Are you tired of dealing with persistent pain? Have you noticed that your arthritis is getting in the way of ordinary daily tasks? At Exercise Sport Physical Therapy, our physical therapists use the natural healing properties of water to alleviate pain while restoring mobility and improving your overall health and function abilities!
Anyone with stiff, achy joints knows that routine everyday tasks can be incredibly challenging. People that feel stiff, painful joints every day know these issues can make it hard to find the energy to move at all. Fortunately, aquatic therapy is an excellent option for people dealing with arthritis or other chronic conditions that limits their ability to exercise regularly.
Aquatic therapy also effectively reduces the strain on your joints while allowing you to strengthen your muscles and work on your mobility. People dealing with an acute injury, recent surgery, or chronic pain all benefit from the natural properties of water to help!
Whether you have issues in your legs or are suffering from lower back pain, aquatic therapy can help. Our physical therapists at Exercise Sport Physical Therapy will conduct an assessment to identify the factors causing your pain and limiting your function. We will use the information to develop an aquatic exercise program to help you alleviate your pain while improving your strength and overall function!
Call us today to request an appointment and see if aquatic therapy is right for you!
What is different about aquatic therapy?
Aquatic therapy is a form of physical therapy that uses the benefits of water as part of a therapeutic intervention. Exercises are performed under the direction of a licensed physical therapist trained to use the physical properties of water to assist in patient healing and exercise performance.
The inherent properties of water make aquatic-based exercises efficient and effective for achieving rehabilitation goals while maintaining or improving overall fitness. The most important properties of water include the following:
- Buoyancy
- Hydrostatic pressure
- Natural resistance of water
Your therapist can also manipulate the exercise intensity level by adding a current to the water in different directions to assist or challenge movement. We will also use paddles, gloves, and noodles to increase the intensity of your exercises.
At Exercise Sport Physical Therapy, our aquatic therapy programs help our patients to improve their mobility, strength, postural awareness, coordination, and endurance. In addition, some people find pain relief just by getting in the water, and when combined with the other benefits, you can find lasting relief once and for all!
No matter what issues you’re dealing with, our physical therapist will design a comprehensive program that uses water’s natural properties to challenge you safely without provoking your pain.
How the natural properties of water can help alleviate pain
All of our patients start with a comprehensive evaluation and a movement assessment to identify all the factors contributing to their specific situation. Water’s natural properties set the stage for a therapeutic environment, and our therapists will use whatever intervention is needed to help you achieve your goals.
Our Exercise Sport Physical Therapy physical therapists will use this information to design an individualized program that includes targeted mobility work, pain relief techniques, strengthening, and other appropriate water-based techniques.
Water’s buoyancy helps decompress or unload the joints underwater, which will alleviate the pain associated with arthritis. Whether you are dealing with degenerative conditions in your lower back or your lower extremities, water helps open up the joint space providing relief while allowing pain-free movement and exercise.
People with severe lower back pain, whether acute, chronic, or after back surgery, find water to be a safe environment to move while being supported at the same time. In fact, about 80% of your weight is reduced when you are chest-deep in water. This means your spine only needs to hold 20% of your weight, which means less pain and an easier way to exercise your back muscles safely and effectively.
The benefits of aquatic therapy make it an effective way to implement exercise training to improve your function and help you get back to an active lifestyle.
What to expect at your aquatic therapy visits
At the start of your treatment, your Overland Park, KS physical therapist will evaluate you and discuss your personal goals. Our team will design your treatment plan of care and determine if aquatic therapy will aid your recovery.
No matter what is causing your pain, aquatic physical therapy can benefit individuals with even the most painful conditions. Our specialists will tailor your treatments to address your specific needs and help you feel better as soon as possible.
Exercising in the water is a great alternative to help people who have difficulty exercising on land. Aquatic therapy at Exercise Sport Physical Therapy provides a safe, comfortable, and therapeutic alternative to improving your strength, restoring your mobility, and reducing your pain.
Request an appointment today!
If you suffer from persistent pain or are dealing with an acute injury or recent surgery, contact us today!
One of our physical therapy specialists will meet with you for a consultation and discuss how our aquatic therapy programs can help you find a pain-free way to exercise!
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6314737/
- https://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/fulltext/2018/02000/Aquatic_Exercises_in_the_Treatment_of_Low_Back.7.aspx
- https://dptportfolios.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2565/2022/04/Aquatic-Intervention-for-Patients-with-LE-OA.pdf
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sandeep-Shinde-2/publication/330472260_Effect_of_hydrotherapy_based_exercises_for_chronic_nonspecific_low_back_pain/links/5cf5f27ba6fdcc847502e3dc/Effect-of-hydrotherapy-based-exercises-for-chronic-nonspecific-low-back-pain.pdf
