Swimming has an amazing ability to simultaneously improve physical and mental well-being. A soothing swim is well-known to produce both calming and strengthening effects, so it’s no surprise more people are seeking out swimming therapy to treat a wide range of ailments.
This practice of using water and swimming exercises to improve physical ailments is known as hydrotherapy, where warm water and experienced physiotherapists use tailored movements to treat conditions like arthritis.
Read on to discover ‘how does hydrotherapy work?’, and where to find a health practitioner who specialises in water movement treatments.
How does hydrotherapy (aquatic therapy) work?
Aquatic therapy combines the thermal effects of warm water and the healing abilities of suitable mechanical movements to improve a range of ailments like rheumatoid conditions, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rehabilitation following a sporting injury, or rehabilitation following surgery. Being submerged in water gives your body an almost weightless feel, and this lack of gravity works with the gentle feeling of moving water to stimulate the skin, increase circulation, and relax muscles whilst providing an environment to effectively strengthen the muscles without loading the joints.
What is Hydrotherapy? How Does It Work?
Hydrotherapy takes advantage of the body’s reaction to hot and cold water, where warm hydrotherapy pools soothe the body while slowing down internal activities to improve blood flow and digestion, reducing pain.
So, how does hydrotherapy work for different ailments? Depending on your desired outcomes you may consider swimming therapy in warm water (arthritis, sore muscles), cold-water hydrotherapy (boost blood flow), and high-pressure motion-based therapy (anxiety, stress).
Benefits of Pool Hydrotherapy
Using aquatic therapy is a gentle yet transformative way to treat many health conditions, with benefits such as:
- Effective for treating chronic pain
- Strengthening the muscles without overloading the joints
- Providing an offloading environment to allow supported walking and weightbearing exercises when partial weightbearing is required for injury or surgical rehabilitation
- Provides a challenging environment for challenging and training balance
- Helps with relaxation and management of mental health issues
- Stimulates blood flow to the body
- Loosens muscles in combination with range of motion and stretching exercises
- Improves digestion and increases the metabolic rate
- Boost the immune system, increasing the effectiveness of the treatment
- A natural treatment with no side effects
- No medication or surgery involved
Learn more about the many advantages of expert hydrotherapy here, or find a purpose-built hydrotherapy pool at Miami Physiotherapy today.
Common Pool Exercises
One of the most effective ways of using hydrotherapy to improve physical ailments is through tailored swimming exercises with the help of an experienced provider. A combination of low-impact buoyancy, gentle resistance, and warm water to boost circulation results in impressive improvements.
While your physio will find the right swimming movements for you, exercises may include:
- Forward lunges
- Walking or jogging
- Balancing on one leg
- Arm raises underwater
- Sidestepping or skipping
- Deep water bicycle with a foam noodle
- Standing knee lifts
- Push-ups with hands on the pool edge
- Water planks with a foam noodle
Get Started With Hydrotherapy
Miami Physiotherapy is a leading provider of superior hydrotherapy treatments, supplying custom exercise programs to suit a range of ailments from arthritis and back pain to weight loss and anxiety.
Custom-built 9mx2.5m warm water hydrotherapy pools complete with safety handrails are ideal for tailored in-house treatments, with solar power to minimise environmental impact.
Contact Miami Physiotherapy today to book your initial consultation, or with queries about ‘how does hydrotherapy work?’.
