Experiencing injury-related pain can be a formidable barrier to being active and performing tasks of daily living. Whether it’s a sports injury, chronic condition, or discomfort after surgery, it is challenging to manage pain while maintaining mobility and functionality. While medication and physical rehabilitation using land-based exercises have always been tapped for helping manage injury-related pain, there’s a lesser-known way that is gaining in popularity: water-based therapy.
Also known as aquatic therapy or hydrotherapy, water-based therapy involves exercises in a water environment under the guidance of a health professional like an Exercise Physiologist (EP). Harnessing the properties of water provides numerous benefits for individuals experiencing injury-related pain.
Buoyancy reduces the load and stress on the joints, bones, and muscles, allowing individuals with arthritis or spinal injuries to exercise with reduced pain and less risk of further injury. Water also provides natural resistance to help build strength and endurance and enhance physical function without causing excessive stress on the joints.
Immersion in warm water can contribute to effective pain management as it can soothe sore muscles, reduce inflammation, and promote relaxation. Exercising in water can also stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, to provide relief from injury-related pain and discomfort.
Training in water can also facilitate enhanced functional ability as the water environment allows you to perform movements that may be challenging on land due to pain or limited range of motion. Water-based therapy can also confer psychological benefits as training in water promotes relaxation and reduces stress levels, which are often heightened in individuals coping with injury-related pain.
If you’re ready to dive into the therapeutic properties of Hydrotherapy overcome the limitations imposed by injury-related pain, give our team of Exercise Physiologists and Physiotherapists at Healthstin in Melton a call at 1300 090 931.
Or click this link to learn more or to book a session.
