Hippotherapy in Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Therapeutic procedures according to the recommended standard (SMA-SOC) will be used in the therapy. Elements of breathing gymnastics, vibration techniques, stretching, eccentric and concentric exercise procedures will be combined. Individual physiotherapy will be conducted on the basis of set goals from the kinesiological examination, it will be adapted to the individuality of the child - his cooperation, fatigue and sleep time.

HT by CP is an accredited form of hippotherapy, whose methodology is based on the clinical picture of cerebral palsy, but its procedures are applicable to a wider group of children with disabilities. Therefore, investigators anticipate it´s effect for children with SMA. Based on a special type of examination, this method precisely determines the "type / breed" of the horse according to the biomechanics of the movement of its back in the step, the position of the child and the neurophysiological function of the back - differentiation or sensorimotor skills. Furthermore, according to the course of therapy, the physiotherapist determines the pace of the horse's step, its length, selects special manual contacts according to the current situation and adjusts the duration of therapy to the client's fatigue. Therapy will be performed by therapists with professional competence to perform hippotherapy by children with CP.

In order to influence the psychomotor development in a comprehensive way, the psychosocial activity of therapeutic grooming will also be included in the study. Its goal is to support children's communication, their interaction with the environment, the ability to establish contact with the horse and the overall emotional support of children with SMA. The purpose of this activity is to clean the horse, its possible guide, stroking and contact with the horse, work from the ground.