The Effect of 12 Weeks of Rebound Therapy Exercise Training on Walking Ability of Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Abstract

Walking ability is a crucial factor for recovery and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 12 weeks of rebound therapy on walking parameters in SCI patients. Thirty members of Isfahan Spinal Cord Injury Association participated in this experimental study using a convenience sampling method. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Isfahan (IR.UI.REC.1400.118). The participants were randomly assigned to control and rebound groups using a matched randomization method. Data were collected before and after 12 weeks of rebound therapy exercise (three sessions per week) in the walking laboratory, using a seven-camera 3D motion capturing system (Qualisys motion analysis). The final data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS software (significance level p < .05). Rebound therapy training significantly improved all dependent variables (p < .05) except hip rotation, indicating its effectiveness for enhancing walking ability. Given the importance of walking function, we recommend the use of rebound therapy training as an exercise rehabilitation method for spinal cord injury patients.