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February 21, 2008 11:46 pm
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Photos
Linsey Tait/Eagle-Tribune
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Editor's notes: benefits at bottom of story, etswimtherapy.jpg
Water works: Patients struggling with traditional physical therapy seek alternative treatments
To treat some patients, physical therapists are trading in their dry work gear and sneakers for bathing suits and hopping into heated pools.
By Suzanne Laurent
CNHI News Service
MARBLEHEAD, Mass. — Abby Georges, a licensed practical nurse from Marblehead, used to go home and collapse on her couch after an 8- to 10-hour day of work.
Georges, 38, suffered from back pain following disc surgery last June, compounded by a rupture above the surgical site on her lower spine.
“I was unable to finish my physical therapy because of the pain from the rupture,” Georges said.
“I tried rest and was on a low dose of Methadone to see if the pain would subside and allow me to function.”
After six months of treating the pain that way, Georges decided to try aquatic therapy. Her doctor referred her to North Shore Physical Therapy, which offers aquatic therapy at the Salem YMCA.
The results, George said, were immediate.
“The rest and methadone were just a Band-Aid,” she said. “As soon as I went into the water, my pain went down a notch.”
To treat patients like Georges, physical therapists at some local facilities are trading in their dry work gear and sneakers for bathing suits and hopping into heated pools.
“Being in water takes away the gravity and provides buoyancy,” said Fawn Anderson, a physical therapist at North Shore Physical Therapy in Marblehead and Swampscott.
Aquatic therapy takes place in a special pool that is heated to at least 86 degrees, which helps relax muscles and increase blood flow to injured areas of the body. This allows for greater ease of stretching and decreased pain.
Each program is tailored to the individual patient, and the half-hour sessions are one-on-one with a therapist.
“Many people experience pain during physical therapy, and the water takes away that fear,” Anderson said. “This may help the patient strengthen ligaments and muscles faster, making recovery time shorter after surgery or injuries.”
Aquatic therapy can be used to treat orthopedic problems, as well as sports injuries. Common problems that respond well to this therapy are knee or hip injuries, joint replacements, rotator cuff injuries, pelvic dysfunction and spinal conditions. The treatment also is an option for people with arthritis or fibromyalgia.
“Hydrostatic pressure in the water can also reduce swelling, which can help heal a fracture,” Anderson said. “The water acts like an Ace bandage.”
Most insurances will cover aquatic therapy as a physical therapy treatment with a referral from the patient’s physician, Anderson said.
Susan Finigan, a physical therapy assistant at North Shore Physical Therapy, said that most of her experiences with aquatic therapy have been positive.
“People who have been unable to make gains on land with strength can make them in the pool,” she said. “This type of therapy is also very effective for high-level stroke patients and those with Parkinson’s disease.”
Finigan said to be certified in aquatic physical therapy, practitioners have to log in 30 hours of treating patients in the water, take a written test and hold certifications in cardiopulmonary resiscitation and first aid.
Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital in Salem, N.H., also uses aquatic therapy for adults and children, said physical therapist Sharon Priest.
The program started more than 15 years ago and is used for both inpatients at the hospital and outpatient physical therapy patients.
“We offer a community program for patients after discharge from their therapy,” Priest said. “When they have reached a level to where they can move on, they can use the therapy pool on a community basis.”
The cost is $60 to come in twice a week for six weeks.
“We also offer a program through the Arthritis Foundation for people who have difficulty learning and remembering their exercise program,” Priest said.
Parkland Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center in Londonderry, N.H., also offers aquatic therapy.
“The buoyancy helps patients get their strength back, and they can go through the land exercises more effectively,” said Marc Lacroix, director of rehabilitation.
Some patients choose to stay with water exercises.
“Our hope is for patients to transition to water-based exercise classes, which offer a great cardiovascular benefit as well,” Finigan, of North Shore Physical Therapy, said.
Georges said that she went for aquatic therapy twice a week for eight weeks and still swims regularly.
“I’m swimming laps now, doing the crawl and backstroke,” she said. “I really feel like I have control of my core muscles.”
Georges said her overall pain has decreased by 75 percent.
“It may flare up if I do laundry or vacuum,” she said. “But I just keep reminding myself to keep in neutral.”
She said she only needs to take an occasional over-the-counter pill for pain these days, and that she is looking for work that will be less stressful on her back.
“The relief when I get in the pool is amazing,” Georges said.
Suzanne Laurent writes for The Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass.
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Benefits of Aquatic Physical Therapy
r Relieves pain
r Improves strength and core stability for balance
r Improves range of motion
r Loosens stiff joints
r Improves overall conditioning
r Increases blood flow to heal damaged tissues
r Reduces spasticity
— Source: North Shore Physical Therapy
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