Dr. Knowles with patient.

Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic Therapy at Sabetha Community Hospital

Experienced therapists are waiting to help in a state-of-the-art facility featuring:

Temperature controlled environment
Current with variable speed
Under water treadmill

Aquatic Therapy is often used in conjunction with traditional land based therapy to enhance and restore a person's functional abilities. Populations who may benefit range from children to older adults. Often times, patients may regain their quality of life faster and more thoroughly than with land therapy alone.

How Does Aquatic Therapy Promote Healing?

Buoyancy
The buoyancy of water provides support, allowing a patient to move more easily. This can reduce apprehension to movement.

Hydrostatic Pressure
Pressure from water molecules surrounding the body helps circulate blood from the legs to the heart, often reducing swelling in the ankles and feet.

Resistance
Water resistance improves balance and strength in all muscle directions, as well as increasing sensory awareness. Resistance can be tailored to each individual patient based on the speed of movement.

Benefits

Accelerate healing
Decrease apprehension to movement
Initiate rehab at an earlier stage; therefore returning to activities of    daily living in the shortest possible time.
Decrease rehabilitation time and overall treatment costs
Enhance exercise and create a safe environment for progressive    rehabilitation
Improve tolerance to weight-bearing activity

Who Can Be Helped?

Aquatic therapy is beneficial to patients of all ages. Common diagnoses that can be improved with aquatic therapy include, but are not limited to:

Low back pain
Joint & Muscle pain
Orthopedic Injuries
Sporting Injuries
Work Related Injuries
Post-Operative Knees, Hips, Ankles and Shoulders
Osteoarthritis
Impaired Balance
Difficulty Walking
Generalized Weakness
Multiple Sclerosis
Stroke
Fibromyalgia
Spinal Cord Injuries
Cerebral Palsy
Parkinson's Disease
Traumatic Brain Injuries

Aquatic Therapy is offered in an endless pool that is in a temperature-controlled environment, has a current with variable speed and has an underwater treadmill. A physician's referral is required to begin Aquatic Therapy. If you have symptoms which would benefit from this therapy, call the Sabetha Community Hospital Physical Therapy Department at (785) 284-1537 to get more information.