Effects And Benefits Of Aquatic Therapy
When the natural characteristics of water get combined with bodily movement, you have a winning workout and physical treatment solution. You may be aware of this instinctively, but let’s go further. Here, this post shall outline what precisely is the effective aquatic therapy, its effects, and its benefits. Let’s dive into the details to learn further.
Photo/jarmoluk
Outlining What Aquatic Therapy Is All About
To demonstrate, aquatic therapy encompasses hands-on treatment techniques & specific body movements taught, supervised, and designed by a physical therapist specializing in aquatic treatment.
The treatment plan aims at achieving certain patient goals and needs. Professionals train patients in certain exercise movements. Specially crafted exercise equipment gets used alongside more straightforward tools such as balls.
Aquatic therapy seems to be a kind of active therapy that occurs inside a heated pool with water that is neck or waist-deep. Its goal is to help patients with standard land-based activities.
Such a treatment is impressively beneficial for individuals suffering from chronic sickness and injury, particularly the muscles & joints, older adults or seniors, and even pregnant ladies. The water temperature remains from 84 to 93°F, offering a soothing impact on one’s body.
Benefits of Aquatic Treatment: Who Should Opt for It?
Aquatic therapy benefits both your body and mind. Opting for a therapeutic session can alleviate chronic conditions. Exercising in the pool of warm water helps you recover from a multitude of ailments and injuries, thereby banishing life-limiting symptoms such as:
- Car accident injuries
- Sports injuries
- Chronic neck and back pain
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Stroke recovery
- Neurological injury
- Rheumatoid or osteoarthritis
- Circulation problems
- Balance problems because of muscle weakness
Understanding Aquatic Treatment’s Effects
Below is the list of five positive effects of hot water treatment:
#1 Increased joint flexibility
The hot water helps relax tight and sore muscles. Such a treatment reduces the effects of gravity, thereby allowing for improved joint flexibility. The affected part will float, thereby making it less painful and easier to move.
#2 Improved muscle strength
Water is six to seven hundred times more resistive than the air, so it only strengthens weakened muscles. Thus, equipment with the increased surface area gets used for increasing the strength accordingly. No wonder that water resists quick movement.
#3 Alleviated Pain
Immersion in the warm water will increase your level of comfort. Additionally, it also increases the blood supply to the tight and sore muscles, thereby promoting relaxation. Weight relief to the weakened structures will create tremendous comfort too.
#4 Decreased Abnormal tone, Rigidity, and Spasticity
Water temperature more than 92-degrees in conjunction with sought-after techniques is immensely effective as it creates neutral warmth. By doing so, it reduces the increased tone resulting from neurological injuries.
#5 Improved Balance
Alongside buoyancy, water’s uniform pressure provides support to the body, thereby allowing you time to react without worrying about getting hurt or falling.
The physical attributes of water treatment are the foundation of its brilliance. Pool-based training will help people achieve their health goals & keep them healthy. Not just that, it also restores fitness without causing joint harm.
Water provides moderate yet effective resistance, as well as uniform pressure and supporting buoyancy. That allows individuals to acquire endurance and strength, all of which are important for good health.
But it goes without saying that aquatic treatment is not for all. People suffering from the cardiac disease shouldn’t participate in it. Also, those with infections, fevers, and bowel or bladder incontinence are not the candidates for this therapy. From the information mentioned above, it’s better to have a prior discussion with your physician right before you plan for the aquatic therapy program.
Author: Arafath Hassan
