Pool Play Can Also Be Therapeutic

Aquatic, or pool, therapy is an exercise program that makes use of the water to alleviate or treat certain medical conditions. Water is a good base for performing exercise. It allows freedom of movement while at the same time providing resistance necessary for building muscle strength and flexibility.

Water in liquid form – such as that used in pools – is viscous. Being viscous, it provides buoyancy and resistance or friction, thus aquatic therapy provides the conditions suitable for improving a patient’s strength. For example, walking half-submerged in water provides more resistance compared to performing similar routines on land. This resistance is used during aquatic therapy to develop a patient’s muscles.

While providing resistance, water’s viscous property likewise provides buoyancy through hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure enables water to support the weight of the patient. Buoyancy decreases the amount of stress on the joints, making it easier and less painful for the patient to perform exercises.
Aquatic therapy is especially useful for patients who are strengthening muscular endurance, suffering from arthritis, in the process of healing fractured bones, overweight, improving balance, coordination and cardiovascular conditioning or simply trying to maintain fitness.

While aquatic therapy can be applied to a range of conditions, it is not for everyone. People with cardiac disease are not recommended to participate in aquatic therapy.

Aquatic therapy is not advisable those who have fevers, infections or bowel/bladder incontinence.

Relieve Pain through Heat

Heat therapy is a procedure that uses heat for relieving and treating pain. It is generally used to treat many sports-related injuries, particularly those that are musculoskeletal in nature. Heat therapy capitalizes on the ability of heat to reduce pain and stiffness, increase blood flow to the injured or affected area and minimize muscle spasm.

The use of heat therapy is largely dependent on the condition of the individual and how his body responds to the treatment. As a general rule, however, heat therapy is used for treating pain that repeatedly recurs, or what is referred to as chronic pain, and in late-stage acute injuries. Chronic pain usually results from overuse and misuse of a body part, or even from accidents.

Heat therapy is often used to treat headaches, stiff joints and muscles (usually in the back). When used in conjunction with exercise, heat therapy is applied to warm the muscles before the individual begins exercising.
Heat therapy is generally used to treat chronic pain arising from musculoskeletal injuries. Because heat stimulates blood flow, it increases oxygen supply to muscles and joints, relaxing them and, in the process, easing pain.