Horses and Education as Arthritis Therapy
Keywords
Abstract
Description
The purpose of the proposed research is to assess the feasibility, acceptability and effects of equine-assisted therapy on adults and older adults with arthritis. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is defined as any intervention using the unique qualities of horses to improve social, gross motor, and self-help skills.(Ratliffe & Sanekane, 2009) Although equine therapy has been used as a medical intervention since the second century (Ratliffe & Sanekane, 2009), no research has been conducted using equine-assisted therapy to improve arthritis.
In the United States arthritis accounts for $128 billion in lost income and medical costs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013) Incidence of arthritis is increasing due to obesity and an aging population.(Bijlsma, Berenbaum, & Lafeber, 2011) Adults aged 40 to 65 and older than 65 with arthritis experience joint pain, stiffness, damage to cartilage, and decreased range of motion particularly in hips, knees, shoulders, and back (Barten et al., 2015; George et al., 2015; Karjalainen et al., 2001). Practice recommendations of non-pharmacological management of arthritis include using a biopsychosocial approach, an individualized exercise regime, strengthening leg and hip muscles, and improving the range of motion for muscle and joint health (Fernandes et al., 2013). Healthy People 2020 reports that arthritis has a major effect on a person's quality of life, ability to work and activities of daily life with the objectives of decreasing joint pain, decrease limitations, and decreasing psychological stress. Improving arthritis includes decreasing pain and improving the arthritic impact on the individual's quality of life.(Buchbinder, Bombardier, Yeung, & Tugwell, 1995) To improve musculoskeletal and functional health, the (World Health Organization, 2010) recommends physical activity including aerobic physical activity, strength, flexibility and balance. Current treatments include the use of physical conditioning (Schaafsma et al., 2013), opioids (Chaparro et al., 2013), and injections of anti-inflammatory medications, morphine, anesthetics or steroids(Staal, de Bie, De Vet, Hildebrandt, & Nelemans, 2008). The side effects from these medications can be bothersome, thus non-pharmacologic interventions must be further explored to improve adults and older adults with arthritis. Equine assisted therapy is a promising option since unique movements of the horse translate tri-rotational movements from the horse to the human (Selby & Smith-Osborne, 2013). This targets the spine and hip joints by non-weight bearing movement and has the potential to improve outcomes without joint damage.
There are both physical and psychosocial medical uses for equine assisted therapy. Previous meta-analyses of horses used to improve cerebral palsy in children, provide evidence to support the physical-neuromuscular connection and improvements in outcomes (Nimer & Lundahl, 2007; Pretty et al., 2007; Tseng, Chen, & Tam, 2013) reported significant improvement in total mood when riding horses. Anticipated implications for this research include improved range of motion, decreased pain, improved quality of life and enjoyment of nature. The bio-markers will assess the implications on cartilage and muscle to monitor improvement, destruction, or maintenance of both during equine-assisted therapy. If quality of life, enjoyment of nature and range of motion increase without muscle or cartilage destruction, then this would present evidence that EAT is a viable and desirable intervention and this will lead to further research for arthritis interventions including equines.
Dates
| Last Verified: | 12/31/2017 |
| First Submitted: | 03/19/2017 |
| Estimated Enrollment Submitted: | 05/01/2017 |
| First Posted: | 05/04/2017 |
| Last Update Submitted: | 01/21/2018 |
| Last Update Posted: | 01/23/2018 |
| Actual Study Start Date: | 05/19/2017 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date: | 12/19/2017 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date: | 12/19/2017 |
Condition or disease
Intervention/treatment
Other: Equine-assisted Therapy Group
Other: Arthritis Exercise Education Group
Phase
Arm Groups
| Arm | Intervention/treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Equine-assisted Therapy Group This group will interact and ride horses for 1 hour each week for 6 weeks. Horses will remain at a walk and an standard Therapeutic Riding curriculum will be used including safety, mounting, riding, tasks while riding, dismount, bonding with the horse. | Other: Equine-assisted Therapy Group Participants will groom and ride horses. Horses will be kept at a walk with tasks such as serpentine, circles, and zig zags to complete. Stretching, and tasks like throwing a ball into a net from horseback will be completed |
| Placebo Comparator: Arthritis Exercise Education Group This group will receive exercise education that targets arthritis symptoms for 1 hour each week for 6 weeks. This will be based on the exercise education from the Arthritis foundation How-to Exercise With Arthritis. (n.d.). | Other: Arthritis Exercise Education Group Standard of Care from the Arthritis Foundation - How-to Exercise With Arthritis. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/exercise/how-to). This intervention will consist of 6 -1 hour education sessions once a week on exercise to improve symptoms of arthritis |
Eligibility Criteria
| Ages Eligible for Study | 45 Years To 45 Years |
| Sexes Eligible for Study | All |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers | Yes |
| Criteria | Inclusion Criteria: - Ages 45 and older Joint pain inclusion will be considered with a mild [Mild pain (0-44)] to moderate pain level [Moderate pain (45-74 mm)] (Hawker, Mian, Kendzerska, & French, 2011) not completely relieved by medications. Measured decreased range of motion by 20% (back, shoulder, knee and hip) and hip abduction wide enough to straddle a horse without discomfort. Written physician's or advanced practice registered nurse's (APRN) clearance to ride a horse. Ability to read and understand English as evidenced by the capacity to follow verbal and written directions at the screening interview. Exclusion Criteria: Self-reported: fear of horses. Self reported allergies to horses. Self reported osteoporosis. Inability to abduct hips wide enough to straddle a horse comfortably. Lack of transportation to the Therapeutic Riding Center. Horse riding for the previous six months. |
Outcome
Primary Outcome Measures
1. Attendance - Measured by number of participants attending each arm of the study [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and week 6]
2. Recruitment - Data will be measured according to number of participants. [Prior to and including Week 1 of the study]
3. Implementation - This will be measured by completed Protocol Impediment Form [Measured after week 6]
4. Fidelity to the Protocol - This is measured by a researcher or research assistant observing with a protocol checklist. [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and week 6]
5. Recruitment Procedure Sequence - This will be measured by number of participants [Week 0, 1]
6. Exclusion of Participants - This is measured by number of participants that meet exclusion criteria [Week 0]
7. Attrition - This is measured by the number of participants enrolled vs. completion of the study [0, 6 weeks]
8. Completeness - This will be measured by number of Protocol Impediment incidences, Protocol violations noted on the Protocol checklists. [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and week 6]
9. Timing - measured by minutes for each major protocol step [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Weeks]
10. Compliance - This will be measured by number of Protocol Violations due to refusal or inability to comply with the protocol [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Weeks]
11. Missing Data - Missing data will be counted [8 Weeks]
12. Acceptability of the protocol - measured by Exit Survey Questionaire [6 Weeks]
13. Continuing the intervention - Measured by self reported affirmative responses [8 Weeks]
14. Migration - Measured by number of requests to move from assigned groups [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Weeks]
15. Blinding - Measured by number of responses of participants checking if they were in the intervention or control group [6 Weeks]
16. Length of Study Visits - Measured by number of responses on a Likert scale on Exit survey [6 Weeks]
17. Length of Overall Study - Measured by number of responses on Exit survey Likert scale [6 Weeks]
18. Measurement - Measured by number of responses on Exit Survey - Yes/No [6 Weeks]
19. Study Improvement - Measured by comments for improvement [6 Weeks]
Secondary Outcome Measures
1. Pain [0, 3, and 6 Weeks]
2. Range of Motion [0, 3, and 6 Weeks]
3. Serum Troponin [0 and 6 Weeks]
4. Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Biomarker [0 and 6 Weeks]
5. Quality of Life [0, 3, and 6 Weeks]
6. Enjoyment of Nature [0, 3, and 6 Weeks]
