Aquatic play is a child's best friend, whether it's the ocean, a pool, or even the bathtub. Although most children love playing in the water, New England temperatures make it difficult to maintain all year round. Once winter begins, water play is typically discontinued until the following summer. But what if we told you that didn't have to be the case?
We can incorporate aquatic therapy into your child's physical therapy treatment plan all year long! On this chilly December day, we'll teach you about the benefits of aquatic therapy for your child when receiving pediatric physical therapy care at Performance Physical Therapy.
Warmth
The warm, 85-degree air in our therapeutic pool room soothes and provides comfort for your child. This allows for better tolerance in handling or in facilitation techniques that your physical therapist or physical therapist assistant will provide during treatment sessions. The pool is kept between 89-90 degrees, similar to that of a bathtub. For infants, this can help to reduce muscle tone by creating a calming effect to promote participation. For older children, it makes getting into the water easier because there is no drastic change in temperature to shock their sensory systems.
Buoyancy
This property of the water helps to promote floating, which encourages engagement of your child's core muscle group. The core is so important to promote proper sitting form and even walking! It also works well for your recovering school-aged or teenage athlete as it can help them to perform more activities sooner in this protective environment.
Hydrostatic Pressure
Being in a pool allows your child to receive constant gentle compression from the hydrostatic pressure of t