Having arthritis can even make your day-to-day tasks feel difficult. The discomfort and stiffness in your joints make simple tasks like walking, climbing stairs, or opening a jar daunting. However, people with arthritis can still have an active and satisfying life if they receive the proper care and treatment. Lifestyle changes like regular exercise, weight management, and heat/cold therapy can help you relieve chronic pain. Aquatic therapy is also one such way to beat the ache.

There are several ways that aquatic therapy can benefit you. Water-based exercises are easier to perform since the warm water relaxes your muscles and reduces joint pain. Also, the water supports your weight, which eases the pain and expands the range of motion for your joints.

What is Aqua Therapy for Arthritis Relief?

Aquatheraphy or Hydra therapy refers to any activity done in water to help in recovery, rehabilitation, or relief from chronic pain for conditions such as arthritis relief. It has been around for ages, and patients with musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders often prefer it. The therapy lets people perform coordinated and balanced movements in the water. This allows the muscles to relax and improves joint movement with comparative pain reduction.

Why is Water-Based Therapy Effective for Arthritis?

Water-based therapy or water-based activities are effective for people with arthritis because the buoyancy of the water lessens the impact on joints. Low impact allows people to move and train better, while the water’s resistance helps to strengthen the muscles without too much stress.

But what do you do when you are in the water?

There are a lot of different exercises that you can do in the water. Depending upon the type of arthritis you have and how it affects you, your fitness, and your ability. Here’s what you can do:

• If you are a beginner or if your arthritis limits your ability to exercise, then you may find it helpful to have private one-on-one lessons. The instructor can guide you with specific exercises for your state. They might also use other techniques, such as stretching or joint mobilization. Once you’re confident with the exercises, they can suggest if you should continue solo or join group water exercise programs for arthritis.
• Some pools have times when you can do exercise routines on your own. However, it is very important that you enroll in a program that caters to your needs. The programs are individualized, so you can do exercises that actually work for you instead of blindly following the ones that others do.
• If you are interested in group lessons, there might be pools near you that offer appropriate arthritis therapy and water exercise. These pools provide classes focused on adults, not specifically those with arthritis. Since these lessons are held under fitness instructors, they ensure that everybody follows the same instructions to perform the same routine for the whole body instead of just joints.
• If you don’t have many issues with mobility or pain, you can also join water aerobics classes. These classes are exactly the same as the ones on land but in water. They are done in sync with the music, and everybody follows the same routine. Water aerobics targets the whole body and improves heart and lung health.
• There’s another option of swimming laps that you can go for. However, if your arthritis affects your swimming technique or style, then you should consult a physiotherapist or swim instructor before deciding.

Bottom Line

If you can’t or are unable to swim, it’s alright. You don’t need to actually swim; just hop in. There’s no need to put your head under the water; you just need to be comfortable enough to let go of the edge and walk in the pool. If you need assistance with even this, it is important to have a dedicated instructor until you gain enough confidence.

How can you get started?

Well, you are lucky: Saguaro Aquatics has the best water therapy for arthritis pain relief in Oro Valley! Contact (520) 638-8040 for any queries, and they will be happy to assist you in finding the right program.