INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT ARE:
anyone with limited mobility
difficulty bearing weight
experiences excessive pain or discomfort during traditional therapy
with Cerebral Palsy
muscle spasms
back pain
fibromyalgia
post-stroke sufferers
recovering from any injury or illness
looking to improve overall fitness and sports performance
and many other challenging issues….
WHAT IS AQUA THERAPY?
Called Aquatic Therapy, or Aqua Therapy, the use of water and water-induced resistance to improve physical functioning is accepted by the medical community as a method in which to rehabilitate, or re-educate, the human body. For individuals with Cerebral Palsy, water can be a healing force. All activities the individual engages in takes place in a pool (heated or non-heated). Body weight is more than 50 percent water in our bodies. Gravity and body weight impacts the way the body moves. Aquatic Therapy presents a near complete reversal of these. Water reduces a human’s body weight by 90 percent, allowing children and adults to ambulate freely in a way that doesn’t place undue stress on the musculoskeletal system from forces such as gravity and body weight. Aqua Therapy is one of the best environments for children and adults to improve physical functioning, especially if they are not ambulatory.
WHAT SETS AQUATIC THERAPY APART FROM TRADITIONAL PHYSICAL THERAPY?
Water, which in and of itself is known for restorative and detoxifying properties – provides buoyancy that makes aerobic and anaerobic exercises easy to perform effectively, and safely. Additionally, water has a massage effect on muscles, joints and ligaments that often are over-used and in pain.
BENEFITS OF WATER THERAPY INCLUDE:
provides resistance
encourages a wider range of movement and opposition
alleviates stress and tension
reduces pain and tension in muscles and joints
protects against injury
improves cardiovascular conditioning since the heart pumps more blood per beat when body is in water
decreases post exercise discomfort
improve muscle tone
increase core strength
enhance circulation
improve cardiovascular functioning
improve flexibility
increase endurance
extend range of motion
reduce muscle spasticity
elevate metabolism
reduce sleep disturbances
relieve joint stress
improve muscle tone
increase stability
improve self-esteem
empowers
increase confidence
enhance quality of life
encourage relaxation
provide comfort
increase socialization
Additionally, the viscosity of the water provides an excellent source of resistance, which can be incorporated into an Aquatic Therapy program. For instance, walking in water provides more than 10 times more resistance than walking on land, which means an Aquatic Therapy patient receives the benefit of deep, intense exercises while in a soothing and comforting environment. The heart pumps more rigorously when the body is submerged. Hydrostatic pressure – or the pressure in water at rest due to the weight of the water above that point – benefits patients by decreasing swelling, reducing blood pressure, and improving joint position. This in turn improves a patient’s proprioception, or body awareness.
There is no specific age, or point in a patient's therapy, that dictates when or if a patient child would benefit from aquatic therapy. A patient does not have to know how to swim to take part in our Aquatic Therapy Program, although some familiarity with the water can be helpful in terms of easing the anxiety one may have. Specific exercises and provisions will be made for patients based on their age, physical condition, and cognitive abilities, to ensure the environment is safe, and the therapy is effective. If the patient is severely restricted in movement, such as having quadriplegia, lifts and assistive technology are deployed to safely provide for the patient’s therapy session.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING AQUATIC THERAPY?
After an evaluation of overall health and a discussion about the individual’s capabilities and challenges, an Aquatic Therapy session begins with a warm-up, which includes stretching, before the patient is immersed in our rehabilitation pool. The patient will begin to perform a series of supervised exercises, often with a floatation device such as body boards, life jackets, pool noodle, floating barbell, or safety belts. The exercise regimen is designed to maximize and expand their capabilities. However, the regimen will begin slowly, with the length and frequency of exercises increasing gradually as the patient’s strength, flexibility, coordination, and stamina improves. Most often, aquatic therapy makes use of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, which focuses on rhythmic, cardiovascular, and conditioning movements that assist patients in moving their limbs.
EXERCISES MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
shallow walking or running in knee or ankle-deep water
deep water walking or running with broad strides while standing in chest or waist-deep water, kicking against water while holding side of the pool, ai chi (water-based tai chi), swimming, and or water-based yoga.
The water – with the assistance of a practitioner – will help the patient to achieve position that may not be possible in other therapeutic environments. Additionally, a practitioner will also help patients transition what they learn in the water to land – greatly enhancing their capabilities. Practitioners will also work with patients to help them achieve measurable goals.
WHO PROVIDES AQUATIC THERAPY?
Practitioners of aquatic therapy are most often physical or occupational therapists who meet certification requirements to provide therapeutic services. Certification in aquatic therapy is also open to medical professionals, if they are in good standing and properly licensed or certified within their chosen professions.
Most physical therapy programs at universities do not provide instruction in aquatic therapy, but comprehensive training and certification are available through the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA), which was formed to implement standards to study and advance the cause of Aquatic Therapy.
WHERE IS AQUATIC THERAPY PERFORMED?
Aquatic Therapy can be performed in several settings. Most often, Aquatic Therapy will take place in a rehabilitative environment; it’s not typically a therapy that occurs in a medical office or in an educational setting because either a conventional pool or specially designed rehabilitation pool must be available for use. Pools may be located indoors or outdoors. home-based therapeutic pools and spas, rehabilitation hospitals, spas, private rehabilitation centers, public pools scheduled for private use, or other such applicable environments.
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