AQUATIC THERAPY – A COMPLETE GUIDE [MUST READ BEFORE YOU GET IT]

The popularity of aquatic treatment keeps rising as a healthy alternative to standard land-based therapy for people of all ages and physical abilities. Water’s restorative qualities help speed recovery, boost fitness, and lower stress levels.

In this article, I will discuss the origins of aquatic therapy, its many methods, its advantages, the problems they may cure, its safety, and any potential risks, as well as the session itself, its preparation, its duration, and its associated costs.

What IS AQUATIC THERAPY?

The term “aquatic therapy” refers to a type of physical therapy in which patients perform exercises in a pool or another type of aquatic environment while under the supervision of a medical expert.

Hydrotherapy, water therapy, aquatic rehabilitation, aqua therapy, pool therapy, therapeutic swimming, or aquatic exercise are many names for the same general practice.

In contrast to aquatic exercise, which does not need to be supervised by a qualified professional and is not covered by insurance, aquatic therapy is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty that involves a trained professional and is reimbursed by many insurance carriers.

However, adaptive aquatics is not the same thing as aquatic therapy. Adapted aquatics refers to the practice of instructing individuals with physical or mental impairments in water safety skills. Clients in need of aquatic treatment are not taught how to swim.

AQUATIC THERAPY: HOW IT EVOLVED?

Bathing in spring water was recommended by Hippocrates as a way to treat illness.

Swiss monks used thermal waters to treat sick or disabled members of their community, and Japanese hot springs are said to have medicinal effects, including healing chronic pain, treating skin problems, curing menstrual disorders, and relieving constipation.

AQUATIC THERAPY METHODS

1. AI CHI AQUATIC THERAPY EXERCISE

Water Tai Chi was developed by Jun Konno in 1993 as a sort of treatment to help people relax and build strength. It incorporates principles from Tai Chi Chuan and qigong.

Your mental, physical, and spiritual energies are all brought together as you perform exercises that focus on diaphragmatic breathing and active progressive resistance training.

You’ll be standing in water up to your shoulders, and the first few sessions will focus on teaching you how to breathe deeply before moving on to more basic exercises for your arms and legs. A contemplative state of mind will be encouraged by paying close attention to your posture and breathing during the procedure.

Fall prevention programs for the elderly may benefit from it because it offers a more effective means of training the lateral stability and stepping abilities that are so important in lowering the risk of falling.

2. AQUA RUNNING

Aqua running, also known as deep-water running or aqua jogging, involves keeping your head and upper body above water with the use of a flotation belt to maintain your usual running biomechanics.

You will benefit from rehabilitation methods without putting stress on your joints with this sort of water treatment.

When you need to speed up the healing process of damaged muscles or joints, aqua running in deep water or on an underwater treadmill is your best bet.

Yet, since water is denser than air, aqua jogging burns more calories per minute than running on dry ground, making it a great weight loss approach for those who are overweight but unable to exercise on land.

To maintain the same level of exertion while keeping the heart rate down, the pressure of the water also contributes.

3. BAD RAGAZ RING METHOD

It was created by a group of physiotherapists in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, and is used in water treatment. The purpose was to design a system of resistance training that could be performed in water to improve strength and mobility.

The ring in the name of this type of water treatment comes from the ring-shaped flotation devices used to help you walk on the water’s surface.

You will spend the session floating face up or reclining face down in the water up to your shoulders.

Rheumatoid arthritis, soft tissue injuries, spine injuries, brain traumas, and Parkinson’s disease are all typical indications of its usage.

4. BURDENKO’S METHOD

Igor Burdenko, a Soviet professor of sports medicine, developed the Burdenko Technique.

You start off doing your physical therapy in the water, and as your health improves, you go on to doing the exercises on dry land.

Sports injuries are a common area of application for the Burdenko Technique. Your agility, strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, and stamina will all see gains from this.

5. HALLIWICK CONCEPT

This technique was created by fluid mechanics engineer James McMillan and is used in water treatment to assist patients to improve their balance and core strength.

Included are the types of rotation control: combined rotation control, longitudinal rotation control, transversal rotation control, sagittal rotation control, mental adjustment, basic Halliwick movement, simple progression, turbulent gliding, balance in stillness, upthrust, and mental inversion.

Your therapist will assess your current functional level and strengths and weaknesses to design an intervention to help you improve.

6. WATSU WATER THERAPY

Harold Dull created it in the 1980s in California’s Harbin Hot Springs. The therapist will guide you through a series of fluid motions and stretches that are both therapeutic and relaxing.

A variety of massage, shiatsu, dancing, stretching, and joint mobilization techniques are used throughout the sequences.

Watsu can be performed alone or in conjunction with traditional land-based treatment to address a variety of orthopedic and neurological conditions.

It has also paved the way for the development of various types of aquatic treatment, such as:

• Water dance: during a water dancing session, you’ll warm up with some stretches above the water’s surface, and then go on to some underwater work while wearing a nasal clip.
• Healing Dance: blending techniques from Watsu (Japanese bodywork) and Water Dancing (a kind of dance performed both on land and in water), “Healing Dance” emphasizes fluidity, rhythm, and three-dimensionality in both on- and off-water motion.
• The Jahara Method emphasizes spinal alignment, muscle relaxation, and gentle massage while using floating devices to give continuous traction.

HEALTH PROS OF AQUATIC THERAPY

1. The heat of the water will help ease the pain in your muscles and joints.
2. The resistance provided by water’s inherent viscosity may be exploited to build muscle and speed up recovery.
3. Floating due to buoyancy lessens the strain on sore or damaged muscles and joints caused by gravity.
4. If you suffer from poor balance, My recommendation is hydrostatic pressure because it can help you exercise without worrying about falling. This has the added benefits of reducing discomfort and increasing cardiovascular return.
5. As a result of the increased effort required to breathe underwater, the respiratory muscles are strengthened in a way that lasts long after therapy is over.
6. Also, I noticed that there is a better percentage of compliance and less discomfort during the rehabilitation process with water treatment than with other physical therapies.

CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE TREATED BY AQUATIC THERAPY

Aqua therapy is best suitable for people with medical conditions but finds discomfort to perform exercises on land.

Orthopedic injuries, osteoarthritis, lower back pain, joint replacement and reconstruction surgery recovery, idiopathic joint pain, depression, chronic pain, cerebral palsy, bursitis, balance disorders, autism, and Parkinson’s disease are just some of the conditions that can be helped by aquatic therapy.

If you suffer from chronic back pain, Aquatic Therapy will help to break this chronic pain cycle because of the unique properties of water.

If you have a traumatic brain injury, you may be unable to exercise on land but can do in the water because of the water buoyancy that causes you to feel an upward thrust when submerged. In addition, if you have balance deficits you will experience less fear of falling while walking and exercising in the pool.

Aquatic therapy can reduce stress and anxiety, increase your ability to concentrate, and enhance a feeling of well-being and confidence.

Orthopedic injuries, osteoarthritis, lower back pain, joint replacement and reconstruction surgery recovery, idiopathic joint pain, depression, chronic pain, cerebral palsy, bursitis, balance disorders, autism, and Parkinson’s disease are just some of the conditions that can be helped by aquatic therapy.

IS AQUATIC THERAPY SAFE?

Although aqua treatment is performed in a very small pool, it still carries some risks. Aquatic therapists should be knowledgeable in first aid, CPR, oxygen administration, AED use, blood-borne diseases, and risk awareness to ensure your safety.

I don’t recommend aqua therapy if you have hepatitis A, a severe fear of water, an allergy to chlorine or bromine, are pregnant and experiencing complications, are taking medication that could alter cognition, have a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or similar respiratory issues, uncontrolled seizure disorders, incontinence, open wounds, or a high fever.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE AQUATIC THERAPY SESSION?

A swimsuit or other items of clothes that can withstand becoming wet are required. You should also bring a towel, a cover-up, shoes for the pool area to keep your feet safe, and a water bottle to stay hydrated.

My advice is to go to rehabilitation clinics that provide an initial assessment in which you get evaluated so that a personalized treatment plan can be developed.

Your sessions will take place in the water if aquatic therapy is part of your treatment plan. Often, you’ll have a licensed therapist by your side. It is not required for you to know how to swim before beginning therapy because the therapist must help you throughout each session.

Your requirements and goals will determine how long your aqua therapy sessions should go, but they are typically 30-60 minutes. When you and your therapist have accomplished your aquatic goals, you can transition to land-based activities.

Each session is divided into four sections:

1. Warm-up: you’ll do some lower- and upper-body exercises with little resistance to get the blood flowing. Stretches and extensions are common, as are short bursts of walking or running on an underwater treadmill.
2. Fitness and strength training: following warming up, aerobic exercises including jogging, sprint intervals, and multi-planar activities are common in fitness and strength training routines.
3. Core training: squats, leg swings, arm swings, and shoulder presses, among other core-training activities, are performed for 20-30 minutes.
4. Cool Down: to reduce muscle soreness and lactic acid accumulation, try a therapeutic massage in a pool equipped with resistance jets and a massage hose.

I recommend below exercises that can be done during aquatic therapy sessions:

1. I observed that standing on one leg in the pool may be an effective kind of balance training if you are at high risk of falling on land. Once you regain your equilibrium, your physiotherapist may have you hang on to the pool’s side or float.
2. Also, water walking as it is a simple technique that can add resistance to your steps by walking forward and backward in a pool. As an additional kind of resistance, your therapist may have you grasp a kickboard or foam pool noodle.
3. Leg strength can be improved by performing bicycle kicks. Your physiotherapist will instruct you to hold a pool noodle in one hand and kick vigorously for three to five minutes, or until you become fatigued.

COST OF AQUATIC THERAPY

Individual first assessments, which include both a land evaluation and a swim test, will run you between $70 and $100 and take 45 to 60 minutes to complete.

Aftercare therapy you should expect to pay from $60 to $180 for each therapy session when you work one-to-one with a physiotherapist.

Self-management sessions, in which you exercise without supervision but with access to equipment and other support services, cost $25 to $40.

Aquatic Therapy Vs Physical Therapy

Aquatic Therapy Vs Land Therapy

LAND THERAPY VS AQUA THERAPY VS PHYSICAL THERAPY [Summary]

References:

• https://classicrehabilitation.com/water-therapy-vs-land-therapy-what-you-need-to-know/
• https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.1938742.371
• https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-1364-5
• https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134728.
• www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-physical-therapy.

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