Aquatic Therapy
Fresh Bloom Approach
Aquatic Therapy services at Fresh Bloom utilize a holistic approach, assessing your Aquatic Therapy needs in relation to 5 areas of functioning, including Physical Functioning, Social Functioning, Cognitive Functioning, Emotional Functioning, and Spiritual Functioning. We believe in the therapeutic power of water to provide a transformational therapeutic space for you to achieve your healthiest potentials within all 5 areas of functioning.
SAMPLE INTERVENTIONS
Fresh Bloom Aquatic Therapists are Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS), who have additional water safety certification as well as training in Aquatic Therapy interventions and techniques. An initial consultation to assess your current needs will be conducted, followed by an in-water assessment to explore your maximum health potentials through Aquatic Therapy!
Bad Ragaz/ Ai Chi
The basic premise behind this form of therapy is diaphragmatic breathing, as well as the use of resistance training in water.
Benefits
• Relaxation
• Increase muscular strength
• Progressive relaxation
Watsu
During Watsu, a therapist gently moves your body in water. This is known as passive hydrotherapy, because you don’t need to actively perform the movements.
Benefits
• Decreased Pain
• Increased Joint Mobility
• Reduced Anxiety
WHAT IS AQUATIC THERAPY?
Provided below are some additional educational resources!
Aquatic therapy refers to water-based treatments or exercises of therapeutic intent, in particular for relaxation, fitness, and physical rehabilitation. Treatments and exercises are performed while floating, partially submerged, or fully submerged in water. Many aquatic therapy procedures require constant attendance by a trained therapist, and are
performed in a specialized temperature-controlled pool. Rehabilitation commonly focuses on improving the physical function associated with illness, injury, or disability. [1][2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_therapy
WHO PROVIDES AQUATIC THERAPY SERVICES?
Aquatic Therapy services are provided by our Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS), who also hold specialized training in the provision of Aquatic Therapy services.
WHERE IS AQUATIC THERAPY PROVIDED?
Aquatic Therapy services are provided within community based settings such as local gyms and outpatient community rehabilitation pools, as well as home-based pools.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM AQUATIC THERAPY?
Similar to Recreation Therapy, Aquatic therapy provides a variety of positive health outcomes for individuals of all ages with physical disabilities, older adults, individuals with psychiatric disorders, pediatric patients, youth at risk and people with developmental disabilities or brain injuries.
HOW IS AQUATIC THERAPY BENEFICIAL?
- Access: Immersion in water facilitates treatment of multiple sites simultaneously/in rapid succession; allows ease of positioning and access to patient’s body; and/or facilitates ease of handling of patient by therapist.
- Aerobic effect: Aerobic exercise in water promotes physical conditioning. This conditioning creates positive health benefits.
- Balance and safety: Patients may be challenged beyond limits of stability in the water without the fear of consequences of falling often present with land- based balance training. The environment leads to improvement in balance reactions.
- Cardiovascular stress: Exercise in water produces training effects with less cardiovascular stress than the identical exercise (or exercise) performed on land. This reduction in stress creates a training environment without compromising safety.
- Edema: Immersion in water reduces edema and effusion in lower extremities via the effects of hydrostatic pressure.
- Graded resistance: Exercise in water is velocity-specific, 3-dimensional, graded and safer to perform
- Graded weight-bearing: Exercise in water produces less spinal and lower extremity loading than the identical exercise performed on land
- Movement freedom: Exercise in water promotes more movement freedom and thus promotes improved ROM, reduced stiffness and increased functional strength and mobility while diminishing the negative consequences of lack of movement
- Muscular effort: Standing in water results in less spinal and lower extremity weightbearing than standing muscles. It takes more muscular effort to elevate a limb against gravity on land than while immersed
- Pain Immersion: in water produces a pain palliation effect due in part to the effects of buoyancy (off-loading of spine and LE joints), thermal shifts, and desensitization.
- Proprioception: Movement of a body part through water results in greater somatosensory input to receptors than movement of that body part through air
- Thermal effect: Exercise and relaxation in water provides a thermal effect which can alter tone, arousal, muscle spasm, pain
- Well-being: Exercise in a therapeutic pool promotes socialization and promotes psychological well-being.
HOW CAN I GET AQUATIC THERAPY SERVICES?
Fresh Bloom offers Aquatic Therapy services both within 1:1 and group community based settings! Fresh Bloom is a CLASS services provider for the Texas Health and Human Services Department (HHS), provider to community outpatient rehabilitation facilities, and offers direct private pay options. Please contact us for further information
on your flourishing opportunities through Aquatic Therapy!
We can be reached by phone at 512-766-1542 or email: info@freshbloom.net
