Aquatic therapy is physical therapy that takes place in a pool or other aquatic environment under the supervision of a trained healthcare professional. Aquatic therapy is also known as water therapy, aquatic rehabilitation, aqua therapy, pool therapy, therapeutic aquatic exercise or hydrotherapy.

Aquatic therapy is considered an add-on certification for physical therapists and athletic trainers who often work closely with occupational therapists and exercise physiologists to develop a plan of care for each client.

Common goals of aqua therapy programs include:

Improving flexibility

Improving balance and coordination

Building muscle strength and endurance

Enhancing aerobic capacity

Assisting with gait and locomotion

Reducing stress and promoting relaxation

Aquatic therapy is different from aquatic exercise or aquatic fitness because it is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty that requires the involvement of a trained professional and is covered by many insurance providers due to the personalized nature of the treatment. Aquatic exercise does not need to be supervised by a trained professional. It is also not covered by insurance, and it often takes place in a group setting that includes multiple people with different levels of physical fitness.

Aquatic therapy should not be confused with adaptive aquatics, either. Adaptive aquatics is the process of teaching people with disabilities how to swim safely in the water. Aquatic therapy does not focus on teaching clients how to swim.

Water therapy services are generally offered in hospitals, sports medicine clinics and traditional outpatient rehabilitation centers. Senior living centers may also provide aquatic therapy services as a way to encourage their residents to maintain or improve fitness levels, balance and strength.

History of Aquatic Therapy

Water therapy has been used for thousands of years throughout the world. Consider the following examples:

Ancient Greeks and Romans bathed in hot springs to improve circulation and promote relaxation.

Hippocrates recommended bathing in spring water as a way to treat sickness.

Swiss monks were known to use thermal waters to treat sick or disabled people in their community.

Japanese hot springs, or onsens, are said to have medicinal effects that include healing chronic pain, treating skin problems, curing menstrual disorders and relieving constipation.

German physicians were firm believers in pediatric water therapy. Water birthing was very popular throughout Germany in the 1960s and 1970s.

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy

These are some of the ways that water’s natural properties create an ideal therapeutic environment:

Warm water provides a relaxing and soothing environment for aching joints and muscles.

Water’s natural viscosity or resistance can be used for muscle strengthening and increasing rehabilitation progressions.

Buoyancy allows for flotation and reduces the effects of gravity on injured or aching joints and muscles.

Hydrostatic pressure supports and stabilizes the client, allowing people with balance deficits to perform exercises without a fear of falling, decreasing pain and improving cardiovascular return.

Turbulence and wave propagation let the therapist gently manipulate the client through the desired exercises.

The respiratory muscles are forced to work harder in the water, allowing for a natural strengthening that benefits the client long after the therapy session has ended.

Compared to other forms of physical therapy, aquatic therapy results in a higher client compliance rate and less pain throughout the recovery process. Opportunities to significantly minimize the pain a client experiences should be taken seriously because with less pain, a client can enjoy a higher quality of life.

 

PRI started offering Aquatherapy classes over 5 years ago. Join us in our 92-degree salt-water pool. This is the safest possible low-impact therapy with world-class fitness results. Includes cardiovascular strengthening, core work, and stretching. If appropriate for patients, there are also running and jumping exercises. Bring your own towel and lock. Spacious locker room and post therapy shower space are also available.

For more ideas on how to keep your body healthy, contact our office at

Tel:      (416) 477-1101

E-mail: reception@priclinic.com

Web:   www.priclinic.com