Aquatic Therapy

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face to shine upon you 

and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up His countenance upon you 

and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

Miles had Aquatherapy with his Speech Therapist from Green Hill Therapy in Louisville, Kentucky. In the water therapists were able to work on communication skills. Miles finds the pressure from the water comforting. He LOVES to swim so this therapy broke up the mundane clinic setting that he tends to become bored utilizing year in and year out. 

When moving to Florida we found a home with a pool. We talked with Miles' current Speech, Physical and Occupational therapists for exercises Miles could do during his daily pool time as "homework." 

Aquatherapy
The buoyancy, support, accommodating resistance and other unique properties of the aquatic environment enhance interventions for patients/clients across the age span with musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular/pulmonary, and skin diseases, disorders, or conditions.

Aquatic Therapy interventions are designed to improve or maintain:

• function
• aerobic capacity/endurance conditioning
• balance, coordination and agility
• body mechanics and postural stabilization
• flexibility
• gait and locomotion
• relaxation
• muscle strength, power, and endurance

Here are some reasons to consider aquatic therapy for your child:

• Working in the water allows children to perform and learn movements that would otherwise be too difficult to perform on land. Returning to their land-based program provides them the opportunity to practice movements that have become more skilled in the water.
• The viscosity of water gives a child time to react and experiment with the consequences of movement.
• The hydrostatic pressure created when partially or fully submerged in water improves circulation, increases the work of breathing, and gives the body 360 degrees of deep pressure.
• For most children, the water is FUN! The overall enjoyment of the pool makes achieving therapy goals considerably easier.

What is Aquatic Therapy?

Aquatic therapy is treatment performed in the water by qualified speech, physical and occupational therapists, to aid in the restoration, extension, and maintenance of an individual’s quality function.  In the past, aquatic therapy was primarily considered an effective rehabilitation tool for those with physical injuries or chronic illness — using the buoyancy of the water to avoid the stress of a body’s weight on the joints during land-based exercise.

These days, pioneering speech, physical and occupational therapists like the ones at Angelfish have had great success extending the benefits of aquatic therapy to individuals with not just physical, but also sensory and developmental issues, taking advantage of both the buoyancy and the hydrostatic pressure offered by a pool environment.

Who Should Consider Aquatic Therapy?

Children with a variety of physical, sensory, developmental, or neurological issues are prime candidates for aquatic therapy such as: Autism Spectrum Disorders; Sensory Processing Disorders; Auditory Processing Difficulties; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Asperger Syndrome; seizure disorders; sensory integration dysfunction; gross motor delays; motor planning issues; lack of core strength; ADHD; learning and language disabilities; and issues associated with premature birth.

Info found at Angelfish Therpay and  Green Hill Therapy

Have you or child experienced Aquatherapy? 

Let us know!