Hydrotherapy Classes

Hydrotherapy is a form of treatment and rehabilitation that takes place in the water, supervised by a qualified Physiotherapist.

It can be used in conjunction with, or in place of gym based exercise programs.

Hydrotherapy can be beneficial almost anyone as the water can be used not only to assist but also to resist movement.

The warmth, buoyancy and depth of the water provides assistance to clients with:

• both acute (recent) and chronic (long standing) pain
• assisting in pain relief, relaxation and increased range of motion (often after surgery).

Water can be used to:

• resist, strengthen or challenge movement by changing the depth
• speed of movement
• altering patterns of movement
• increasing turbulence
• or using additional buoyant equipment.

Hydrotherapy is commonly accessed and recommended for clients that may be categorized into the following 3 areas:

1. Acute injuries
2. Chronic conditions
3. Post-surgical treatment

1) Acute Injuries & Hydrotherapy

We commonly see acute sporting injuries especially in football, soccer, netball, hockey, basketball players throughout the season.

Common injuries we see include:

• shoulder dislocations
• tendinopathies
• muscular strains or tears
• groin injuries
• hip injuries
• knee injuries
• ankle sprains.

Hydrotherapy allows these players to maintain their fitness and movement during the injured period and often regain their strength and control sooner to get back in the game.

Other acute injuries we commonly see are from people who have injured themselves at work.

To help these clients return to work as soon as possible, hydrotherapy can:

• increase strength and control
• offer pain relief
• reduce muscular spasms
• increase range of movement.

2) Chronic Conditions & Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is very beneficial for client’s who have chronic conditions or illnesses such as:

• Fibromyalgia
• Osteoarthritis
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Chronic Bursitis
• non-specific low back pain
• symptoms of chronic pain, stiffness and joint inflammation.

It is a low-impact form of exercise that provides a gentle whole body workout as you move against the resistance of the water, while providing pain relief from the warmth and buoyancy.

This aids in maintaining and improving flexibility, endurance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness to maintain a healthy body weight.

3) Post-Surgical Treatment & Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is also incredibly beneficial for client of any age pre- and post- surgery.

Most commonly we have clients with rotator cuff repairs, knee replacement, hip replacements and spinal surgeries.

Hydrotherapy can assist with:

• providing pain and inflammation relief
• returning to ‘normal’ movement patterns
• weight bearing abilities
• and increase the movement as soon as possible, without aggravating the area.

Once working through a graded program, some clients use hydrotherapy as a stepping stone to progress toward gym, sport specific training or pilates.

The buoyancy helps to alleviate the strain on your joints including the cartilage and soft tissues structures. This effectively alleviates pain, permitting greater range in the water. It enables exercise of the muscles around the joint, relatively pain free.

The warmth of the water additionally facilitates increased range of motion as the muscles relax and can lengthen easier.

Rehabilitation prior to an operation has been shown to have significantly better outcomes functionally and pain responses post-op. This is why it is important to start rehabilitation 6 weeks or more before to strengthen the muscles around the joints.

Through exercising it reinforces the strength and stability of the joint, prevents muscle wastage and also eases the transition post operation into rehabilitation.

You may be wondering how water can provide strengthening benefits?

Well, have you ever thought how difficult it is wadding through water at the beach? It is the resistance of the water providing this increased exertion.

Additionally we utilise flotation devices or paddles to provide resistance or assist in further alleviating the load on a painful area.

Make this your success story! Jump into the pool and achieve the goals you

didn’t think were possible on land. It isn’t only for joint replacements

but also excellent for any back pain or general conditioning.

Call us on 1300 189 289 and enquire now about our hydrotherapy classes.