Aqua Therapy

When you’re in the recovery phases for anything physical, getting stronger, and healing properly is the key to your success.  But there’s no doubt about it… getting the healing process underway can be quite painful.  We get it.  Here at Physical Therapy Now, we have patients with a variety of injuries and aliments.  For many of them, aqua therapy is an option that may suit them best.

You’ll hear aqua therapy referred to by a few other terms.  Some of those include:

• Water Therapy
• Water Rehab
• Hydrotherapy
• Hydro Rehab
• Aquatic Therapy
• Aquatic Rehab
• Aqua Rehab
• Water Exercise

Who Should Do Aqua Therapy?

Regardless of what you call it, this form of therapy serves its purpose for those who are seeking to regain strength in a way that allows their body to move with support. This form of therapy is often recommended who are suffering from neuromuscular or neuroskeletal disorders, as well as those who have suffered from injuries causing neuromuscular or neuroskeletal problems.

In those circumstances, when a patient has been injured in a car accident, for example, they may need to re-learn how to walk because of the extent of their injuries. Aqua therapy may be the best option because of the natural buoyancy provided by water. An added benefit is that because of the support provided by the water, joint stress is decreased, heavily contributing to the reduction of pain during each physical therapy exercise.

Patients who have swelling may also benefit from physical therapy because of the natural pressure of the water, called hydrostatic pressure. For those in need of muscle strengthening, aqua therapy is an excellent option, because the pressure of the water can be just as beneficial as using weights, but in a more natural manner. This is especially beneficial for those who have experienced broken bones, torn ligaments, or joint sprains.

The back is one area that can cause immense pain when it comes to day to day activities.  Whether you can pinpoint the exact moment of your back injury or if the back pain simply began “for no reason” and hasn’t gone away, aqua therapy may help.

Another added benefit:  the warmth of the water.  Not only is it soothing to your muscles, but it can aid in increasing the flow of blood to the injured area in a manner that is comfortable to the patient.

Who Should NOT Do Aqua Therapy?

For those patients who have trouble walking, any water exercises should be done with the assistance of a professional.  As you may know, walking in water is completely different from walking out of the water, and without the added support that water provides, the patient may have trouble transitioning in and out of the pool.  Those suffering from infections and fevers should not participate in aqua therapy, as and those who cannot swim should – without question – communicate their inability to swim with their physical therapist.  Regardless of the depth of the water, if a patient cannot swim, they must only participate in aqua therapy with a trained professional who is aware of their limitations.

Aqua Therapy in Miami

Physical Therapy Now has a state-of-the-art aqua therapy facility that has helped hundreds of patients right here in the Miami-Dade area heal from their injuries.  Could you be one of them?  There’s only one way to find out.  Call us today at Physical Therapy Now to schedule your initial appointment at (800) 481-4582.