Aquatic therapy

What is aquatic therapy?

Aquatic therapy is a type of rehabilitation that uses water's unique, therapeutic properties. For example, we use water to support you during your pool workouts. This support, known as buoyancy, helps you exercise with less effort than working out in a gym. Water also has soothing properties that can help with pain management.

Aquatic therapy can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, such as:

Arthritis, tendonitis or bursitis
Chronic pain syndrome
Decreased endurance
Fibromyalgia
Lymphedema
Musculoskeletal injuries
Paralysis

What are the benefits?

Here’s what aquatic therapy can do for you:

Make you physically stronger, without putting pressure on your joints
Strengthen your lungs and breathing
Increase your range of motion, flexibility and balance
Improve circulation and relieve pain
Soothe anxiety and encourage communication and social interaction

Why choose Sentara?

Our certified specialists have expertise in creating aquatic therapy programs tailored to a patient’s individual needs. We offer aquatic therapy at a number of Sentara therapy centers.

Services and treatments

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Evaluation and assessment

Our experts begin your therapy by checking your:

Endurance
Functional abilities (such as walking and balance)
Range of motion
Strength

Resistance training

Your therapist provides a personalized level of support by changing your immersion level (how deep you are in the water). Water's resistance helps your muscles, bones and joints get stronger. Your personalized program might include pushups and arm raises. Arm and shoulder exercises, with or without water weights (foam dumbbells you try to push down), strengthen your upper body.

Aerobic conditioning

When you're supported by water, you can strengthen your lungs and breathing (known as aerobic conditioning) without stress on your joints. Your therapy program may include:

Jogging
Kicking
Lunges
Stretching
Walking

As you progress, our specialists adjust the water level in your therapy plan. The water's pressure helps keep you stable as you work on getting stronger.

Find a location

Schedule an appointment

Ready to start a therapy program? If you're a new patient, please call us at 855-852-9066 to schedule your first appointment. Existing patients who have seen a therapist within the last three years can call or schedule online with MyChart.

Schedule with MyChart