Earticle

초록

영어

Horseback riding has been suggested as an effective intervention for improving spinal alignment and neuromuscular coordination; however, limited accessibility, safety concerns, and environmental constraints restrict its clinical application for scoliosis patient. Recently, extended reality (XR)-based horseback riding systems have emerged as a promising alternative by providing immersive, controllable, and reproducible therapeutic environments. Nevertheless, high-quality randomized controlled trials evaluating their clinical effectiveness in patients with scoliosis remain scarce. This study aimed to investigate the effects of XR-based horseback riding on back pain, trunk muscle contractile function, and three-dimensional spinal alignment in individuals with scoliosis. In this randomized controlled trial, adolescents diagnosed with scoliosis were recruited from the Seosan region, Korea, between February and March 2026. Participants were randomly assigned to either an XR-based horseback riding intervention group (XRE, n = 20) or a control group (CON, n = 20). The intervention group performed supervised XR-based equestrian simulator training for 30 min per session, three times per week, over a 6-month period. The CON received matched exposure to visual XR content while remaining seated passively on the simulator without active riding movements. Back pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Trunk muscle contractile properties of the bilateral rectus abdominis (RA) and erector spinae (ES) were evaluated using tensiomyography (TMG). Spinal alignment across coronal, sagittal, and transverse planes was measured using a validated three-dimensional (3-D) imaging analyzer. Outcome variables were assessed at baseline and after completion of the intervention under standardized testing conditions. Following the intervention, the XRE demonstrated significant reductions in back pain severity compared with the CON (p < 0.05). Significant improvements were also observed in trunk muscle contractile responses, including enhanced activation characteristics of the RA and ES (p < 0.05). In addition, 3-D spinal alignment parameters showed favorable corrective changes in the XRE relative to CON (p < 0.05). As a conclusion, XR-based horseback riding produced clinically meaningful improvements in back pain, trunk muscle contractile function, and spinal alignment in adolescents with scoliosis. These findings suggest that XR-assisted equestrian simulator training represents a safe, accessible, and effective rehabilitation strategy for improving musculoskeletal function in patients with scoliosis.

저자

• Yu-Jin An [ Department of Physical Education, Graduate School of Hanseo University/Research Institute of Sports and Industry Science, Hanseo University, Seosan, Korea ]
• Jung-Soo Park [ Department of Physical Education, Graduate School of Hanseo University, Seosan, Kore ]
• Yong-Seok Jee [ Department of Physical Education, Graduate School of Hanseo University/Research Institute of Sports and Industry Science, Hanseo University, Seosan, Korea ] Corresponding Author

참고문헌

발행기관

간행물

표지보기 관심저널 등록

• 간행물명

  한국운동재활학회 학술대회

• 간기

  부정기

• 수록기간

  2011~2026

• 십진분류

  KDC 517 DDC 613