Mangiarelli Rehabilitation Aquatic Therapy
Aquatic rehabilitation at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation is physical therapy that takes place in our clinic’s warm water pool under the supervision of our aquatic therapists.
Water therapy decreases the amount of stress on your joints, so you can work on your balance, muscle strength, and mobility more easily.
We use hydrotherapy to help clients with a variety of conditions, including those recovering from surgery, patients who cannot put weight on a limb while recovering or are experiencing acute low back pain and cannot tolerate standing, and athletes who need to break down sport-specific drills in a controlled environment.
What conditions can aquatic therapy help?
Aquatic Therapy & ACL Rehabilitation
Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapy patient engages in aquatic therapy training during his ACL rehabilitation in this video. Exercising in a warm water therapy pool allows the athlete to regain movement patterns and coordination while engaging in plyometric training in a safe environment. The warm water allows the athlete to exercise without placing undue stress on the healing joint.
Spotlight on Arthritis & Aquatic Therapy
Arthritis is a chronic pain condition that affects nearly 50 million Americans. Arthritis can make exercise and weight lifting extremely painful, resulting in arthritic patients abandoning exercises that can help manage arthritic symptoms.
Aquatic therapy, performed in the the warm water Mangiarelli Rehabilitation clinic pool (set between 90 to 94 degrees Fahrenheit), allows arthritic patients to manage their symptoms and experience relief through aquatic therapy exercise.
How?
The natural buoyancy of water reduces pressure on a patient’s joints and diminishes weight-bearing stress. When immersed at the waist level, water buoyancy supports 50% of the body’s weight. This helps patients improve their tolerance for exercise and increase their aerobic capacity.
Water exerts hydrostatic pressure on the body when submerged in the pool. The pressure produces a gentle compressive force that reduces swelling and joint inflammation.
The heat of the water in the aquatic therapy pool contributes to temporary pain relief.
Water offers greater resistance than does the air, requiring more effort when lifting weights without the pressure placed on joints when weightlifting on land. This helps patients build strength with less pain.
Arthritic patients can experience a great deal of stiffness and pain in their joints, which can result in posture and balance issues as well as limited range of motion. Water-based movement contributes to greater mobility and can improve posture and balance impairments.