"I don't know how to swim" is a statement often heard when aquatic therapy is mentioned to people who are receiving physical therapy. To receive the many benefits of aquatic therapy, one is not required to know how to swim or even to get his hair wet. Exercises performed in water, as instructed by a physical therapist, can aid in increasing the speed of recovery and improving patient's functional abilities on land.
Why is aquatic therapy so effective? The properties of water provide an effective and safe environment for performing therapeutic exercises. Buoyancy reduces the amount of weight bearing that a person experiences in water. This can allow patients with pain, those recovering from certain surgeries or other conditions to have greater function in water than on land. The density of water creates resistance to movement. This resistance is present in every direction and can be controlled by a patient through speed of movement. Warm water temperature can serve to increase circulation and blood supply to muscles, thereby making it easier to move.
Who can benefit from aquatic therapy? For many patients being seen by a physical therapist, aquatic therapy can be a sole method of treatment or used as an adjunct to activities that are performed in the clinic. The number of patient diagnoses that can benefit from participating in aquatic therapy is vast. Patients with diagnoses of rheumatoid or osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and neurological complications are a few of the many who may see greater gains and faster recovery with aquatic therapy.

What are some of the advantages of participating in aquatic therapy? The benefits of aquatic therapy include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Improved cardiovascular endurance. Water is an ideal environment to perform aerobic exercises tailored to an individual's needs.
- Decreased stress on joints. With weight bearing reduced, aquatic therapy provides low to no impact during exercise.
- Increased strength. Trunk and extremity strength can improve through utilization of aquatic therapy treatment techniques.
- Increased range of motion. Immersion in warm water and activities performed in water aid in the ease of joint movement.
- Reduced pain. Water provides a soothing, comfortable environment for exercise that supports patients with weakness and pain.
Start receiving the benefits of aquatic therapy by asking your physician or physical therapist if aquatic therapy is appropriate for you. (Excerpts taken from : The Benefits of Water Therapy; An Overview; by Gwendolyn Garret McDonald.)

Kate Haile, MPT is a physical therapist with Atlantic Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation in North Myrtle Beach, SC. For more information contact her at (843) 249-7232.

	AUTHOR Kate Haile, M.P.T.