EFFECTS OF REBOUND EXERCISES ON FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF PEOPLE WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

A. Okemuo¹, D. Gallagher², Y. Dairo¹

¹Buckinghamshire New University, School of Health and Social Care Professions, High Wycombe, United Kingdom, ²Buckinghamshire New University, School of Human and Social Sciences-Sports, High Wycombe, United Kingdom

Background: Neurological disorders are often linked to various problems, including but not limited to movement impairments, balance, fear of falls, reduced exercise tolerance, loss of muscle strength, reduced functional independence and reduced quality of life. Movement and balance dysfunction and fear of falling pose psychological risks to patients' overall quality of life, and they can act as barriers to physical activity participation. These impairments can lead to physical deconditioning, functional dependency and extreme disability if left unmanaged creating the need for prompt intervention. Aerobic exercise is a critical intervention that is very useful in managing these impairments in people with neurological disorders. Rebound exercise is a form of aerobic exercise that has been successfully used in diverse populations, and evidence has revealed its efficacy in improving health outcomes. However, despite several existing studies, rebound exercise has not been well investigated in people with neurological disorders.

Purpose: This systematic review sought to search the existing literature on the effect of rebound exercise interventions in people with neurological disorders. It also aimed to identify the gaps in the literature to inform future studies.

Methods: Searches were performed on the following electronic databases and grey literature: PubMed, Cochrane Library Trials, ProQuest, Google Scholar, SportDiscus, and PsycInfo. Relevant literature investigating the effect of rebound exercise in patients with neurological disorders was identified for inclusion. The outcomes assessed were balance and mobility. The quality of included studies was appraised independently by two reviewers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program for Randomized Controlled Trials.

Results: Of the 731 publications identified in the search, we included only five in the systematic review. I-squared statistics revealed considerable heterogeneity (89%, p<0.000001), so only three studies were pooled in a meta-analysis. The included papers had moderate to high methodological quality. Meta-analysis shows that rebound exercise significantly improves mobility (-0.53, 95%CI[-0.94,-0.11], p<0.01) but not balance (4.97, 95%CI[3.50,6.43], p<0.00001) in people with neurological disorders.

Conclusions: Rebound exercise has shown the potential to improve mobility in people with neurological disorders. However, more high-quality research on the efficacy of rebound exercise in this population is needed to make concrete conclusions.

Implications: Findings from this review have highlighted that rebound exercise can be a helpful adjunct in managing mobility impairments in people with neurological disorders, thereby increasing the treatment options available to physiotherapists and other allied health care professionals.

Funding acknowledgements: This study is part of a doctoral degree programme sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University, United Kingdom.

Keywords:
Rebound exercise
neurological
mobility

Topics:
Neurology: stroke
Disability & rehabilitation
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Reason: Ethics approval was not required because this study is a systematic review requiring secondary data.