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Aquatic Therapy

We use aquatic therapy to build strength without stress on joints and bones. The program at Sentara helps you recover and heal safely.

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.

Request an Appointment

Learn more about aquatic therapy at Sentara Therapy Centers. Visit our locations.

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