Practitioner’s Corner: DID YOU KNOW? We are an aquatic therapy facility!

What is aquatic therapy? To put it simply, it’s exercising in water. For a more scientific definition, here you go: aquatic therapy involves the application of therapeutic exercise in the water and provides mobility advantages for patients who have difficulty performing land-based exercise.

Why is water a good medium? Remember being a kid and playing in the pool, being able to jump, roll, and generally do the kind of acrobatics that you were likely not able to do outside the water? Aside from your magic powers which all kids seem to have, the actual reason is that water provides buoyancy, viscosity and pressure. Let’s unpack that.

• Buoyancy resists gravity decreasing impact on joints allowing patients to start exercising sooner.
• Viscosity provides low levels of resistance as you move through water.
• Pressure can assist in the management of swelling in joints.

So… when you choose to exercise in water, you reduce the impact of rehabilitating exercise on your body, and that can help you achieve a few wonderful things such as:

1. Pain Modulation and Reduction
2. Soft tissue mobilization
3. Joint mobilization
4. Progression from a passive range of motion to a maximal range of motion
5. Edema (swelling) reduction
6. Increase muscular activity and recruitment of muscle fibers to increase muscular strength and endurance
7. Progression to a level of maximum proprioception
8. Scar tissue management
9. Post-partum and pelvic floor dysfunction.

Curious? We promise you will be pleasantly surprised! Book an appointment today to find out more and if aquatic therapy may be an option to help with your return to activity.