Where can you find warm water exercise?

By | October 23, 2009

The benefits of warm water therapy include increased joint and muscle flexibility, increased muscle strength, relaxation, increased balance and coordination, increased endurance and increased circulation. Individuals of all ages and activity levels have reported excellent results while taking an active role in their recovery. We have successfully treated high school, college, and weekend athletes, workers’ compensation clients, and seniors with a variety of painful conditions. The pool offers a unique medium to relieve pain while providing a serious resistive exercise challenge.

Acute and chronic conditions benefit from the weightless buoyancy, the graded resistance, and the hydrostatic pressure provided by the water. A weak and debilitated individual can use the water effectively for each stage of their recovery and the able, athletic individual with back pain, or a knee injury can withstand different levels of training in the same aquatic environment..

Pool therapy is not swimming – it is standing, walking, reaching, lifting, kicking, floating, running, jumping, treading, etc. It includes a variety of creative challenges, which are endless. The therapists at Accelerate Physical Therapy are ready for any challenge – using pool therapy provides us with one more creative tool to help our patients achieve their physical goals.

The buoyancy decreases the load on the joint structure, which eliminates pain, assists range of motion, and improves circulation. Thirty to ninety percent of body weight can be eliminated allowing early aerobic and resistive training for the athlete. Relieving weight through the spine offers significant pain relief for disc and radicular pathologies while allowing for functional gait, transfers, and resistive strength conditioning.

Arthritic conditions benefit from the reduced compressive forces while allowing for smooth synovial motion and muscle strengthening. Water provides an environment that reduces body weight by 90% when standing in shoulder depth water, thus decreasing musculoskeletal stress or impact on the body. What better way to encourage normal motion in a joint than by eliminating gravity?

Graded resistance is accomplished by varying speed of motion and surface area of the extremity. Upper extremity, lower extremity and trunk exercise performed at a slow speed is assisted while fast motion creates a resistive challenge. Use of water dumbbells, fins, and paddles increase muscle recruitment for higher level strengthening. Furthermore, motion in the water is highly functional as trunk and proximal stabilization musculature are recruited throughout movement in the pool. This challenge incorporates movement of the injured area of the body with the whole person-reinforcing normal motion and coordination. Throwing, pushing, pulling, lifting and reaching can be incorporated into the independent exercise program for return to sports or functional activity. When able, one may initiate high level activities early in the pool with faster return to activity. Further, the use of underwater exercise allows the muscles to be exercised in all directions. This is due to the fact that water resistance is 12 times greater than air resistance.

Confidence increases as the individuals we serve improve their level of control in the water. Soon the activity becomes easier and less challenging out of the water as strength gains continue.

Accelerate Physical Therapy offers one-on -one aquatic therapy treatment. Cost may be discounted by your insurance plan. Programs are tailored to the individual needs of the patient and the treatment diagnosis. Accelerate Physical Therapy. PC are Medicare B (outpatient) providers. If you are covered under Medicare B, we are paid 80% of Medicare’s fee schedule after your deductible is met. There is a limit of ~$,1900 benefits under Medicare B for all physical therapy provided to you everywhere in each calendar year. Medicare benefits are renewed every January. We are participating providers in nearly all insurance plans. We have only abstained from participation with group health insurance carriers who offer less than reasonable and customary reimbursement.

We teach aquatic exercise at the Wheat Ridge Recreational Center, 4005 Kipling St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, where the therapeutic pool is 88 degrees.

A cost effective community resource is the warm water therapy pool located at Margaret Walters Center features 92 degree water, pool depth of 0 to 4’6″, a walkway with rail, a hydraulic lift and easily accessible dressing rooms with lockers. Individuals and organizations may purchase swimming services from the DDRC Recreation Division. Please call (303) 431-0734. DDRC’s Walters Center offers Open Swim hours Tuesday through Friday mornings (8:30 – 9:30 AM), and afternoon Open Swim on Tuesday and Thursday (3:00 to 4:00 PM), and also Wednesdays (4:00 to 5:00 PM).

DDRC Recreation
Walters Center
12665 W. 52nd Ave.
Arvada, CO 80002
(303) 431-0734

Here is a list of some other sites to contact about warm water exercise opportunities:

Apex Center
13150 W 72nd Ave
Arvada, CO 80005
(303) 424-2739

Easter Seals Steve Vestal Center
5755 West Alameda Avenue
Lakewood, CO 80226
(303) 233-1666

Wheat Ridge Recreation Center
Therapeutic Pool (adjacent to the Hot Tubs)
4005 Kipling St
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-4125
(303) 231-1300

YMCA of Arvada
6350 Eldridge St
Arvada, CO 80004
(303) 422-4977

We will update the list as we discover other options for you.

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About Paul O'Brian

CEO, Paul O’Brian founded Accelerate Physical Therapy , P.C. in 1989 in Arvada. Specializing in orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation over a 40-year-career, Paul is experienced in shoulder, knee, spine, foot/ankle, elbow, wrist and hand rehabilitation, quadriplegia, hemiplegia, multiple sclerosis, weakness and balance issues, and geriatric conditions, arthritis, functional decline, postural and pain problems, sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and workers’ compensation injuries. Paul O'Brian has been a youth sports coach for 25 years (swimming and diving, soccer, football and rugby). Paul has served on the Board of Directors for multiple Colorado non-profit Colorado corporations, including Colorado Physical Therapy Network (20 years), Rugby Colorado (5 years) and Tigers Rugby Football Club (20 years).