Effect of hippotherapy simulator on pain, disability and range of motion of the spinal column in subjects with mechanical low back pain: A randomized single-blind clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Hippotherapy is a form of therapeutic exercise for conservative treatment of lumbar spine segmental instability and/or hypomobility in subjects with low back pain (LBP). OBJECTIVE: The current study evaluates the effects of a hippotherapy simulator on pain, disability, and range of motion (ROM) of the spinal column in subjects with mechanical LBP. METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial, 80 subjects were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention groups. All subjects underwent routine physiotherapy. In addition, the intervention group underwent hippotherapy with a hippotherapy simulator for 15 sessions, each lasting 15 minutes. Pain, disability, and ROM of the lumbar spinal column of the subjects were measured in the first and last physiotherapy sessions respectively. RESULTS: Improvement in pain intensity was higher in the hippotherapy simulator group over the first eight days of treatment (Hippotherapy vs. Control Point changes: Day 12: p = 0.010; after treatment: p = 0.005). The hippotherapy simulator group had significantly higher improvement in disability score in comparison to the control group (p < 0.001); mean changes in the modified Schober test were not significant (p = 0.423). CONCLUSION: The hippotherapy simulator decreased pain and disability in subjects with LBP; however, no additional improvement in lumbar spine ROM was observed.