Physical and Occupational Therapists utilize the physical properties of water to meet therapy goals specific to each individual from pediatric patients to athletes or elderly. The relative density of water, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, turbulence, surface tension, viscosity, and refraction all play an important role in the development of pool programs.
Aquatic Therapy combines the physiologic effects brought about by warm water and exercise. The water’s relaxing qualities allow for movements that cannot be attained on land. Pain, limited motion, weakness, balance, coordination, perceptual-spatial body image, and circulatory and respiratory insufficiencies can all be addressed in a pool therapy program.
Aquatic Therapy can benefit those suffering from:
- Arthritis – osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative joint disease
- Back and neck pain
- Cancer-related fatigue
- Chronic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Joint pain and replacements
- Lymphedema
- Sports injuries
- Gait and balance disorders
- Neurological conditions
- Stroke
- Spinal cord injury
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Post-polio
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pediatric
- Sensory processing disorder
- Gross motor delay
- Core strengthening
- Children dealing with water aversion