Introduction and Overview

Water has long been used as a therapeutic approach to tissue and body healing. In this lesson, we will focus on the aquatic environment and its use in physical therapy for movement-based rehabilitation. Whirlpool use and wound care approaches will be discussed in PTA 205.

Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, the student should be able to:

1. Describe the physical principles properties of water 
1. Describe the effect of buoyancy on weight-bearing joints
2. Apply the effects of buoyancy device position to the center of buoyancy (COB)
3. Describe the physiological and clinical impacts of hydrostatic pressure 
4. Describe how specific gravity influences clinical decision-making 
5. Describe the effect of various forces as an object moves through water
2. Describe the therapeutic benefits and goals of aquatic exercise (temperature effects, clinical indications/outcomes, depth-based approaches) as a modality
3. Describe diagnoses, conditions, and impairments indicating aquatic therapy
4. Differentiate between the benefits of land and water activities
5. Describe safety/precautions and contraindications to aquatic therapy
6. Describe the role of the PTA in aquatic therapy

 

 

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