Hydro/Aquatic Therapy & Fluidotherapy

Hydrotherapy or aquatic therapy is simply water therapy. For years, therapists have realized positive results when applying this modality to a variety of patient populations. We have extremity whirlpools available at all our clinics. These whirlpools allow the therapist to change the water temperature and agitation to meet patient-specific treatment goals. Warmer water induces vasodilation, drawing blood into the target tissues. Increased blood flow delivers needed oxygen and nutrients and removes cell waste. We also have Contrast Bath Therapy, which alternates warm and cold water to reduce swelling around injuries and speeds recovery after exercise.

Aquatic or Pool Therapy is available at our Clarkston and Davison clinics.

What is Aquatic Therapy?
Aquatic Therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy. Typically, the therapist will provide the same instruction and/or care as they would on land, but they would pay close attention to take the aquatic environment into consideration during their instruction. The pool provides a safe alternative for healing injuries and working with patients who suffer from chronic conditions that limit them from exercising on land. All of the exercises are done in an area of the pool that patients and therapists are able to stand, so the patient doesn't necessarily need to know how to swim to reap the benefits. Patients can perform each exercise while standing in the water, holding onto the side of the pool or using a flotation device.

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy:

Warm water facilitates muscle relaxation and increases peripheral circulation.
Viscosity of water provides resistance for strength training.
Warm water stimulates body awareness, balance and trunk stability.
Improves range of motion and flexibility.
The reduction of gravitational forces in the pool allows the patient to stand and begin gait training and strengthening exercises without causing further damage to healing structures.
Warm water and buoyancy results in decreased pain sensitivity.
Improvement of patient morale and confidence can be established by providing a positive medium in which to function.

Aquatic Therapy can help:

Low back pain
Joint paint from sports or daily repetitive activities
Neurological and orthopedic injuries
Post-surgical debilitation
Muscle weakness secondary to chronic or acute injury or illness

Fluidotherapy is a high intensity heat modality consisting of a dry whirlpool of finely divided solid particles suspended in a heated air stream, the mixture having the properties of a liquid. Studies comparing its effective heating with that of a paraffin bath and whirlpool have found them to be similar. The indications for fluidized therapy are similar to paraffin baths and whirlpool. Use of fluidized therapy dry heat reduces pain, edema, and muscle spasm from acute or subacute traumatic or non-traumatic musculoskeletal disorders of the extremities.