Common Conditions That Can Benefit From Aquatic Therapy
Are you frustrated with pain or weakness? Is walking, bending, and standing getting more difficult? Is it getting more difficult to do housework or run daily errands around town? Have you tried everything to solve these problems and nothing has worked?
If your answer is yes to any or all of these questions, aquatic therapy at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center in Sugar Land or Rosenberg could be a good fit for you!
Aquatic therapy is rehabilitation that is performed in water. It is different from aqua fitness in that it is performed by a licensed therapist. Because it is provided by a Physical therapist, physical therapist’s assistant, Occupational Therapist, or Occupational Therapist’s assistant, it is covered by insurance, including Medicare!
To learn about the benefits of aquatic therapy for a variety of painful chronic conditions, keep on reading. Be sure to call our clinic when you’re finished to set up an appointment with one of our skilled aquatic therapists!
Why should I see an aquatic therapist?
There are several reasons why you may want to go see an aquatic therapist at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center in Sugar Land or Rosenberg. Besides living with chronic conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, multiple sclerosis, stroke recovery, and joint disorders, you may have other common goals for your aquatic therapy treatment, such as:
- Improving flexibility
- Improving balance and coordination
- Building muscle strength and endurance
- Enhancing aerobic capacity
- Assisting with gait and locomotion
- Reducing stress and promoting relaxation
If you’re not sure whether or not aquatic therapy would be a good fit for you, you can always ask a First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center therapist. They’d be more than happy to do a full assessment of your condition to determine the best plan of action for your therapy treatment!
What makes aquatic therapy successful at decreasing pain?
Aquatic therapy is a type of aquatic physical therapy and aquatic occupational therapy treatment that takes place in water, generally in an in-clinic pool. It has soothing properties that can benefit you if you are seeking pain relief and relaxation.
You might be wondering, “What makes aquatic therapy so special? It’s just water!” The truth is that this kind of therapy maximizes the magical properties of water, such as buoyancy, viscosity, and hydrostatic pressure.
Water reduces the amount of weight you’re bearing on your joints and spine as you exercise. It also provides resistance and decreases inflammation, and improves circulation.
Our talented staff is skilled, licensed therapists that will focus your total body exercise program to reduce your pain. Our aquatic therapy program will improve your endurance, muscle strength, and balance.
Common conditions an aquatic therapist can help with
Back pain relief
Back pain is one of the most commonly experienced conditions, and it can affect nearly anyone at any age. This kind of pain can form as a result of an injury, or simply as a part of getting older. Back pain is often combatted with over-the-counter pain medications, but with the help of a knowledgeable aquatic therapist, you don’t have to depend on pills to help you feel better.
As previously stated, our clinic believes in the healing magical properties of water. They are perfectly suited to treat back pain!
When you are in chest-deep water you are only 20% weight-bearing on your spine. This makes exercising your back muscles pain-free and enjoyable. We target the core heavily in the deepwater segment of our program while the patient is wearing a floatation belt and holding dumbells. If needed gentle spinal traction can be applied thus decreasing the pressure between the vertebrae often present in the spine.
Therapy for improved balance
Balance issues are also pretty common in patients that we see here at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center. Feeling off-kilter is never a good feeling and it can also put you at a higher risk of falling and injuring yourself. Aquatic therapy at our clinic can help with improving your balance.
When performing traditional land-based balance exercises in the water, the risk of injury is not present. If you fall on land you may incur injuries such as a hip fracture. In the water, not only are you supported with a floatation belt, you have the safety of the water if you lose your balance! It’s a win-win situation.
If you stumble, you will simply get wet instead of falling down and hurting yourself. Our therapists can identify at-risk patients and provide hands-on assistance when needed, so rest assured that you’ll be taken care of!
Call our office today for an appointment
Our aquatic therapists are experts when it comes to improving your movement and easing your pain. If you are in Fort Bend County, Sugar Land, the Richmond/Rosenberg area, Needville, Wharton, or El Campo and you are looking for relief, look no further. Call First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center to set up an appointment. There are so many different ways a therapist can help you find the relief you deserve, so come on in — the water’s fine!
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