Horseback riding or exercise ball: new study tests best balance therapy for kids with cerebral palsy
NCT ID NCT06047756
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compared two therapies—hippotherapy (therapeutic horseback riding) and Swiss ball exercises—to see which improves trunk control and balance in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Fifty-two children aged 4 to 11 took part. The goal was to find which approach helps them sit and move better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- hippotherapy (horseback riding therapy) and Swiss ball exercises
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that hippotherapy or Swiss ball training helps improve balance and trunk control in children with cerebral palsy, offering a new therapy option.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 52 children, so results may not apply to all. It compares two therapies but doesn't test a new drug or cure, so the impact is limited.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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52 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2023
- Finished
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Jan 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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4 to 12 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria:• Children (male and female) * Age group 4 to 11 years * Subject diagnosed with CP * Mild Spastic Diaplegic of the lower limbs according to the modified ashworth scale grade 1 to 1+ * GMFM scale sitting balance score less than 20 * Medically stable and able to understand commands Exclusion Criteria:• Children with mental retardation, * Epilepsy, other associated neurological disorders, other type of cerebral palsy, * Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sensory issues(poor visual or hearing acuity)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Helping hand for relief and development
Dīr, Khyberpakhtunkhuwa, 25000, Pakistan
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