Aquatic Therapy Services at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute

For patients who cannot participate in the typical exercises of physical therapy due to joint pain, muscle weakness, or injury, aquatic therapy may be a better alternative.

Aquatic therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy that takes place in the water. Water helps relax your muscles and its natural resistance relieves joint pressure often associated with traditional weights or exercises.

There is no requirement to know how to swim before participating in aquatic therapy. Overall, aquatic therapy allows the body to become more buoyant, decreasing the amount of pain and stress on your joints.

Who Is a Candidate for Aquatic Therapy?

Water therapy is beneficial for a wide variety of conditions and injuries, in particular for patients with fibromyalgia. Patients often struggle to find relief from body stiffness, fatigue, and muscle pain through traditional therapy methods. Aquatic therapy for fibromyalgia treatment minimizes any ill-effects of traditional physical therapy while enabling a person to more easily perform effective, aerobic exercises.

Aquatic therapy exercises are also a useful rehabilitation options for people who:

Have arthritis or chronic pain
Have balance disorders
Are recovering from surgery

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy

There are numerous benefits associated with aquatic therapy. Physical therapy that takes place in the water creates a safe environment for patients prone to falls, while the warmth of the water relaxes muscles and decreases tension. As a result, patients often experience increased blood flow to their muscles and a reduction in pain.

Additional benefits from participating in aquatic therapy include: