Aquatic Therapy
Mary is a lively, otherwise healthy 69-year-old woman who was one of our local school teachers. Mary is retired now. She has returned back to the classroom but now as a student studying music theory, a passion of hers. Unfortunately she suffers from debilitating arthritis in her knees. She can barely walk a block to her class.
"I would have to take two or three steps and then stop, take a break and start again," she recalls. "By the time I got to class, I was in awful pain and in tears," says Mary. She has osteoarthritis. Mary's arthritis is the most common type of joint disease, which strikes many of us as we age.
She found SportsCare and Aquatic Therapy through a friend. We introduced her to the 92 degree salt water heated pool. She stepped into the warm water and everything changed. "I'm so happy in the water, because it was the only place I could move and not feel pain,"she says. The water exercise class also helped her heal quickly from subsequent surgeries for a hip replacement and two knee replacements. "I'm in the water one hour a day, five days a week,"says Mary. "You see me walk. I don't limp and I'm pain-free." Thanks so much to all the caring professionals at SportsCare Physical and Aquatic Therapy. (Click here if interested in SportsCare Physical and Aquatic Therapy)
Aquatic therapy is a therapeutic procedure which improves patients function through basic aquatic therapy principles
Buoyancy • Hydrostatic Pressure
Resistance • Sensory Stimulation
These principles enhance the biomechanics of movement patterns, decrease pain and facilitate an early return to land based activities. Patients experience a positive effect in static and dynamic balance, range of motion, mobility and relaxation in tense muscles. Aquatic therapy facilitates a comprehensive rehabilitative state.
Aquatic Therapy decompresses the joints of the body, putting less stress on the spine and extremities while promoting upright posture with standing exercises. It also reduces pain and swelling while increasing stability and range of motion.
Both land and pool therapies are effective individually, but often the best results can come from the two methods being used in combination.
Aquatic Therapy is a beneficial form of therapy that is useful for a variety of medical conditions including but not limited to:
- Arthritis and rheumatic patients
- Post-operative patients
- Spinal/Scoliosis patients
- Joint and soft tissue injuries
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic pain patients
- Edema/swelling
- Gait abnormalities
- Pediatrics
