Influence of mechanical hippotherapy on skin temperature responses in lower limbs in children with cerebral palsy.

Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, PolandTherapeutic horse riding is often employed for disabled children. The aim of thepresent paper was to determine the influence of exercise in a mechanical saddle,imitating horse's walk, on the skin temperature responses in lower limbs in childrenwith cerebral palsy. Sixteen children, aged 14-16, were enrolled into the study . Skinsurface temperature was assessed with thermography, using an infraredthermovision camera, AGEMA 550, before and directly after 20 ±5 min of exercise.The findings demonstrate that mechanical hippotherapy provides an exercisestimulus that is capable of inducing a visible change in skin temperature ofparalyzed limbs. The change, however, is one of a decrease in skin temperature,which points to acute vasoconstrictive effects of exercise and to decreased skinblood flow. The results, therefore, do not support the use of mechanicalhippotherapy in children suffering from cerebral palsy, with a hope to stimulateblood circulation to spastically altered limb muscles and thereby to improvephysical disability, at least in a short-term exercise paradigm.Key words: