Aquatic therapy reduces pressure on joints by reducing gravity’s effect. When your body is immersed in water, your buoyancy relieves physical stress and increases your flexibility for a faster recovery. Aquatic therapy also reduces pain and inflammation, decreases muscle spasms, and promotes cardiovascular fitness. Our facility also has an underwater treadmill as a prelude to traditional land-based treadmill workouts. Available at Somerset Location Only

What Is Aquatic Therapy?

Aquatic therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy that takes place in the water, using the physical properties of water to assist in patient healing and exercise performance by eliminating the weight-bearing stresses and effects of gravity.

Rehabilitate without added pain or physical stress. Aquatic therapy removes the compressive force that your muscles and joints experience when on land. By eliminating the ‘jolting’ impact of land exercises, your movements become less strenuous and your body experiences less impact.

Water’s unique properties, such as buoyancy, accommodative resistance, and support, provide a comprehensive hydrotherapy rehabilitation experience for patients of all ages.

Not a swimmer? Not a problem. Aquatic therapy is for patients of all swimming levels. There is no requirement to know how to swim before participating in aquatic therapy.

How Aquatic Therapy Works

As water suspends the body, less compression force occurs on muscles and joints, which helps make movement easier with less pain or joint stress. This resistance allows for muscle strengthening without the need for weights. Pain, swelling, and muscle spasms are decreased through the aid of hydrostatic compression.

Your healing process will be enhanced by the warmth of the water as it assists in relaxing muscles and opens vessels, increasing blood flow to the injured area. The warmth of the water relaxes muscles and decreases tension, creating a safe environment for patients prone to falls.

Who Is a Candidate for Aquatic Therapy?

For patients who cannot participate in the typical exercises of physical therapy due to joint pain, muscle weakness, or injury, aquatic therapy may be a better alternative.

Water therapy is beneficial for a wide variety of conditions and injuries, in particular for patients with fibromyalgia. Patients often struggle to find relief from body stiffness, fatigue, and muscle pain through traditional therapy methods. Aquatic therapy for fibromyalgia treatment minimizes any ill-effects of traditional physical therapy while enabling a person to more easily perform effective, aerobic exercises.

Aquatic therapy exercises are also a useful rehabilitation option for people who:

• Have arthritis or chronic pain
• Have balance disorders
• Are recovering from surgery
• Have musculoskeletal conditions
• Have neuromuscular conditions
• Have cardiopulmonary conditions

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy

In some aquatic therapy cases, improvements in your rehabilitation are seen at a faster pace than just performing land-based exercises. There are numerous benefits associated with aquatic therapy:

• Function and independence
• Endurance/conditioning
• Body mechanics and posture
• Flexibility
• Strength
• Gait and ambulation
• Relaxation

Additional benefits from participating in aquatic therapy include:

• Promotes early range of motion
• Increases flexibility
• Tones muscles
• Increases the healing and strengthening of injured tissues
• Reduces joint stiffness
• Increases blood flow to muscles
• Reduces pain

Expert Aquatic Therapy at Our Somerset Location

Our Somerset facility features specialized aquatic therapy equipment, including an underwater treadmill to bridge the gap between water-based and land-based rehabilitation. Our licensed physical therapists understand how to maximize the healing properties of water therapy for faster, more comfortable recovery. This specialized service represents our commitment to providing comprehensive, evidence-based rehabilitation options that meet each patient’s unique needs.