Aquatic Physical Therapy

Why Aquatic Physical Therapy?

Aquatic therapy is ideal for people who are suffering from painful acute or chronic injuries, pain with pregnancy, balance disorders, recent fractures, deconditioning after prolonged hospitalization or bed rest hospitalization, arthritis, difficulty breathing with exercise, neurological disorders or recovering from surgery.

Exercise in water allows aquatic physical therapists to treat several different problems at the same time such as balance, strength and aerobic conditioning.

• The extraordinary benefits of water help reduce pain when healing.
• It works for people of any ability level and with a wide variety of joint, muscle, and nerve conditions.
• Regain motion sooner after injury or surgery.
• Walk without canes/crutches/walkers when safety or weight bearing restrictions make it impossible on land.
• Improve motion, strength and endurance with less stress on joints and muscles.
• Overcome balance problems in a safe space with less fear of falling or injury.

How It Works

Aquatic therapy is physical therapy exercise and hands-on therapy performed in very warm water.

Buoyancy makes you lighter, taking the stress off joints and muscles.

Resistance in water is excellent for strengthening muscles. Water allows for strengthening both sides of a joint and restoring muscle balance. Water slows movement and gives people time to react to losing balance or moving normally again.

Warm water immersion and exercise can reduce pain by relaxing tense muscles. It allows people to perform exercises that would not be possible or very painful on land.

About Our Program

The University of Vermont Medical Center has had a dynamic and growing aquatic physical therapy program since 1988.

Our state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled, SwimEx Therapy pool is located in Winooski in the O'Brien Community Center.

The first step in healing is a thorough evaluation and consultation with a licensed physical therapist. After the evaluation, the therapist is able to develop a treatment plan and goals for therapy tailored to fit the needs of each person. Our goal is to return people back to their best "land" functional level with education, aquatic therapy, therapy exercise, and manual therapy.

Our space has a poolside changing/treatment area, swim lift, and land evaluation/ exercise space.

People do not have to know how to swim to participate in and benefit from aquatic physical therapy!

About Aquatic Rehab Staff

The staff is committed to high quality service delivery and consistently brings the latest in evaluation and treatment planning to this service. Our experienced therapists are specially trained in aquatic rehabilitation and have a depth of skills in many therapy settings including work rehab, acute rehab, sub-acute rehab, general orthopedics and neurological rehab.

Appointments

Please call to arrange an evaluation. If your insurance plan requires it, you will need a referral from your doctor before scheduling an appointment. Please note that financial coverage for evaluation and treatment are subject to the conditions of your particular insurance policy.

For an appointment:

The UVM Medical Center's Aquatic Physical Therapy
In the O'Brien Community Center at 32 Malletts Bay Ave.
Winooski, VT 05404
Phone: 802-847-0080
Fax: 802-847-0310