Aquatic or water therapy is a sort of physical therapy that is done in the water. Kids that have issues with conventional physical therapy typically make progress with aquatic therapy in Connecticut. How so, you might ask. Well, the soothing heat in combination with flexibility and weightlessness the water offers gives the suffering kids a secure place as they no longer fear falling and thus re-injuring themselves. While aquatic therapy is geared explicitly to work in conjunction with regular physical therapy, there are a number of factors that make it an outstanding treatment. These include:
Less stress to the body in the water
People who participate in low-and high-impact sports regularly suffer from a wide range of injuries, especially in their lower joints, for example in their back, hips, knees and ankles. Water therapy assists to take most of the individual’s weight, and thereby taking the pressure off the affected surfaces. Kids suffering from joint damages such as dislocation, arthritis, and the likes also can greatly benefit from pediatric aquatic therapy. The good thing about this hydrotherapy is that it is performed in as gentle a setting as possible, all while strengthening the muscles.
Conventional physical therapy is best accomplished while lying down. Nevertheless, if the injury is something such as a dislocated disk in the lower back section, then aquatic therapy is the best option. With aquatic therapy, it becomes quite difficult to progress beyond a particular point without adding weights, which in real sense enhances the overall impact.
Enhanced circulation and muscle relaxation
Water used in aquatic therapy is usually warm, though not as warm as a hot bath or tub. This aspect allows the muscles to naturally relax, something that helps to prevent cramping making stretching much easier. All this encourages blood circulation at the very tips of the patient’s toes and fingers. Hydrotherapy is a great way to help a kid whose mobility has been limited by pain. It allows him or her to regain mobility without the worry of re-injuring the affected area.
Increased resistance
Although there are several places that offer pediatric hydrotherapy, it’s important to find the right place for your kid. Irrespective of your chosen aquatic rehabilitation center, your kid will always get this one benefit, increased resistance. Water exercises work pretty much the way as working with light resistance bands. It makes no difference in which direction the kid moves or how fast he or she tries to move, the resistance met is the same. The positive result is to force the muscles to start building themselves up. This all is very helpful to kids or even grownups suffering from long-term illnesses that might have worsened some of their body muscles.
Mental relaxation
One thing that prevents a lot of people, in particular the kids, from exercising is a lack of confidence when they discover that their body is no longer in the best of condition, or is not what they are used to. This leads to all sorts of mental blocks where their recovery is concerned, for instance due to the fear of worsening an injury or falling. Muscle cramps also have a negative mental effect, and that can persuade the patient that the pain is really not worth the recovery. Water therapy helps to alleviate all these issues. The buoyancy naturally helps the patients to do away with the fear of falling, ultimately leading to the road of quick recovery.
