Using the Rebounder in Physical Therapy Treatment
A rebounder is a mini trampoline that uses bounce and movement to improve balance, posture, core strength, and endurance. Rebounder therapy involves exercises performed on the trampoline and can be used to treat sports injuries, shoulder and ankle injuries, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. In the video below, Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Bobby explains how the rebounder is used at our clinic and demonstrates several exercises you can perform with the rebounder during physical therapy.
What is a Rebounder?
A rebounder is a mini trampoline with a firm jumping mat that uses the bounce and movement of the trampoline to improve balance, core strength, and endurance. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our rebounder has a handle for upper body support and is adjustable, moving from a flat trampoline surface to a 45-degree angle for throwing and catching movements.
Rebounder therapy, or rehabilitation exercises performed on a rebounder, increases the demand on muscles to maintain posture and balance on the uneven surface, requires dynamic movement and greater spatial awareness, and increases the need for oxygen, building cardiovascular endurance. Patients can jog, bounce, kick, twist, punch, and perform single leg balance exercises while on the rebounder to improve strength, coordination, and balance.
Rebounder therapy has numerous benefits:
Strengthens the core, leg, gluteal, and lower back muscles
Stimulates the lymphatic system which flushes toxins, bacteria, and dead cells out of the body
Improves balance, coordination, flexibility, and overall motor skills
Supports bone density, strength, and bone formation as bouncing places small amounts of pressure on bones helping them grow stronger through low-impact exercise
Enhances core strength and pelvic floor health as bouncing works muscles of the deep core that help prevent urinary incontinence and stabilize hip joints
Improved exercise tolerance and fitness
Faster reaction speed
Increased sensory integration and spatial awareness
Improved quality of life and independence
Physical Therapy Treatment with the Rebounder
Rebounder therapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions and is often utilized by physical therapists to enhance recovery. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, rebounder therapy is commonly used in sports injury rehabilitation, specifically during physical therapy for shoulder-related injuries like rotator cuff injury, shoulder labral tears, or shoulder impingement. Research has also shown that rebounder therapy can be used in the treatment of stroke survivors, Parkinson’s disease patients, children with cerebral palsy, and in athletes with ankle sprains.
A 2019 study compared the effect of an 8-week rebound therapy-based exercise program with a weight-bearing exercise group in those with Parkinson’s disease. All variables in the two groups were significantly improved over the 8 weeks of exercise; however, the improvement rate in the rebound therapy group was more than the weight-bearing exercise group in range of motion, proprioception, and quality of life of the patients.
Another study assessed the effects of modified trampoline training on gait, balance, and fall efficacy in stroke patients over 6 weeks in comparison to stroke survivors who received conventional physical therapy. Both the trampoline and the control groups showed significant improvements in balance, gait, and fall efficacy compared to before the intervention. However, the improvements were significantly greater in the trampoline group than in the control group.
An assessment of rebounder therapy for athletes who experienced a lateral ankle sprain showed improvements in muscle endurance, sensorimotor control, and reaction times within the muscles of the ankle complex after a trampoline training program. A 2019 study of rebounder therapy for children with cerebral palsy revealed that rebound therapy in combination with conventional physical therapy improved lower limb muscle tone in children with cerebral palsy as opposed to only conventional physical therapy techniques.
Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Bobby explains how the rebounder is used at our clinic and demonstrates several exercises you can perform with the rebounder during physical therapy:
