The Unique Benefits of Aquatic Therapy in Recovering From Sports Injuries

For many physical therapy patients, aquatic therapy is a valuable tool that helps restore their movement and function after major injuries. Athletes in particular have high rates of musculoskeletal injuries and often want to make a full recovery so they can continue enjoying or competing in their sports of choice. With aquatic therapy, they can increase their chances of successful rehabilitation to restore strength and mobility.

Here at our Crom Rehabilitation offices, located in Houston and Pearland, Texas, physical therapists Roy Rivera, Jr., DPT, PhD, and Jordan Boyd, DPT, rehabilitate athletes in a warm pool instead of outdoors or in a gym. Under your physical therapist’s supervision, you can perform exercises safely and without adding extra strain on your muscles and joints. 

Common sports injuries

Even if you wear a helmet or padding, play by the rules, and stretch before you work out, there’s always a risk of sustaining an injury while playing sports or exercising. Many of the most common sports injuries result in pain and limited mobility, and they can have long-term effects if you don’t take part in physical therapy as part of treatment. 

Sports injuries are common, especially among teens and young adults. In fact, around 8.6 million people between ages 5 and 24 are injured playing sports each year. A personalized rehabilitation including aquatic therapy can help you recover from sports injuries like:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
• Meniscus tear
• Rotator cuff tear
• Shoulder dislocation

While creating your individualized treatment plan, you can expect your physical therapist to tell you about the exceptional benefits of aquatic therapy and how it might fit into your treatment plan. 

How aquatic therapy can help

Taking part in aquatic therapy, or physical therapy in a pool of warm water, offers some considerable benefits. Since water is more dense than dry air and is buoyant, exercises in the water place significantly less force on your injured body parts. Less stress during your exercises means less pain as you recover and heal. 

Additionally, the density of the water places pressure on your skin as you exercise in the pool. This light pressure promotes better blood circulation. Increased blood flow accelerates the healing process and helps reduce inflammation around the injury. 

Compared with conventional physical therapy practices, you have less of a chance of injuring yourself further with aquatic therapy. If you fall, for example, the water’s resistance catches you and helps you stay balanced. With both types of physical therapy, your physical therapist is always nearby and supervising you closely. 

Aquatic therapy can simplify and accelerate healing after a sports injury. Don’t hesitate to call our Crom Rehabilitation offices to schedule an appointment or book your visit online today.