Aquatic Therapy
PT Innovations is excited to now offer Aquatic Therapy Services. Treatment will occur in a private therapy pool located at 140 Worcester Street, West Boylston MA 01583 (The Three Rivers Building). Call today to schedule an appointment at (508) 721-0000.
Aquatic Therapy has many benefits including:
- Weight Reduction: Patients weight is reduced by approximately 75% in chest deep water. The reduction in weight greatly reduces lower body joint and spinal compression, often allowing the patient to do more exercise with less pain than on land.
- Buoyancy: The buoyancy of the body in water can be used to either assist movement or provide resistance to movement depending on the goals of your therapy. Buoyancy can also allow postural muscles that get tight when injured to be more relaxed.
- Hydrostatic Pressure: The gentle pressure of the water on the body can help with circulatory factors including reducing lower body edema, decreasing blood pooling in the extremities, and lowering heart rate during water exercise. It can also be desensitizing to agitated nerves.
- Water Viscosity: The 3-dimensional resistance provided by water has many benefits. Both agonist and antagonist muscles can be worked through their full ranges of motion, in any plane of movement. There is also a decrease in torque on the joint with this resistance which can allow patients to do strengthening exercises earlier in rehab than they may have previously been able to. This makes Aquatic Therapy a tool for all populations including higher-level athletes.
- Safety: Patients with balance issues or increased fall risk are less likely to get hurt exercising in the pool. Any loss of balance would result in the patient having the safety of the water to protect them versus landing on the hard ground. This can allow the therapist to challenge a patient more than they safely could on land.
What to Expect
The pool temperature is 90 degrees, which is very comfortable. There are stairs with a double hand rail and a hydraulic lift so the pool is easily accessible to all types of patients. The pool is 3-1/2 feet deep at one end and progressively slopes to 6 feet deep at the opposite end. You can arrive in your street clothes and change in separate men's or women's changing rooms complete with showers. You should bring your own towel with you. Swimsuits are fine but if you feel a little more modest, feel free to wear shorts and a t-shirt. Water shoes (found at local department stores) are optional, but can help provide increased traction both in and out of the pool. The therapist will be present at all times to assess each phase of the treatment and guide the patient through a steady, safe progression of activities. Tricia Malone PT, our Aquatic Therapist, holds certifications in the Bad Ragaz Ring Method and Burdenko Level 1 which are specialized approaches to Aquatic Therapy. Often aquatic therapy is coupled with evaluation and adjunct treatment on land so your care may be coordinated with one of our 3 other convenient locations in Auburn, Holden, or Hopkinton MA.
Indications for Aquatic Therapy
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The following issues may be Contraindications for Aquatic Therapy, so please speak with your therapist if any of these conditions affects you.
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