Aqua therapy allows patients who are disabled or recuperating from a potentially disabling illness to perform exercises that would be either impossible or far more difficult outside the water environment. This form of medical therapy is hardly new or cutting edge, having been used by Roman soldiers more than 2,000 years ago. However, physical therapists and medical professionals are still learning more about the benefits of aquatic therapy.
Buoyancy
The ability of water to support exercising patients is one of aqua therapy's primary benefits, according to an article by Stacy Bintzler in the November 2006 issue of Parks & Recreation. To facilitate a wide range of exercises, aqua therapists routinely supplement the natural buoyancy of water with flotation belts and vests to help patients keep their heads above water while performing lengthy exercises, such as pedaling or scissor-kicking motions, in deeper water. Of the specific applications allowed by buoyancy, John Datillo, writing in Parks & Recreation, cites three as most important--assistance, resistance and support. Additionally, Datillo observes that buoyancy gives exercising patients "enhanced freedom in water."
Hydrostatic Pressure
This natural attribute of aqua therapy, when coupled with buoyancy and the warm temperature of the water ordinarily used for aqua therapy, creates a medium that is much more likely to achieve therapeutic goals than any form of land-based exercise, according to Datillo. Hydrostatic pressure refers to the fact that water exerts equal pressure on all parts of the body that are immersed in it, allowing an unstable person to hold and maintain an upright position in water that would be impossible out of the water. Hydrostatic pressure also improves circulation and makes it easier for therapy subjects to breathe deeply, making it a valuable mode of treatment for pulmonary patients, according to a report on the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics website.
Resistance
While water provides the support needed to help disabled or debilitated patients to stand upright, the density of water provides resistance to movements that would be more easily accomplished outside the water environment, at least by a healthy person, according to Bintzler. Water's natural resistance to movement means that the muscles involved in walking or moving the arms get a deeper and more effective workout when the exercises are conducted in a water.
Psychological Support
Support does not consist entirely of physical phenomena, according to Datillo. Patients undergoing aqua therapy experience positive psychological effects, including a reduction in feelings of depression and anxiety, increased self esteem, better body image and improved mood. Bintzler reports that patients with arthritis, asthma, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis and orthopedic impairments have reported significant improvement in overall mood and attitude after undergoing aqua therapy.
References
- "Parks & Recreation"; Research Update: Water Works Wonders; Stacy Bintzler; November 2006
- "Parks & Recreation"; Aquatic Therapy: Making Waves in Therapeutic Recreation; John Datillo; July 1996
- University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics: Benefits of Aquatic Therapy Continue to Grow
