7 Soothing Benefits Of Aquatic Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a necessary part of recovery after surgery or an accident, or as a continued form of treatment. While necessary, traditional physical therapy does have limitations. If you’re looking for another way to keep on your path to recovery, aquatic physical therapy has a number of surprising benefits worth paying attention to.
Aquatic physical therapy can benefit a range of individuals, from those recovering from surgery and injury to those dealing with neurological and chronic pain.
With the combination of seasoned physical therapists and water’s unique therapeutic properties, this variation of physical therapy helps people improve both mobility and function in a low-impact, low-stress environment.
While that all sounds nice, it’s important to understand the details of any physical therapy treatment so you can make an informed decision on your treatment options.
To help you with that decision, we’re outlining the basics and benefits of aquatic physical therapy in this post.
How Does Aquatic Physical Therapy Work
Aquatic therapy, also known as water therapy or pool therapy, is a type of rehabilitation that takes place in a pool or other body of water.
It is an effective form of low-impact physical therapy for individuals recovering from surgery or injuries, as well as for those dealing with chronic conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia. Aquatic therapy can also be a beneficial form of cross-training for athletes looking to maintain their performance while recovering from injury.
The Surprising Role Water Plays In Making Aquatic Physical Therapy Work
While it’s true that you can’t have aquatic physical therapy without water, there’s far more to it than that. Water has a number of qualities that make it the ideal environment for recovery, including:
- Buoyancy – The buoyancy of the water helps to reduce the impact on the joints and muscles, making it easier for patients to move around and perform exercises. This can be especially beneficial for people with injuries or chronic pain, as well as for people who are recovering from surgery.
- Resistance – Beacuse water is between 6-700x more resistant than air, aquatic physical therapy can help us to improve muscle strength and endurance. As it resists our more rapid movements, we can work against it to build strength gradually.
- Temperature – Different temperatures play different roles in the healing process. Warm water increases blood supply to help relax muscles and reduce pain and swelling, while colder water can be used to help reduce inflammation.
- Unstable surface – The unstable nature of the water can help improve balance and coordination, which is especially beneficial for people who have balance problems or are at risk of falling.
- Calming environment – The gentle movement of water helps to relax the mind and body, which is ideal for patients who might be dealing with stress or anxiety, either as a result of an accident or as a chronic condition.
What Are The Benefits Of Aquatic Physical Therapy
There are both physical and psychological benefits that come from aquatic physical therapy.
- Low-impact therapy – Aquatic therapy can be a suitable form of exercise for people with injuries or chronic pain because it is low-impact, making it easier to move around and perform exercises. This can be especially beneficial for people who are recovering from surgery or have conditions such as osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia.
- Increased range of motion – Water’s resistance also helps us to improve our flexibility and range of motion, proving especially beneficial for patients with limited mobility due to injuries or chronic conditions.
- Improved strength – For people who are looking to increase their muscle strength and endurance, such as athletes or older adults, the resistance of water may help to build both strength and endurance.
- Cardiovascular health – Aquatic exercises can provide a cardiovascular workout while being easy on the joints, allowing for consistent and regular movement for people who may not have many other opportunities.
- Pain management – Given that warm water helps to reduce pain and swelling, it is ideal for people who have conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia, as well as those recovering from injuries.
- Improved balance and coordination – For patients who are recovering from surgery or accidents or who may have certain neurological conditions, aquatic physical therapy offers a fall-free environment to gain confidence in their movements again.
- Relaxation – Aquatic physical therapy is often considered a much lower-stress form of treatment, as the warm temperature and gentle movement of the water help to reduce anxiety.
Schedule Your Next Aquatic Physical Therapy Session With Sports Pro Physical Therapy
At Sports Pro Physical Therapy & Aquatic Center, our expert physical therapy team sees each and every day the kind of positive impact this treatment has on our patients. We’re confident it can make a world of difference in your recovery, too.
If you’re interested in learning more about aquatic physical therapy, or would like to schedule your first appointment with us, we encourage you to get in touch with us.
