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Aquatic therapy in overland park KS

Enhancing Your Proprioception Through Balance Exercises In Water

Are you tired of feeling unsteady when you go about your daily routine? Did you know several painful conditions related to balancing difficulties respond to aquatic therapy? At Exercise Sport Physical Therapy, in Overland Park, KS, our team of therapists uses the healing properties of water to help our patients get their balance back and improve their function, so they can keep doing what they love!

Pain and injury often interfere with our ability to maintain our balance and stay active, and for the elderly, it can be even more challenging. Fortunately, aquatic therapy is an effective solution for aging adults to exercise regularly without strain on joints while being supported and safe.

If you have noticed limited mobility, persistent pain, or balance and gait problems, our physical therapists at Exercise Sport Physical Therapy in Overland Park, KS  can help. We will determine the root cause of your limitation and provide you with the necessary treatments for healing and strategies to avoid re-injury.

Request an appointment today, and let us help you restore your balance!

What is proprioception, and how does it affect balance?

While many factors can lead to balance problems, it can take time to figure out the root cause exactly. Pain, injuries, and impaired mobility affect people of all ages and abilities. Too often, people don’t realize that their condition is also affecting their balance.

In fact, one of the most common complications of an injury is ineffectively addressing the disruption to proprioception. Proprioception is the body’s way of telling where we are in space. Your proprioceptive nerves are sensory nerves located all over your body. They make you aware of how and where you are positioned compared to things surrounding you.

The nervous system interprets the information from these proprioceptive nerves to ensure we respond to changes in our environment. Unfortunately, any injury or restriction to mobility can not only throw off this internal sensor system but also makes you feel off balance and more susceptible to falling. In order to stay properly balanced, this system needs to be functioning correctly.

Unfortunately, even if you recover from an injury and restore your mobility and strength, dysfunction may still be present and lead to re-injury or chronic instability. Fortunately, it is also possible for the reverse situation to happen.

There are several other reasons for balance difficulties due to changes in our sensory systems, including the following:

  • Age (people over 65 have an increased risk of falling due to balance deficits)
  • Injuries to the head and neck
  • Weakness in leg muscles (i.e., related to aging, injury, or illness)
  • Neuropathies (i.e., diabetes)
  • Neurological disorders (i.e., stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, etc.)
  • Medications

No matter what may be causing your balance issues, our Exercise Sport Physical Therapy in Overland Park, KS  physical therapists will get to the root of your problems, help you stay steady on your feet, and restore your function!

How can aquatic therapy help my balance?

Aquatic therapy is a form of physical therapy that uses the benefits of water to safely and effectively challenge you without the risk of falling. The buoyancy of water naturally supports you while decompressing the joints and allows for movement and exercise without the struggles that come with land-based activities and gravity.

Water also creates a natural resistance to movement. The faster you move, the more resistance you will feel. Our Exercise Sport Physical Therapy team can make more resistance and the movement more difficult by increasing the surface area through paddles, noodles, and kickboards.

Your therapist can also manipulate the exercise intensity level by adding a current to the water. Currents that move in the same direction as a person’s body makes it easier. Whereas turbulence, or a current in the opposite direction of a person’s body, makes it harder to move and can also add a safe way to challenge your balance while moving forward.

What to expect at your Exercise Sport Physical Therapy aquatic therapy sessions

Your Kansas physical therapist will start with a comprehensive evaluation and a movement assessment to identify all the factors contributing to your condition. We will use this information to develop a program tailored to your specific needs.

Our treatment plans will include aquatic therapy to help you exercise in a safe, pain-free environment. Our programs will consist of targeted mobility exercises, strengthening, and other appropriate water-based techniques to ensure you can find relief and improve your function. We will also incorporate strengthening exercises that help improve your core and lower extremities to minimize fall risk and restore overall mobility.

Aquatic physical therapy can benefit individuals with most neuromuscular or musculoskeletal disorders. Exercises in the water that stimulate your nervous system, specifically the proprioception limitations, will help you achieve the best outcomes. Your therapist will design exercises and activities in the water that stimulate the sensors throughout your body to rediscover their normal function and interaction with the rest of your nervous system.

The natural properties of water will assist your therapist in finding appropriate exercises to help you get back to a normal, active lifestyle!

Contact Exercise Sport Physical Therapy to request an appointment today!

At Exercise Sport Physical Therapy, in Overland Park, KS, our physical therapists are dedicated to helping you recover your proprioception, improve your balance and restore your overall health and well-being.

Contact us today to request an appointment with our specialists!

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