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Aquatic Therapy

An alternative treatment improving mobility, strength, and function without the weight bearing pressure and pain with performing physical therapy on land.

How Does it Work?

Aquatic therapy allows us to take treatments and techniques that are part of physical therapy and incorporate them into a treatment plan that is performed in the water. 

Aquatic therapy can be beneficial to many patients.  The most common diagnosis that benefits from therapy is arthritis in knees and hips and individuals that have limited weight bearing due to an acute injury, but individuals with back, neck and upper extremity pain and injuries also can have significant benefits from therapy in the water.  The increased buoyancy and decreased pressure on our body and its joints allow more freedom to work on movement and range of motion. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Conditions Can be Treated?

 

Conditions include, but are not limited to hip, knee, neck, back, shoulder, and arm pain or limitations in movement.  Arthritis and Degenerative Disc Disease are common diagnosis that can be painful and limiting for individuals trying to perform therapeutic exercises on land. 

Athletes returning to sport after injury would also benefit from aquatic therapy.

Will I only have Aquatic Therapy?

 

Often we will start with an evaluation on land in our main clinic.  After the evaluation we will decide if aquatic therapy will be the most beneficial option for you.  Depending on our evaluation, we may do a combination of water and land therapy or just water therapy.  If you start with water therapy only, we will plan to progress to land therapy as it is appropriate in your plan of care.

With all aquatic therapy, our end goal is to meet your personal goals in rehabilitation and for most of our patients, the goals are to return to functional activities and sports that are performed on land.
How Will I Feel After an Aquatic Therapy Treatment?

This will vary, but many patients experience some fatigue after leaving the pool.  In most cases, pain should not be increased by the aquatic therapy.  The increased fatigue may be a result of your ability to perform more activity and exert more energy than you may have been used to exerting with land exercise.  In the water, pain may not be your limiting factor influencing your ability to be active.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

This will depend on the category your fit in, which is determined by the state of the injury and your overall health. Remember we are attempting to improve mobility, increase strength, increase endurance and reduce pain.  Therefore, we are looking for a cumulative response to the treatment activity, which may take several treatment sessions.  Our bodies don't build strength, endurance, and flexibility overnight.  It takes repetition and time.
What Should I wear for Water Therapy?

Wear clothing that is appropriate to wear in the pool.  You will need to provide your own towel and a lock for your belongings in the locker room.  Non-slip footwear appropriate for the pool or outside on the pool deck may also be useful. 

What Can I do to Help With Rehabilitation When I am Not in Aquatic Therapy?

If you have access to a pool at other times in addition to your therapy session you will be provided with exercise that you can perform in the pool

If you do not have access to a pool at other time in addition to your therapy session, your physical therapist will suggest exercise ideas that are appropriate depending on your level of health and mobility.  Remember our goal is to help your progress and improve your ability to do activities on land.