Benefits of Aquatic Therapy at Oxford Rehab

As your Philadelphia injury rehabilitation and recovery center, Oxford Rehab offers a number of non-surgical treatments to help patients recover from a major injury, surgery or other trauma. One treatment we may incorporate into your care regimen is aquatic therapy or pool therapy. This treatment combines the benefits of heat and the weightlessness of water to reduce pain by strengthening joints and muscles.

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Our aquatic therapy pool is heated to a soothing 98 degrees. Water therapy sessions allow patients to decrease pain while increasing joint mobility and blood flow, without adding any gravitational strain or causing undue stress. While your body is submerged in the water, hydrostatic pressure helps reduce swelling to the injured site. As your swelling subsides, the warm water attracts internal fluids to the affected area and causes tissue relaxation. You’ll find that the added buoyancy of the water allows you to easily move your hands and feet without experiencing any pain.

Our Pennsylvania rehab specialists may prescribe aquatic therapy in combination with other therapies to help control and reduce chronic pain. Some conditions where patients have experienced marked improvement from the benefits of utilizing water therapy include:

  • Sports-related injuries
  • Personal injury accidents
  • Lower back pain and sciatica
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Arthritis and joint pain
  • Repetitive motion injuries
  • Post-surgical recovery and rehabilitation
  • Orthopedic injuries
  • Muscle weakness due to an acute or chronic injury

Reducing Chronic Pain

Aquatic therapy is a water-based form of physical therapy. A patient performs a series of movements, stretches, and exercises all while being submerged in the water. Gentle repetition provides a calming environment which helps to reduce stress and promote healing. This helps to restore strength and flexibility to affected joints and muscles that may be damaged from an accident or age-related condition. This treatment can also improve locomotion and gait both in and out of the water, allow for better aerobic capacity, and restore endurance to the muscles so the patient can enjoy other physical activities outside of their therapy sessions. Patients also notice more flexibility and better coordination and balance both in and out of the water.

On its own, aquatic therapy makes a big difference in reducing pain levels. In some cases, we may also combine aquatic therapy with other forms of restorative therapy, such as massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic treatments to achieve total health. If you are interested in undergoing aquatic therapy for your chronic pain, come see us at Oxford Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia. Our facility includes a fitness center where we offer aquatic therapy, physical therapy, and more. Our other services include acupuncture, chiropractic care, non-surgical pain management, and auto accident injury treatment. We offer treatment for pain associated with sports injuries, shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, sciatica, post-surgical cases, plantar fasciitis, fibromyalgia, and carpal tunnel.

Experience Relief Today

Oxford Rehabilitation Center is located at 6735 Harbison Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. Call us today at 215-725-2000 to set up an appointment for your first aquatic therapy session.