Aquatic Therapy: Why Choose Sentara?
Our certified specialists have extra education and experience in creating aquatic physical therapy programs. Program highlights include:
- Clinical expertise: We use hydrodynamics principles (how water supports weight and increases resistance). Specialists implement these principles when creating personalized water exercise plans.
- Proven therapies: We help build strength and increase your range of motion with specific water exercises.
- State-of-the-art facilities: Your therapy takes place in a heated pool to help you relax and work muscles safely.
Water Therapy Treatments and Services
Our experts begin your therapy by checking your:
- Endurance
- Functional abilities (such as walking and balance)
- Range of motion
- Strength
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. We offer:
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.
Conditions We Treat With Aquatic Physical Therapy
Aquatic therapy helps you get stronger and feel better after injury, illness or surgery. You might have water therapy when you have:
- Arthritis, tendonitis or bursitis: Inflammation or pain in your joints, tendons (tissue connecting muscle to bone) or bursae (fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints)
- Chronic pain syndrome: Pain that lasts longer than six months
- Decreased endurance: Fatigue or weakness after short amounts of movement
- Fibromyalgia: Pain throughout the body
- Paralysis: Inability to move parts of your body
We also use aquatic therapy to help strengthen and condition your joints, bones and muscles before or after surgery. If you have musculoskeletal injuries, water therapy may be part of orthopedic rehabilitation.
Benefits of Water Therapy
Aquatic therapy helps you get stronger and more fit, without lifting heavy weights or putting pressure on your joints. Water therapy helps you:
- Build strength
- Improve endurance
- Increase range of motion and flexibility
Meet Our Experts
Our physical therapists, occupational therapists and athletic trainers provide expert rehabilitation and therapy services. Meet our experts to learn more about how we care for you.