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The workers’ compensation physical therapy world is different than the basic physical therapy world. If you get injured at work, it is imperative to report the injury to your employer/supervisor right away. If your injury occurs over time, then you should report it to your supervisor as soon as you feel that it may have been caused by your job. This is the beginning of a workers’ compensation (WC) case.
Embrace the “pressure” and push through the “resistance”!
Most people don’t like to be under pressure or deal with resistance from something, but these are two forces that are a huge benefit of aquatic therapy.
“Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium at a given point within the fluid, due to the force of gravity. Hydrostatic pressure increases in proportion to depth measured from the surface. This is due to the increasing weight of fluid exerting a downward force from above.” The force/pressure being put on the body, greatly enhances
Most people don’t like to be under pressure or deal with resistance from something, but these are two forces that are a huge benefit of aquatic therapy.
“Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium at a given point within the fluid, due to the force of gravity. Hydrostatic pressure increases in proportion to depth measured from the surface. This is due to the increasing weight of fluid exerting a downward force from above.” The force/pressure being put on the body, greatly enhances venous return and cardiac functions. Buoyancy also assists with venous return by counteracting the downward pull of gravity with the up-thrust of the water. With increased venous return, you can exercise more vigorously with less stress on the cardiovascular system and reduce training heart rate. Another benefit of hydrostatic pressure, swelling is reduced in the injured or edematous joints or limbs below the water. As you can see, being put under this type of pressure allows you to work harder with less symptoms.
Resistance of the water will make you stronger because it provides about 12 times the resistance of air. The resistance of water also allows improvement in balance, sensory awareness, and strength in all muscle directions. The turbulence of the water and resistance during movements puts more demand on your balance and promotes circulation. Patients feel safe in the water due to their movements are slower and less likely to be jerky or ballistic.
With the assistance of therapeutic water temperature, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, and the normal resistance of water, aquatic therapy patients can get a workout without feeling like they are doing a workout. So embrace the “pressure” and push through the “resistance” and jump into a fun, strengthening aquatic program at ProActive Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine.
Literally, 3 steps will get you into the pool with ProActive Physical Therapy at Noonan Family Swim School. Buoyancy is what makes you feel the “weight loss”. Buoyancy is the upward thrust of the water acting in the opposite direction of the force of gravity. The buoyant force an object feels depends on the weight of the volume of fluid the object displaces. An object in water will experience a greater buoyant force compared to air, because water has more weight. Your center of gravity is generally located in the pelvic region, but your
Pool therapy is not just for summertime at ProActive. ProActive Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine’s Aquatic/Pool Therapy is performed at a beautiful indoor pool at the Noonan’s Swimming School located next door to our 4S Ranch facility. The pool is heated to a therapeutic 90 degrees and is 3½ to 4½ feet deep. The patients participate in an individual, injury specific, aquatic exercise program where the instructor can and will get in the water with the patients or may instruct from the deck. The friendly warm environment is shared with no more than 6 patients. The pool provides support, relaxation, and comfort.
Aquatic therapy benefits numerous patients and you don’t even have to know how to swim. Patients who will benefit range from total joint replacements to athletes that need to maintain limited weight bearing; patients with fibromyalgia; patients with gait difficulty; patients with multiple injuries and overweight patients. There are numerous benefits to aquatic therapy over land-based therapy, and they start with the benefit of the warm water. Warm water relaxes muscles and allows for improved joint range of motion. Noonan’s Swimming School keeps their pool in the perfect therapeutic water temperature range 88-96 degrees. Buoyancy is a huge factor that wins over land-based therapy because the deeper you immerse yourself in water the less you weigh and the less shock is transmitted through you bones and joints. Also, the resistance of the water improves balance and sensory awareness. With all these benefits, the pool allows us to help you return to your pre-injury self safely and comfortably.
As I have discussed in the past articles, static stretching is not the stretch of choice prior to physical activity. Fewer injuries are not seen in those who do static stretching vs. those who do not. There are also performance benefits