Did you know that certain conditions and injuries are best treated while you are in the water? After an initial physical therapy evaluation, a licensed physical therapist may design an individualized comprehensive treatment plan for you that may include aquatic therapy.
Aquatic therapy is performed in a pool or tank of warm water that provides an ideal environment in which to exercise because its buoyancy counteracts gravity, thereby decreasing the weight placed on painful joints and the spine. In fact, when immersed to neck level, buoyancy supports 90 percent of the body’s weight. In waist-depth water, buoyancy can still support 50 percent of body weight.
Diminished weight bearing stress is one of many of the advantages of pool therapy for patients with osteoarthritis. Patients with pain from osteoarthritis are often unable to perform many land-based exercises without exacerbating the pain. However, in a buoyant, gravity-reduced environment like water, gentle movements to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance are often possible. A primary goal of aquatic therapy is to teach participants new ways of moving and retrain the musculoskeletal system to accommodate to the effects of osteoarthritis.
Exercises often resemble those performed in traditional land-based physical therapy and exercise programs. Examples of typical exercises include:
- Stretching of the hamstrings, low back, upper back, and neck.
- Strengthening exercises, such as using foam barbells that work against the resistance of the water.
- Aerobics, such as water walking, cross-country skiing, or slow jogging to loosen the lower back and hips.
If you would like to learn more about our Aquatic Therapy program, check out our website; http://physicaltherapyptc.com/services/aquatic-therapy/ or call one of our 7 locations to speak with a professional healthcare provider.
Kaitlyn Grell, LPTA
Physical Therapist Assistant
St. Francis Physical Therapy
PTC_therapy May 23rd, 2018
Posted In: General