The Benefits of a Hydrotherapy Pool
Physiotherapists and exercise physiologists regularly include hydrotherapy as part of their clients’ treatment programs. Hydrotherapy pools are a warm water therapy modality that provide a gentle form of resistance training that builds strength.
A stainless steel modular pool, like the one EWAC Medical provides, allows for a wide range of therapeutic activities. These activities support holistic recovery by focusing on physical, emotional and mental healing.
Warm Water
Similar to getting into a warm bath, immersing yourself in a hydrotherapy pool is relaxing and therapeutic for your body. Warm water reduces muscle spasms and stiffness, helping your muscles to relax and heal. It also increases the flow of white blood cells, which can help to improve circulation and reduce swelling in injured tissue.
Hydrotherapy pools are typically kept at between 33C and 36C – significantly warmer than the average swimming pool – making them perfect for physiotherapy and rehabilitation. This temperature also helps to encourage the release of natural endorphins that will further ease pain and stress.
In addition to soothing aches and pains, the buoyancy of the water also allows clients with certain conditions such as arthritis to carry out more strenuous exercises without putting undue strain on their muscles or joints. The warm water can also assist with neurological rehabilitation by improving balance and coordination, as well as promoting strength and mobility in the muscles and joints.
If you’re not a confident swimmer or are unsure whether hydrotherapy is suitable for you, our specialist physiotherapists will take you through a screening process to ensure that it is. This will include carrying out a full water-based assessment and examining your ability to move in the pool, as well as looking at any injuries or conditions that could affect your use of a hydrotherapy pool.
Multi Sensory Equipment
Whether it’s the gentle hum of an illuminated water column, touch and sound wall panels or a soft lounge chair that vibrates to music; sensory equipment can be a valuable addition to further enhance and aid work undertaken in hydrotherapy sessions. These types of immersive, interactive equipment are commonly known as Multi Sensory Environments or Rooms (MSE’s). They allow people to interact with different feelings of touch, smell, sight and movement – all under the control of the user.
Adding sensory stimulation in a hydrotherapy pool means that more complex parts of hydrotherapy pool the brain can be stimulated and triggered. This helps with focus and attention, understanding cause and effect and social interaction.
The warm water and weightlessness also makes it easier for users to move their body in ways they cannot on land, allowing them to develop new movements and skills that can be transferred to everyday life. The removal of pain, callipers and gravity also allows them to exercise more intensively with increased muscle strength and endurance.
The visual stimulation created by the coloured lighting and projected effects on the walls of the swimming pool help encourage even reluctant users to enter the water. They are able to explore a world of colour and sounds, with the calming effects of the water helping to create a relaxed and therapeutic experience.
Resistance
Many clients assume that a hydrotherapy pool is a pool used for swimming or aquacise classes, however hydrotherapy pools are specifically designed to facilitate slow and methodical exercises that help rehabilitate individuals. Physiotherapists will demonstrate and assist customers to complete various exercise or therapy techniques depending on the injury or condition they are treating.
Unlike land-based exercises, hydrotherapy uses the buoyancy of the water to reduce effective body weight by up to 80%. This helps to relieve stress on muscles and joints whilst also improving flexibility. The turbulence of water can also increase resistance, encouraging the muscles to work harder during exercise. This can be particularly useful for those who find it hard to exert themselves on land or suffer from pain as a result of exercising.
Adding to this, the temperature of the water stimulates sensory receptors in the brain to dull pain impulses, reducing the sensitivity to painful stimuli. This is especially beneficial for those with fibromyalgia, arthritic conditions and amputees who are hypersensitive to touch. Hydrotherapy is also an effective treatment for reducing muscle fatigue, improving posture and enhancing respiration. With the wide variety of equipment available to enhance resistance and provide a range of workouts, hydrotherapy is a great alternative to working out on land and can be used in conjunction with land-based physiotherapy.
Flexibility
The buoyancy of water allows the body to move in a range of different ways, which can help build strength and flexibility. This can also help people who are suffering from arthritis and arthritic pain.
Exercising in a hydrotherapy pool can provide up to 15 times more resistance than on land, resulting in muscle strengthening. This can also hydrotherapy pool help improve respiratory function and reduce the impact on joints. Exercises can be performed seated or standing, with the use of equipment such as paddles, noodles, aqua gloves and weights to increase resistance.
As well as improving balance, flexibility and strength, hydrotherapy can also promote relaxation, and help with mental health and wellbeing. The calming nature of the water and the feeling of being immersed in warm water can help alleviate stress and anxiety, which can often lead to physical symptoms such as headaches or backaches.
Hydrotherapy is overseen by a healthcare professional, such as a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist, who will guide you through your therapy sessions and exercises. They will create a personalised treatment plan for your specific needs, which may include specific movements, postures and techniques to address your health goals.
Whether you have an acute or chronic condition, our onsite hydrotherapy pool at Connect Health & Community in Bentleigh East can help you manage pain, mobility and balance issues. Contact us today to see how our physiotherapists and exercise physiologists can help you get moving again!
