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Contemporary Aquatic Therapy andPain Management

  • Chapter
Integrative Pain Medicine

Part of the book series: Contemporary Pain Medicine ((CPM))

Summary

Though the therapeutic use of water is an ancient practice, American interest waned after the end of the polio epidemic in the 1950s. NASA studies and research into the physiological effects of immersion, however, revived interest in the 1990s. Meanwhile, physicians and therapists in other countries continued to research and to develop techniques that now compose the primary approaches to aquatic therapy and rehabilitation in the United States. Aquatic therapy and rehabilitation is considered a multi-disciplinary specialty with some technique certifications and overall certification offered by the National Commission for the Credentialing of Aquatic Rehabilitation Disciplines (NCCARD).

The essential properties of water—density, buoyancy, viscosity and specific heat—act on essentially every homeostatic system of the body, reducing edema, enhancing circulation, measurably reducing weight-bearing stress, and relieving pain.

Turbulence, caused by moving water around the body, or by moving the body through water, provides further therapeutic benefits: thermal conductivity is enhanced; drag forces challenge movement and balance to strengthen muscles and improve proprioception; viscosity helps prevent the risk of falling; resistance to movement can be balanced between agonists and antagonists; painful movements can be stopped instantly to prevent damage; and combined with hydrostatic pressure, turbulence acts to further reduce pain.

The multiple effects of immersion and movement in water provide a rich field for research. While research is not lacking internationally, much that has been done with aquatic therapy and rehabilitation is based on anecdotal or experiential evidence. With modern tools for measurement and quantification, scientific evidence for the value of the therapeutic use of water could lead to its greater acceptance and utilization, reducing healthcare costs and improving outcomes for millions of Americans.

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Authors
  1. Douglas W. Kinnaird
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  2. Bruce E. Becker
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Spaulding, Massachusetts

    Joseph F. Audette MA, MD

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

    Allison Bailey MD

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© 2008 Humana Press

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Kinnaird, D.W., Becker, B.E. (2008). Contemporary Aquatic Therapy andPain Management. In: Audette, J.F., Bailey, A. (eds) Integrative Pain Medicine. Contemporary Pain Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-344-8_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-344-8_14

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-786-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-344-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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