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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Cathy French, PT
Aquatic Therapy For Children
La Plata Physical Therapy, Inc.
. http://laplatapt.com/

Aquatic Therapy For Children

When a child is hurting, parents/caregivers feel their hurt and seek ways to alleviate that pain. Doctors and physical therapists may recommend aquatic therapy as one means to lessen pain and improve function especially with musculoskeletal and neurological conditions or when recovering from major surgeries or traurnatic injuries.

One benefit of aquatic therapy is the buoyancy provided by the water. This decreases the amount of weight bearing which reduces the stress placed on joints. This aspect of aquatic therapy is especially helpful for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and when providing therapy for healing fractured bones. By decreasing the amount of joint stress, it is easier and less painful to perform exercises.

The viscosity of water also provides resistance that allows a child to strengthen muscle groups with decreased joint stress that may not easily be obtained on land. Jumping, hopping, and balancing on one leg are skills that are easily accomplished in water, but may not yet be achievable on land.

Aquatic therapy also utilizes hydrostatic pressure of water to decrease swelling and improve positional awareness. The hydrostatic pressure produces forces perpendicular to the body’s surface. This pressure helps to improve joint positional awareness thus improving proprioception. The hydrostatic pressure also assists in decreasing joint and soft tissue swelling that often occurs after injury or with arthritic conditions. Lastly the warmth of the water assists in relaxing muscles and dilating blood vessels providing increased blood ?ow to injured areas.

Aquatic therapy can be a valuable addition to other treatment plans, not just for pain management but, also for

managing muscle tone

improving strength and motor control

increasing exercise tolerance and endurance

increasing attention and tolerance to touch

improving posture

improving balance and coordination and

reducing joint stress

Use of aquatic equipment such as dumbbells, ?oatation devices, kick boards, water noodles, feet flippers, balls, and squirt toys all provide fun ways for children to enjoy the water while gaining water benefits.

It is important to realize, however, that aquatic therapy is not for all children. Before beginning any aquatic therapy program, always discuss it with your child’s doctor and physical therapist.

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