Aquatic Therapy
Did you know that we are going to be offering Aquatic Therapy here at First Step? I know it's pretty exciting, right? Well before we all get too excited, I’d like to address some common questions and talk about what aquatic therapy even is.
Why Water?
Water provides two very important properties that make it an excellent place to work on mobility: buoyancy and compression. Buoyancy is the term used to describe the upward force that allows people and objects to float in water. This means that if upright positioning is difficult on land then the buoyancy of the water can help to counteract the pull of gravity and make upright positioning much easier. In fact, the Snohomish Aquatic Center is a salt water pool which makes floating even easier!
The second property of water that makes it a great option for therapy is compression. Compression is the weight of the water molecules on each other as well as on our bodies. This means that our bodies work a little harder to make big movements because we need to push through the extra weight of those water molecules and this is a great way to build strength! It can also feel very calming to folks who like pressure on their body (such as fans of weighted blankets and compression). This pressure also helps people attune to their bodies and makes learning new movements a little bit easier.
Buoyancy and compression together make water a unique place to build strong muscles and practice new skills that otherwise might be difficult on land.
But there is one more property of water that I haven’t mentioned yet, and it is pretty important. Water is fun! The pool can be a fun environment to play, learn, and work in.
What Should We Expect for Aquatic Therapy?
When you sign up for aquatic therapy you can expect about 30 minutes in the water. The pool is located in the city of Snohomish and has both a zero depth/ramp entry and a chair lift to get into the water. There are accessible changing rooms as well. Please arrive before your appointment time to allow for time to change into a swimsuit and possibly swim diaper if necessary. We will provide a variety of safety and floatation devices as needed. The sessions will be one-on-one and we will work on basic safety skills for working and living near the water, then progress to positioning (water is a great place to practice standing as mentioned above), strengthening, breathing, and also some fun water games. At the end of the session we will transition out of the water and either the child themselves or their caregiver can use the accessible changing room and shower to get warm and dry.
Who would benefit from aquatic therapy?
Well the short answer is nearly everyone! Water can be a great place for many people to work in balance, strength, body awareness, breathing, sensory processing, and mobility. Specifically, aquatic therapy has been shown to be beneficial for those with cerebral palsy, Autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, general muscle weakness, other genetic conditions, and several more! Aquatic therapy is not recommended for people with: very high blood pressure, serious open wounds, chemical allergies (chlorine and salt), and certain communicable diseases. Otherwise, most everyone could benefit from aquatic therapy!
Tell me more!
My name is Kristin and I am the aquatic lead here at First Step. I’m not sure if you can tell, but I love the water! I’m super excited to have the chance to share the benefits of water with you all. Want to know more? Feel free to give us a call!
More resources for you here:
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Aquatherapy
https://aquaticpt.org/files/Aquatic%20-%20Peds%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf