Aquatic Therapy
Let the beneficial qualities of water be your SOLUTION to improving overall health and mobility.
Aquatic physical therapy is the evidence-based and skilled practice by a doctor of physical therapy in a safe, pool environment. The unique properties of the aquatic environment enhance interventions for patients across the age span with a variety of diagnoses. Your treatment will be one-on-one with your PT who will custom design a program to meet your specific needs whether that is rehabilitation for an injury or pain to developing an overall health and wellness program.
Effective for:
- Joint Injuries and Post-Surgical Repairs
- Low Back Pain
- Balance Dysfunctions
- Chronic pain
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Back Surgery
- Pediatrics
- Cardiovascular Diagnoses
- Neurological Diagnoses: Stroke, Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy or Parkinson’s Disease
Aquatic Physical Therapy Interventions
Designed to Improve/Maintain:
- Function
- Aerobic Conditioning
- Capacity/Endurance conditioning
- Relaxation
- Body Mechanics
- Posture Stabilization
- Balance, Coordination & Agility
- Gait & Locomotion
- Muscle Strength & Power
- Flexibility
Beneficial Properties of Water:
- Assist: Water assists body parts that work against gravity on land help make flexibility gains.
- Support: The buoyancy helps reduce pain and make exercise comfortable by decreasing stresses on the body
- Resist: Water provides resistance in all directions to help develop strength.
The Science:
- Buoyancy: floating in the water allows you to exercise with up to 90% of body weight removed. This dramatically decreases painful joint compressive forces.
- Temperature: the warmth of the water results in relaxation and pain reduction by inhibiting pain pathways.
- Turbulence: this property is the ever changing flow of the water which makes safe and gentle forces on the body to help improve your balance and core stability
- Viscosity: this is the “thickness” of water which allows for gentle and progressive resistance to aquatic exercise
- Hydrostatic Pressure: the pressure exerted on your body when it’s submerged in the aquatic environment. This pressure can assist with the return of blood to your heart from your legs while exercising