Has pain or weakness made it difficult for you to walk, stand, or bend over? Are you frustrated at the rising difficulties you face as you attempt to do housework or run daily errands around town? Have you tried everything to solve these problems, and nothing has worked?
If your answer is yes to any or all of these questions, aquatic therapy could be a good fit for you!
Aquatic therapy is rehabilitation that is performed in water. It is different from aqua fitness in that it is performed by a licensed therapist. To learn about the benefits of aquatic therapy in Exercise Sport Physical Therapy for a variety of painful chronic conditions, keep on reading!
Be sure to request an appointment us when you’re finished to set up an appointment with one of our skilled aquatic therapists!
Why should I see an aquatic therapist?
There are several reasons why you may want to go see an aquatic therapist at Exercise Sport Physical Therapy. Besides living with chronic conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, multiple sclerosis, stroke recovery, and joint disorders, you may have other common goals for your aquatic therapy treatment, such as:
- Assisting with gait and locomotion
- Reducing stress and promoting relaxation
- Improving flexibility
- Improving balance and coordination
- Building muscle strength and endurance
- Enhancing aerobic capacity
If you’re unsure whether or not aquatic therapy would be a good fit for you, you can always ask an Exercise Sport Physical Therapy therapist. They’d be more than happy to fully assess your condition to determine the best plan of action for your therapy treatment!
How does aquatic therapy decrease pain?
You might be wondering, “What makes aquatic therapy so special? It’s just water!” The truth is that this kind of therapy maximizes the magical properties of water, such as buoyancy, viscosity, and hydrostatic pressure.
Water reduces the amount of weight you’re bearing on your joints and spine as you exercise. It also provides resistance and decreases inflammation, and improves circulation.
Aquatic therapy is a type of aquatic physical therapy and aquatic occupational therapy treatment in water, generally in an in-clinic pool. It has soothing properties that can benefit you if you seek pain relief and relaxation.
Our talented staff is skilled, licensed therapists that will focus on your total body exercise program to reduce your pain. Our aquatic therapy program will improve your endurance, muscle strength, and balance.
What conditions can an aquatic therapist in Exercise Sport Physical Therapy treat?
Aquatic therapy in Exercise Sport Physical Therapy can help with several conditions! Two of the most common our therapists treat are back pain and balance issues.
Chronic back pain
Back pain is one of the most commonly experienced conditions, and it can affect nearly anyone at any age. This kind of pain can form due to an injury, or simply as a part of getting older. Many people think that the answer to combatting back pain is to take over-the-counter pain medications, but with the help of a knowledgeable aquatic therapist, you don’t have to depend on pills to help you feel better.
As previously stated, our clinic believes in the magical healing properties of water. They are ideally suited to treat back pain!
When you are in chest-deep water, you are only 20% weight-bearing on your spine. This makes exercising your back muscles pain-free and enjoyable. We target the core heavily in the deepwater segment of our program while the patient is wearing a floatation belt and holding dumbells.
If needed, your aquatic therapist can apply gentle spinal traction, thus decreasing the pressure between the vertebrae often present in the spine.
Balance issues
Balance issues are also pretty common in patients that we see here Exercise Sport Physical Therapy. Feeling off-kilter is never a good feeling, and it can also put you at a higher risk of falling and injuring yourself. Aquatic therapy at our clinic can help with improving your balance.
When performing traditional land-based balance exercises in the water, the risk of injury is not present. You will simply get wet instead of falling and hurting yourself if you stumble!
If you fall on land, you may incur injuries such as a hip fracture. In the water, not only are you supported with a floatation device, but you have the water’s safety if you lose your balance! It’s a win-win situation.
Our therapists can identify at-risk patients and provide hands-on assistance when needed, so rest assured that you’ll be taken care of!
Request an appointment today in Exercise Sport Physical Therapy
Our aquatic therapists are experts when it comes to improving your movement and easing your pain. If you’re dealing with any kind of chronic pain condition, call our clinic to set up an appointment. There are so many different ways a therapist can help you find the relief you deserve, so come on in — the water’s fine!
