Aquatic Therapy vs. Hydrotherapy

By: Sallie Keller, PTA, ATRIC (Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute Certified)

Aquatic therapy and hydrotherapy are sometimes confused with one another; however, they are different and yield different benefits.

What is Aquatic Therapy?

Aquatic therapy refers to water-based treatments or exercises that have therapeutic benefits, including relaxation, physical rehabilitation, and fitness. Treatments and exercises are performed in a heated, temperature-controlled pool, which can be of various depths, and are either performed fully submerged, partially submerged, or floating in the pool.

Focused on improving the physical function associated with illness, injury, or disability, aquatic therapy can be passive, where an aquatic therapist is involved in the treatment, or active, where the aquatic therapist directs self-generated body positions, movement, or exercises.

Aquatic therapy supports functional restoration in many areas, particularly in orthopedic rehabilitation, including sports medicine, work conditioning, joint arthroplasty, and back rehabilitation programs. A strong aquatic component is especially beneficial if you are limited by inflammation, pain, guarding, muscle spasm, or range of motion and need a limited or non-weight bearing therapy program.

Water provides a controllable environment for the reeducation of weak muscles and skill development for neurological and neuromuscular impairment, acute orthopedic or neuromuscular injury, rheumatological disease, or recovery from recent surgery.

Various properties of water contribute to its therapeutic effects, including:

  • The ability to use water as resistance rather than gravity or weights
  • Thermal stability helps to relax affected muscles
  • Hydrostatic pressure that supports, stabilizes, and sometimes reduces inflammation
  • Buoyancy reduces the effects of gravity making exercise more tolerable due to high pain
  • Turbulence challenges balance in a safe environment

What is Hydrotherapy?

On the other hand, hydrotherapy involves the use of water for pain relief. Hydrotherapy treatments take advantage of the physical properties of water, such as temperature and pressure, to stimulate blood circulation and treat symptoms of certain diseases. Typical therapies used in present-day hydrotherapy employ water jets, underwater massage, and mineral baths.

Benefits of hydrotherapy include:

  • Burn treatment and debridement
  • Wound irrigation
  • Hot tub and cold plunge

If you are interested in aquatic therapy, Sheltering Arms Institute offers this service at our Bon Air and Reynolds outpatient centers. For more information, please visit https://shelteringarmsinstitute.com/conditions-services/aquatic-therapy/.

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