or creative therapy to meet the individual needs of people with Parkinson's.
Active_comparator: Usual care
The comparison group will perform the three-week rehabilitation program, without hippotherapy. This program includes 30 minutes of physical therapy daily plus two additional physiotherapy sessions of 30 minutes, 30 minutes of occupational therapy 3x/week, strength training 3x/week, 45 minutes of balance training 2x/week and, as required, other therapies such as nutritional advice, speech therapy and/or creative therapy to meet the individual needs of people with Parkinson's.