Healing Waters: The Benefits of Aquatic Therapy

By Beth Maxwell
Posted Thursday, February 20, 2014 athttp://blogs.naturalnews.com/healing-waters-the-benefits-of-aquatic-therapy/
Keywords: aquatic therapy, Hydrotherapy, rehabilitation therapy, water therapy

The Benefits of Aquatic Therapy
Aquatic therapy is a kind of physical therapy that is performed in the water, as you may have guessed. Patients who have trouble with traditional physical therapy can often make progress with water therapy. The soothing heat, combined with the weightlessness and flexibility the water provides, gives patients a secure place, with very little fear of falling. Although it is geared specifically towards helping in conjunction with regular therapy, there are some specific benefits that go along with it.
Less Impact
Most people are familiar with high- and low-impact sports. This is especially important for people who suffer from an injury in their lower joints, such as the ankles, knees, hips or back. The water helps to take the majority of the individual’s weight, therefore taking the pressure off the affected areas. For someone that already suffers joint damage, such as arthritis or a dislocation, being as gentle as possible while strengthening the muscles is very important.
As an example, if a horse injures its leg, it is pretty much unable to walk. They simply weigh too much to be able to walk on three legs, which is why water therapy is their lifesaver. The animals are able to let the water take most of their weight, and it allows them to exercise enough to regain the use of that leg. Otherwise, they would likely have to be euthanized.
This therapy could, in many cases, also be accomplished by doing exercises lying down, and that may indeed be an aspect of traditional therapy. However, if the injury is something like a dislocated disk in the lower back, then water therapy is really the only thing that will actually help. Additionally, it becomes very difficult to progress beyond a certain point without adding weights, which increases the overall impact.
Increased Resistance
There are many places that offer aquatic rehabilitation. Finding the one that is right for you is incredibly important, but no matter where you go, you will always get this one benefit – an increase in the resistance you work with.
Water exercise is pretty similar to working with light resistance bands. It makes no difference which way you move or how fast you try to move, you will still meet with that same resistance. This forces your muscles to build themselves up, which is why this can be so helpful for people who have suffered from a long-term illness that may have deteriorated some of their muscles.
Muscle Relaxation and Increased Circulation
One key thing to remember is that the water is usually pretty warm. It’s not going to be as warm as a hot tub or bath, but it is above room temperature. One of the key aspects of hydrotherapy is that it allows the muscles to relax. The warm water loosens up the muscles, which helps to prevent cramping and makes stretching easier. At the same time, it also encourages circulation at the very tips of your fingers and toes. Once again, this is a key aspect of helping anyone whose mobility has been limited by pain, and allows them to regain that mobility without worry about re-injuring the affected area.
Mental Relaxation
The last, but still a major aspect of hydrotherapy, is the mental aspect. Of course the focus is on the physical, and there certainly are many important aspects there. However, one thing that athletes and non athletes suffer from is a lack of confidence when they find that their body is no longer in the condition they are used to. This can lead to many mental blocks in recovery, such as fear of falling or of worsening the injury. Cramps can also have a mental effect, and can convince someone that the pain is simply not worth the recovery.
Water helps to work through all of that. The buoyancy people naturally have helps to eliminate the fear of falling. After all, it’s not like you’re really going to go down hard when you’re in the water. The warmth, allowing the muscles and mind to relax, helps to prevent cramps while also improving the individual’s flexibility.
By working on all of these aspects, hydrotherapy not only improves a person’s recovery, but also their personal outlook on things. If someone is unable to do something on land but they can do it in the water, it shows them that they do have attainable goals. Working on those small things and making the improvements that they need gets everyone on the road to recovery. Ultimately, that recovery is the end goal.
Savannah is a writer and health and wellness enthusiast! She is passionate about sharing tips and tricks to living a healthy life! Follow her on Twitter: @savfmarie!
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