WHAT IS HYDROTHERAPY AND WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
Hydrotherapy is therapy performed in a pool, utilising water-based exercise prescription to help treat and manage a variety of different conditions.
These include:

• Arthritis (osteo, rheumatoid, gout, etc) or joint pain
• Chronic pain
• Pre/post-operative surgery
• Fibromyalgia
• Musculoskeletal injuries
• Neurological conditions
• Paediatrics
• High falls risks
• Respiratory disease
• Pulmonary disease

HOW CAN HYDROTHERAPY BENEFIT YOU?

Buoyancy: 
One of the most beneficial features of hydrotherapy is that the buoyancy of the water can help take a lot of weight off our joints (especially in the back, knees and ankles) giving us a sense of weightlessness when in the water.Feeling lighter when in water can also allow you to be more mobile. This can increase your ability to perform certain exercises or tasks that would be difficult to do on land more comfortably. For example, if you have knee pain with walking on land, walking may be easier or pain-free when in water due to buoyancy.

Stability:
Exercising in water can also create a sense of security which allows you to feel more secure when weight bearing. For example, you may feel more balanced in the water which can reduce the risk of falls or injury.This can also increase your confidence with movements that you may find difficult on land, for example, standing on one leg.

Improves strength and endurance:
Hydrotherapy is the ideal environment to strengthen all muscles especially those notably weak ones that may be hard to exercise on land. Water can also provide resistance which can work muscles in a different way than they are worked on land. However, it can still give the same benefits in improving strength and endurance.

Suitable for all populations:
With the help of your Exercise Physiology, intensity and difficulty can be altered to suit each individual to help them improve strength, endurance, mobility, flexibility and confidence at their own pace. This can be done by modifying exercises E.g. modifying speed or range of movement, increasing or decreasing repetitions performed and introducing floatation devices or hydrotherapy equipment to assist or increase intensity.

Transitioning to land-based exercise:
Exercising in water can be one of the most beneficial forms of exercise to start your fitness journey. If you are someone who has difficulty with movements, tasks or exercises on land, hydrotherapy can help you reduce pain, gain strength, endurance, stability, mobility, flexibility and confidence in a safer environment. These improvements gained in water-based exercise can be transferred to land-based activities or exercises, making things like activities of daily living easier (e.g. walking, climbing stairs, lifting your arms over your head, etc), allowing you to become more functional in everyday life.