Aquatic physical therapy can do a world of good for the person suffering from spine health issues, especially those dealing with back pain. In fact, sometimes aquatic therapy is the only thing that may not cause any pain.
You may have visions of water aerobics taking place at your local YMCA or health center, but aquatic therapy can take many forms and can help you work towards a variety of goals. Not every physical therapy office works in aquatic therapy, but you can find the resources you need online or specifically seek out a doctor that sees it as a beneficial part of healing and recovery.
Before you decide aquatic therapy isn’t for you, let’s talk about the ways in which it can help you. A few of those ways include:
- Improving balance
- Increasing flexibility
- Building muscle strength
- Healing fractured bones
- Helping with aerobic performance
- Improving circulation
While it can be a bit of extra work to put on a suit and get in a pool, the benefits of aquatic therapy are worth it. Because of the buoyancy of water, the weight of the body is reduced, allowing easier movement and exercise without the normal strain one might feel.
One study found that twice-weekly aquatic therapy over one month caused blood pressure and resting pulse rates to decrease. According to the Cleveland Clinic (one of our Spine-Talks® partners), aquatic therapy can be used in any number of cases, including:
- Orthopedic disorders
- Post-surgical cases
- Sports rehabilitation
- Arthritis
- Impaired balance disorders
- Back pain
- Chronic pain
In addition to using aquatic therapy for injury recovery or general spine health issues, swimming and water-based exercises are an incredible cross-training option to intentionally keep your body health and whole. If you are looking for new options in your journey to healing, aquatic therapy may be your next step.
