Cut Your Rehab Time by Using Aquatic Therapy
Although patients always want to know how long it will take for them to recover from an injury, as a clinician it is often difficult to predict an exact timeline for any given person. Many factors can contribute to how quickly one recovers, such as age, the extent of injury/surgery, unrelated conditions, fitness levels and rehabilitation methods. One method that has shown to help progress patients painlessly through their rehabilitation protocols sooner-is aquatic therapy.
Why does aquatic therapy work to heal patients faster?
When a patient is exercising in an HydroWorx pool, 80% of their weight is weightless in water. By removing the stress on the joints the patient is able to perform exercises not typically performed on land during the early stages of rehab. When combined with the healing powers of water where inflammation and pain are reduced, performing these exercises sooner into a rehabilitation program allows for an increased chance of recovering fast and more comfortably.
Water rehabilitation minimizes the loss of range of motion, speeds up the recovery process, and builds confidence.
“[Aquatic therapy] is an amazing state of the art option to incorporate into a patient’s rehabilitation program. We have been able to progress patients’ programs more quickly with so many different diagnoses…”
-Kelly McFarland, PT, DPT and owner of Premier Rehab Physical Therapy
How To Improve Hydrotherapy Results
Here are three key elements to ensure the highest level of patient satisfaction and rehabilitation results with aquatic therapy:
- Having a clinician who will ensure that the pool gets maximized is essential to aquatic success. Additionally, a clinician with experience in aquatic therapy will easily break through rehabilitation barriers with their patients for the best results possible.
- Offering customized programs tailored to each patient’s unique case. Having a workout tailored to the patient will best fit their needs to have the quickest recovery possible.
- Think beyond a static pool. A warm water therapy pool equipped with moveable floor or zero depth entry for easy accessibility, underwater treadmill, resistance jets for balance exercises and deep tissue massage capabilities will offer your patient a progressive rehab experience.
Learn More
Read more on this article and learn 3 examples of exercises for shoulder injuries, total knee replacements, and Achilles tendon conditions for onsite aquatic rehabilitation therapy today!