Introduction
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) recognizes seventeen specialties within physical therapy, with aquatic therapy being one of them. Aquatic therapists employ traditional physical therapy techniques in an aquatic setting to improve a patient's range of motion and strength and lessen their pain and discomfort. Aquatic therapy can relieve people with various physical conditions, including arthritis, sports-related injuries, post-surgical pain, and other physical disorders. Those who have experienced aquatic therapy are familiar with the significant benefits and transformative effects that this form of physical therapy can offer.
What Is Aquatic Therapy?
Aquatic therapy, also known as water therapy or hydrotherapy, is a type of physical therapy or rehabilitation that takes place in a pool or other body of water. It makes use of water's unique properties to promote healing, improve physical function, and improve overall well-being. Individuals of all ages and fitness levels, including those recovering from injuries, surgeries, or chronic conditions, can benefit from aquatic therapy. It is frequently used to treat musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiovascular conditions. Water's properties provide several benefits for therapeutic purposes. The upward force exerted by water, buoyancy, reduces the effects of gravity on the body. This buoyant force gives people a sense of weightlessness and can relieve pressure on joints and muscles.
Water also offers resistance that can be adjusted to accommodate varying levels of strength and mobility. Resistance training helps to strengthen muscles, improve cardiovascular fitness, and improve overall physical fitness. It can also help with balance and stability. A trained therapist or healthcare professional guides the individual through a series of exercises and movements tailored to their specific needs during an aquatic therapy session. Stretching, range of motion exercises, strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, balance and coordination activities, and functional movements are examples of these exercises. To enhance the therapeutic benefits and target specific areas of the body, aquatic therapy sessions may also include specialized equipment such as flotation devices, underwater treadmills, resistance bands, and aquatic weights.
What Are the Different Techniques Used in Aquatic Therapy?
Aquatic therapy is one of the therapeutic modalities that has recently stimulated the interest of many people. Because aquatic therapy is both safe and enjoyable, it is an accessible option for many individuals to partake in. It is also clear that almost anyone can engage in aquatic therapy, regardless of whether they suffer from a medical condition that necessitates treatment. Many different methods can be employed to deliver this type of therapy. Individuals must speak with a reputable therapist if one is interested in it. One will also have access to each of the methods employed in this way. Working with an established company will make things simpler to benefit from the techniques since they can provide with the proper guidance on carrying them out. This is because some of the methods are a little more technical. The more popular methods are described in detail below:
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AI Chi: This method of aquatic therapy was created in the early 1990s. This therapy's fundamental elements include resistance training in the water and breathing techniques. The technique's main objective is to promote relaxation and improve physical strength. This type of therapy is excellent for reducing stress and building physical strength. It is the ideal way for weak people who have had a chronic illness to begin gaining strength because it is less demanding than going to the gym. When they feel at ease with Ai Chi, people can move on to harder exercises, like those done in the gym.
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Aqua Running: Underwater jogging is the type of exercise done in this type. It is an excellent cardiovascular conditioning exercise because it enables one to avoid high impacts while still getting a heart-pumping workout. It is most suitable for those who cannot handle strong impacts, like injured athletes. One must wear a life jacket around the neck to keep one's head above the water while aqua running.
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The Burdenko Method: Flexibility, coordination, balance, strength, and speed are all skills that can be developed using this aquatic therapy method. It requires using buoyant apparatus (flotation equipment that is built to maintain its shape and characteristics and does not need to be adjusted or prepared before use. It is designed to hold a specific number of people in the water) that was created especially to challenge one's center of gravity when the body is in a vertical position. A person’s ability to respond to shifts in the center of gravity can be tested by changing the speed.
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Watsu: Watsu is an aquatic therapy technique that involves performing flowing motions underwater. It is intended to provide a person with profound relaxation and therapeutic benefits. It is carried out under the supervision of a licensed therapist. In addition to the ones mentioned above, there are numerous other methods, each of which aims to address a distinct issue. One can be helped to quickly determine what individuals need from the therapy and which technique to use by using an established company to provide aquatic therapy services.
What Are the Benefits of Aquatic Therapy?
It is a common therapy for patients with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions and involves exercise in warm water. This therapy targets pain relief, improved joint motion, and muscle relaxation. A few benefits are described below:
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The muscles can relax in the warm water, reducing joint pain and making exercising easier.
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Individual weight is supported by water, which helps to reduce pain and widen the range of motion in their joints.
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Individuals can use the water to give their joints resistance when moving. One can strengthen muscle strength by colliding their arms, legs, and head against the water.
What Are the Side Effects of Aquatic Therapy?
Working in water poses risks to both physiotherapy staff and patients. A few side effects are described below:
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It may cause heat exhaustion from drowning.
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It may cause droplet infections, such as Legionella (a serious variation of lung disease, an infection-related lung inflammation).
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It may lead to electric shock.
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It may cause skin irritation.
Conclusion
Aquatic therapy is an increasingly popular method for postoperative rehabilitation. Although the early postoperative phase of aquatic therapy has already been studied, it is typical to allow time for wound healing to reduce the risk of surgical site infection and contamination of the aquatic environment. Aquatic therapy benefits include reduced loading caused by surface tension in the water and varying resistance created by hydrostatic forces as movement velocity changes. When compared to land-based therapy, aquatic therapy has been discovered to improve hip function and strength while reducing pain and stiffness.
