Effects of rebound exercises on balance and mobility of people with neurological disorders: A systematic review

Background: Therapeutic rebound exercise is gaining popularity among the general population, but its effectiveness in individuals with neurological impairments remains uncertain. To shed light on this, a systematic review was conducted between November 2021 and March 2023 to study the impact of rebound exercise on balance and mobility in this group. Methods: Six databases were searched. Studies were included if written in English, peer-reviewed, had original research data and assessed the effect of rebound exercise in adults with neurological disorders. The outcomes measured were balance and mobility. Two reviewers independently appraised study quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program for Randomized Controlled Trials. Finally, a meta-summary of the included studies was completed, and a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software version 5.3 to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Results: Five studies were included comprising 130 participants aged 31.32±7.67 to 58±12 years, 72% male and 28% female. Participants were in-patients with stroke (49%), multiple sclerosis (24%), Parkinson’s disease (15%) and spinal cord injury (12%). The included papers had moderate to high methodological quality. The timed up-and-go test revealed that the rebound group participants could walk 6.08 seconds quicker over three to eight weeks. Pooled results show that rebound exercise significantly improves mobility (-0.53[-0.94, -0.11], p = 0.01), but no significant improvement was observed in balance. Conclusion: Rebound exercise has shown the potential to improve mobility in people with neurological disorders. However, the findings should be in the context that the included studies are few and participants were in in-patient settings. PROSPERO registration: CRD42021298030.