In simple words, aquatic therapy is physical therapy that is done in a pool. A swimming pool provides a space that allows you to carry out movements that may be unattainable anywhere else due to pain, weakness, or inability to bear weight. These activities are easily possible and more enjoyable in the water.

The therapist provides the same instruction as in a gym, but they pay close attention to the aquatic environment during their instruction. The pool is a safe alternative for healing injuries. It suits patients with chronic conditions that limit them from exercising on land. All the exercises are done in an area of the pool where patients and therapists can stand. The best thing is the patient need not be a pro in swimming to reap the benefits.

Here are a few of the ways that aquatic physical therapy Tucson can help you:

1. Decrease pain

Water provides buoyancy, which reduces the force of gravity on our body. It allows you to move more efficiently with less pain and protects your joints by eliminating weight-bearing stress. Let’s say being in waist-deep water cuts down 50% of your body weight, and in shoulder-depth water, the body weight is reduced by 90%.

2. Enhance the healing process & reduce recovery time

While in the water, water continually creates a force that pushes back on you. It is known as hydrostatic pressure, which is very helpful in enabling improved blood circulation and decreasing swelling to better the healing process. This can cure joint tenderness, aid in enhanced motion, and reduce recovery time.

While recovering from an injury where you get restricted from weight bearing on a joint, exercising in water allows you to work on strength, range of motion, and gait while eliminating body weight forces sooner.

3. Build muscle strength & endurance

While you move through water, the created viscosity and drag forces help strengthen the muscles. It improves our activity tolerance to do daily activities more efficiently. In addition, water exercise improves aerobic capacity and breathing function for better health. Further, paddles, noodles, aqua gloves, and weights can enhance strengthening benefits.

4. Improve flexibility and mobility

Did you know? Exercising in warm water promotes muscle relaxation and improved circulation. It decreases muscle guarding and spasms. During aquatic physical therapy Tucson, the pool is consistently kept between the needful temperatures to enhance this. Further, water density helps to assist with painful or swollen joints/limbs, allowing you to see improvements in your mobility with less pain.

5. Improve balance

While in the pools during aquatic therapy Tucson, the bodies will constantly respond to the pressure and movement of water. This improves our reaction time and strengthens muscles and sensory awareness to improve our balance of movement. The support from the water around us can decrease the fear of falling by providing a sense of security and relaxation.

6. Improve gait

If you cannot bear weight on land, you may find it painful or fear falling. The water is a great environment to support movement safely and effectively. As mentioned above, hydrostatic pressure reduces weight-bearing forces and can heal pain.

When you join swimming classes for aquatic physical therapy Tucson, you can perform activities on an underwater treadmill that efficiently addresses the gait pattern sooner. The expert instructors can give feedback to encourage proper walking techniques. To keep you safe, there are railings to hold on to while walking if there are any balance difficulties.

Aquatic physical therapy is often prescribed for those with :

• Low back pain
• Arthritis
• Balance disorders
• Neuromuscular diseases
• Decreased weight-bearing tolerance
• Pain management
• Post-surgical rehabilitation
• Difficulty with walking or mobility

The Bottom Line

The list is not all-inclusive, and physical therapy has many other benefits. Even those without adequate results with traditional land-based physical therapy can try out aquatic physical therapy Tucson. Being able to swim is not a prerequisite for aquatic physical therapy, as exercises can be performed while standing, holding onto a railing, or simply with a flotation device. As your comfort and confidence in the water improves, your therapist can help you with appropriate exercises.

To find out how aquatic therapy at Saguaro Aquatics can help your recovery, please call us at (520) 638-8040.