The Warmth of a Hydrotherapy Pool Promotes Muscle Relaxation and Pain Relief

The warm water of a hydrotherapy pool promotes muscle relaxation, pain relief and provides an ideal environment for exercise. Physiotherapists use specialist exercise equipment in the water to help you increase mobility, improve balance and coordination.

Freed from gravity, callipers and pain, many disabled people can achieve movements that they struggle with on land in the warmth of a hydrotherapy pool.

Buoyancy

The warm water in a hydrotherapy pool provides buoyancy which reduces the effective weight of the body by up to 80%. This takes pressure off the muscles and joints making exercise much easier. This helps people who can’t exercise or have limited mobility on land to get more movement into their bodies.

Exercising in a hydrotherapy pool also increases the heart rate which strengthens the muscles. The turbulence of the water also makes exercises in the pool more challenging, which encourages muscle strengthening. Depending on the type of exercise, some water-based aerobics can provide up to 15 times more resistance than on land.

Buoyancy also improves circulation and regulates blood pressure, helping with pain management. This is particularly important for people with chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines and nerve pain. It is also an effective way of reducing inflammation and swelling.

Another benefit of hydrotherapy is that it boosts the immune system, which can help fight off common colds and infections. This is because the increased blood flow helps carry white blood cells around the body, which can help to fight off infections.

If you’re interested in hydrotherapy, we recommend contacting your health care provider to see whether it’s an appropriate option for your condition or injury. At Connect Health & Community, our hydrotherapy pool at the Bentleigh East facility is hydrotherapy pool used by physiotherapists and exercise physiologists to assist with rehabilitation for a variety of conditions and injuries.

Resistance

For hundreds (even thousands) of years people have used water to relieve pain and enhance fitness levels. More specifically, hydrotherapy is water based exercise or therapy that can be administered in a special pool, swim spa or hot tub. The sessions are often overseen by a professional, like a physical therapist or occupational therapist.

Typically, the sessions are conducted in warm water that is a comfortable temperature. The warm water helps promote muscle relaxation, alleviates joint pain and can even be used to help you build strength without putting too much strain on your joints. The buoyancy and resistance offered by the water allow you to work your muscles to their full potential, but only up to a point that your body can handle, which reduces the risk of injury.

The warm water also encourages deep breathing, promoting respiratory function and enhancing your overall wellbeing. The sensory experience of the calming water can also offer emotional release, especially for those with trauma history and provides a sense of embodiment, allowing you to reconnect with your body and find a feeling of peace and calm.

A specialized pool is able to offer various settings for hydrotherapy, including an underwater treadmill to optimize aquatic gait training. The Endless pools can even be fitted with jet options to provide a more intense workout for your muscles. These jets are available in different heights and areas of the pool so you can target specific muscle groups to achieve the best results from your session.

Circulation

The warmth of a hydrotherapy pool stimulates circulation, allowing blood to flow more easily throughout the body. This can help reduce swelling and promote healing in injured tissues. It also allows white blood cells to circulate more efficiently, boosting the immune system and helping your body fight off infections.

The buoyancy of water relieves pressure on bones and joints, reducing pain and increasing balance. It can also improve posture, allowing muscles to work more effectively. It is important to note that while most people can undertake a course of hydrotherapy, some conditions or presentations may require caution or may not be suitable for aquatic exercise and therapy. Your specialist physiotherapist will conduct a thorough screening process to ensure you are safe to start a program.

Whether used for passive immersion or active exercise, the therapeutic properties of warm water can improve physical, psychological and emotional well-being. As a result, a hydrotherapy pool is often incorporated into client treatment programs alongside land-based therapies such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Specially designed pools are the key to ensuring that the physical and psychological benefits of hydrotherapy can be delivered for patients with various conditions. The EWAC Medical stainless steel modular pool is a leading example, hydrotherapy pool featuring a movable floor and underwater treadmill to optimize aquatic gait training and cardiovascular exercises with reduced joint stress.

Relaxation

Just like a warm bath, the water temperature of a hydrotherapy pool helps the muscles relax and relieves pain. Additionally, warm water therapy increases the release of endorphins in the body – natural anxiety and stress relievers – to further ease soreness and tension.

The weightlessness of the water enables movement and exercise that would be difficult on land. This is a great option for people who are overweight or find it hard to move their bodies due to pain, stiffness, or injury.

In addition, the warm water of a hydrotherapy pool and the use of patented jet nozzles help promote joint mobility. It also encourages blood circulation throughout the body and eliminates inflammation. As a result, patients experience improved mood and reduced fatigue.

As the world embraces personalised health, hydrotherapy is one of many wellness practices that stands out as a timeless solution to improve overall well-being. Moreover, advances in technology are helping to further optimise hydrotherapy experiences and deliver tailored outcomes.

While the benefits of hydrotherapy are clear, it’s important to consult your doctor before starting treatment. Some people, such as those with severe osteoporosis or open wounds, should not undergo vigorous hydrotherapy because of a higher risk of infection. Also, make sure to always use a reputable hydrotherapist that follows proper hygiene and disinfection procedures.