Aquatic Therapy

AQUATIC THERAPY AT THE SHOOK REHABILITATION & WELLNESS CENTER

Physical therapy and activity offer countless benefits for body and mind, but sometimes, the body doesn’t share the love. In many workouts, joints and muscles take a pounding. In other cases, people simply can’t perform the exercises that could make them better.

Aquatic therapy is an effective alternative. At the Shook Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, our therapy pool is an integral element in our comprehensive, 12,000-square-foot facility. Here, patients get a beneficial workout in a safe, low-impact, and buoyant atmosphere.

Aquatic Therapy Explained

What is Aquatic Therapy?

Aquatic therapy is physical therapy conducted in a pool under the guidance of a trained therapist. Evidence-based techniques assure results for patients enduring a wide variety of conditions. Aquatic therapy can be a stand-alone practice or combined with other physical and occupational therapies.

Who Can Benefit From Aquatic Therapy?

Water helps patients overcome physical limitations due to a wide range of conditions and make significant progress. Through aquatic therapy, patients can improve function, endurance, balance and agility, flexibility, gait, and muscle strength.

What Are Some Of The Conditions Treated Through Aquatic Therapy?

Water is a versatile element that suits treatment plans for a wide range of conditions:

  • Arthritis: Patients with stiff joints due to osteo or rheumatoid arthritis can enjoy freedom of movement. Arthritis patients and others who can’t walk independently or without pain benefit from the buoyancy of the water, which reduces weight bearing by up to 90 percent.
  • Weak or tight muscles: People with muscle tightness, spasm, or contractions achieve greater range of motion in a pool. So can those whose weak muscles can’t lift arms or legs against gravity. Water makes possible the strengthening movements that can’t be done on land.
  • Imbalance: People with balance issues find they can exercise and practice balance-correcting techniques without the fear of falling.
  • Respiratory conditions: Patients with breathing difficulties give their respiratory muscles a strengthening workout.
  • Swelling: The pressure applied by water can reduce swelling and help the body pump built-up fluids back into the circulatory system.

THE SHOOK REHABILITATION & WELLNESS CENTER DIFFERENCE

Aquatic therapy is a highly specialized treatment that, done properly, can deliver dramatic results. Our approach promises:

  • Skilled therapists: In water, muscles work against resistance that doesn’t exist on land. The Shook Rehabilitation & Wellness therapists recognize the balance between an effective therapeutic session and an exhausting workout. They motivate patients to try their best without overdoing it.
  • Heated pool: The temperature of the the Shook Rehabilitation & Wellness Center’s pool is set at 90 degrees, providing therapeutic warmth that eases pain and stiffness.
  • Retraining the brain: Our bodies move due to instructions sent by the brain, but injury or illness can disrupt those signals. Motion made possible by water helps the brain recognize forgotten movements and regenerate the neuro pathways that make them possible.