Dealing with pain makes life extremely difficult, whether it is pain from an injury years ago or a recent surgery. In some cases, mobility is an issue due to lack of weight-bearing ability or balance problems. Aquacare Physical Therapy, located in the Milford Wellness Village, offers a solution to these problems with their aquatic and gym-based physical therapy program.
“One of the unique things we offer here is aquatic therapy which helps reduce the stress on your joints thanks to the buoyancy of the water. You’re able to move a lot easier in the water,” Amanda Pender, PT, DPT, physical therapist and clinical director in Milford, said. “The water supports your arms and allows you to move better. You can do a lot of things in water that you can’t do on land, but also on the flip side of that you have resistance no matter how you move, so it’s actually a really hard work-out because you’re using muscles you don’t always use on land.”
Pender explained that aquatic therapy is an excellent option for anyone dealing with chronic pain.
“We find people dealing with pain, whether back, hip, knee, shoulder, or even people with fibromyalgia, benefit greatly from aquatic therapy,” Pender said. “It’s also good for patients who are not able to do weight-bearing activities because of physical restrictions or after a surgery, because they can do a lot more in the pool.”
“It just really helps the joints and helps people get moving a lot quicker without the stress and the wear and tear on their joints,” she said.
Aquacare’s physical therapy team works with patients of all ages and all abilities. A major benefit of the Milford location is it provides both aquatic and gym-based physical therapy. And, once you complete your personalized treatment program, you can become a member of the Lifestyles Fitness Center, located in the same office, where you can continue to work out under the watchful eye of the physical therapy team.
“Often, we find people complete their program and go home where they don’t feel confident enough to do the exercises on their own. This can lead them to boomerang back into needing treatment,” Pender said. “By offering the fitness center right here at our office, we can continue to work with our past patients and help them continue to move and regain strength.”
Aquacare has helped people in their 70s who have had back pain since they were young, sometimes stemming from injuries in their teens or early 20s, Pender stated. Many of them have tried all sorts of treatments and are now using physical therapy to try to address loss of strength or mobility.
“We’re trying to get it back for them without really flaring up their pain. Fibromyalgia is another one, any type of chronic pain syndrome, like fibromyalgia, is very good for the water because they can move, they get that buoyancy from the water pushing on their joints that helps kind of calm down everything,” Pender said. “We see a lot of chronic pain where people are continuing to suffer. Some have had multiple surgeries to address back pain, or they are three surgeries in for knee pain, and they are still having issues. We’ll see a lot of failed surgeries or surgeries where the pain comes back, and we find physical therapy works really well.”
Another condition that may respond well to physical therapy is neuropathy that is a common side effect of cancer treatments or diabetes. Patients with peripheral neuropathy may be treated aquatically, but most are treated with what is known as the “rebuilder” program.
“The Rebuilder helps regenerate the nerves to get them working. So, the numbness and tingling that many face after cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can be caused by nerve damage and the Rebuilder is great at healing so patients don’t have tingling and can move more confidently,” said Pender. “The Rebuilder also works well for diabetics who often have neuropathy and nerve damage in their feet.”
Patients with diabetes are at higher risk for foot amputation, so rebuilding those nerves can help prevent future injury or the need for surgery.
“It’s not a guarantee, but it’s something we can try, especially if nobody else has tried it in the past,” Pender said.
Aquacare – Milford recently celebrated its 1,000th patient. The location has been serving the Milford community for three years and is accepting new patients.
Patients and community members are encouraged to sign up for the personalized memberships available at Lifestyles Fitness Center. To learn more: www.milfordlifestylefitnesscenter.com.
“We have a unique service here in Milford because patients often come for the aquatic or gym-based physical therapy, but then they stay to join the fitness center to continue improving how they feel,” Pender said. “We are excited to serve our next 1,000 patients.”
Aquacare Physical Therapy is located at 21 West Clarke Street, Suite 1500, in Milford. The hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Schedule an appointment by calling 302-491-4196 or go online to www.aquacarephysicaltherapy.com.
by Terry Rogers, Milford Live – https://milfordlive.com/aquatic-therapy-offers-many-benefits/