Aquatic Therapy
Our aquatic physical therapy uses a specialized warm pool with features like underwater treadmills and adjustable floors to provide safe, low-impact healing and rapid recovery.
Aquatic therapy: Safe, supportive healing in warm water
Reid Health offers aquatic therapy as part of our comprehensive physical therapy and rehabilitation services, providing a safe and supportive environment for exercise and healing in warm water.
Our specially designed therapy pools and trained physical therapists use the unique properties of water to reduce pain, improve movement, and help you return to the daily activities you enjoy. Whether you’re recovering from surgery, managing arthritis, or working on balance after a neurologic condition, aquatic therapy might be an important step on your road to recovery.
What is aquatic therapy?
Aquatic therapy, sometimes called water therapy or pool therapy, is a form of physical therapy that takes place in a warm‑water pool under the guidance of a licensed therapist. You’ll perform exercises while standing, walking, or floating in water, which allows you to move more freely than you might be able to on land. Warm water, buoyancy, and gentle resistance work together to support your body and make movement easier and less painful.
Therapists at Reid Health design individualized aquatic therapy programs that may include walking drills, stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, and balance training. Sessions might be combined with land-based therapy to create a comprehensive rehabilitation plan that addresses strength, flexibility, and functional skills across multiple environments.
Aquatic therapy
How water helps your body heal
Water has physical properties that make it ideal for physical rehabilitation. These elements allow people who struggle with land‑based exercise to begin safe, guided activity sooner, which is important for maintaining mobility and strength.
- Buoyancy: When you’re in water, much of your body weight is supported, which decreases stress on joints and allows earlier, more comfortable movement after injury or surgery.
- Gentle pressure: Water naturally places pressure on the body from all directions, which can help reduce swelling, support weak muscles, and improve awareness of joint position to help prevent injury.
- Resistance: Moving through water creates smooth, three‑dimensional resistance that can be used to gently strengthen muscles without the jarring impact of weights or high‑impact exercise.
- Warmth: Our therapy pool is kept warmer than typical recreational pools, which helps relax tight muscles, increase blood flow, and decrease pain.
Goals of aquatic therapy
The overall goal of aquatic physical therapy is to help you move and feel better, so you can participate in daily life as independently as possible. Aquatic therapy can reduce pain and muscle spasms, improve joint range of motion and flexibility, and increase strength and endurance in a low-impact environment.
Additionally, aquatic therapy aims to enhance your balance, coordination, and walking ability while reducing swelling in painful or postsurgical joints. It can also help build your confidence with movement, especially after a fall or major health event. During your first visit, your therapist discusses your personal goals with you and adjusts your program as you progress, ensuring the best possible outcomes.
Who benefits from aquatic therapy?
Aquatic therapy is a versatile treatment option that helps with a variety of conditions, including:
- Abnormal muscle tone: Aquatic therapy’s calming properties help relax spastic or tight muscles to improve functional movement.
- Affects of aging: The pool environment supports safe exercise for balance, cardiovascular health, and mobility, reducing fall risks.
- Arthritis: Gentle aquatic exercises alleviate joint pain and stiffness.
- Fibromyalgia or chronic pain: The warm water soothes symptoms and improves overall comfort during movement.
- Limited weight-bearing ability: Rehabilitation after fractures or serious injuries is facilitated through water’s support of partial or full body weight.
- Neurologic conditions: People recovering from stroke or living with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or brain injuries use the water to safely practice balance, coordination, and strength.
- Osteoporosis: Aquatic therapy enables safe resistance exercises to strengthen bones and muscles.
- Preoperative and postoperative issues: Those recovering from joint replacements or other orthopedic surgeries benefit from gradual mobilization and strengthening without compromising surgical sites.
What to expect during aquatic therapy
When you begin our aquatic therapy program, you’ll work one-on-one with a physical therapist who’ll design a personalized treatment program based on your health history, goals, and specific condition.
Initial evaluation
Your therapist will assess your range of motion, strength, balance, and functional abilities — both on land and in the water. They’ll explain how the aquatic environment can support your rehabilitation and answer any questions you might have.
Therapy pool features
Our specialized aquatic therapy pool has several unique features, including:
- Adjustable floor depth: The pool floor can be raised to the deck level for easy access or lowered for deeper exercises. This allows customization based on your comfort and therapy goals.
- Underwater treadmill: You can safely walk or jog using our special treadmill. It has adjustable speeds from 0.1 to 8 miles per hour to safely improve your heart health, strength, and balance.
- Resistance jets: These provide a current for you to push against, increasing exercise intensity or providing aquatic massage for muscle relaxation.
- Warm water temperature: Maintaining a water temperature between 88°F and 94°F maximizes comfort and helps loosen muscles during therapy.
- Underwater cameras: Therapists use these cameras for detailed motion analysis and to track your progress visually over time.
How long do aquatic therapy sessions last?
Therapy sessions usually last between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on your program. You’ll perform a variety of exercises tailored to your needs, which might include stretches, strength training, balance tasks, gait training, and functional movement practice.
Your therapist continuously adjusts your exercise program to challenge you appropriately while ensuring safety and comfort.