Explore the Benefits of Hydrotherapy

How Using Ancient Methods With Modern Scientific Techniques Helps The Body Heal

Working out is tough. It takes discipline, time, and so much effort. Are the benefits worth it? Of course! Is making health or the gym a priority easy? Never! Well, at least nothing is easy in the beginning. That’s why Health Bound is here to loosen you up, and give options on how to approach wellness in different ways. We offer alternatives such as hydrotherapy, which is similar to doing physiotherapy but in warm water. Hydrotherapy has been around since ancient times and it is a great way to gain more mobility to get you to where you want to be.

Sometimes going back to the gym can be difficult because of where you are in life. We are here to meet you exactly how you are and get your body stronger than when you first walked in. Life has its ups and downs and that’s normal. The body changes all the time and connecting back to it can be hard when it is not working as well as it once was. Hydrotherapy can be a great way to get you back to a strong baseline that allows you to be more comfortable hitting the gym. Once you build strength in the water it can allow you to gain more mobility outside of it. The ease of mobility in the water allows each patient to move and relax without the fear of falling hard or hurting themselves. Studies have shown that hydrotherapy is an excellent way to ease muscle pain and joint stiffness. It is beneficial for people with trouble walking or holding their balance, as the water also increases buoyancy. It is a method that has been used for centuries to help heal the body and there are many different methods to do it. At Health Bound we are science-focused and CARF certified to provide you with the best services regarding your health and wellness.

Figure 1. Lindsay is demonstrating what exercises to do in the water and how to hold the pose correctly. Our hydrotherapy is a one-on-one session with our trained professionals, leading you into movements to help strengthen your body’s mobility.

Health Bound is a leader in providing innovative ways to speed the healing process. We love to keep our staff and clinics up to date to give clients the most out of our locations. Studies have shown that doing exercises in warm water has also shown to help the patient relax mentally not only physically. Our facility creates a safe and private environment to promote your healing in the best way possible. By doing a one-on-one session with our trained physiotherapy staff we are able to focus on your needs without any distractions as seen in Figure 1. Each session will have you alone in the pool with our physical therapist, guiding you into your workout routine outside of the water. This way each session is personalized for your healing progress. We have both male and female physiotherapists, which can be requested upon booking your appointment. Health Bound wants to make sure you are comfortable throughout the whole process. The pool is shallow enough that you do not even have to know how to swim!

Figure 2. This image displays the length of the pool. It can be seen with the patient that the water is below chest level and easy to do the workout routine in the water. No swimming is needed for hydrotherapy.

Sometimes when people think of a pool they think of a large area. In this setting, our facility has a pool that is 37 degrees Celsius and only 4 feet deep. The pool is short enough that you can stand comfortably or even sit for a brief period of time and rest by the jets. Not knowing how to swim is not an issue for this type of treatment. The pool is shallow enough to stand. We also will have someone with you while you are in the pool every step of the way. Figure 2, is able to display how each session will be mostly on your feet, where each client follows the exercises provided by the physiotherapy staff. The warm water enables your body to be more flexible in order to get more out of the exercises. As the water takes the pressure off, being mobile is easier to accomplish. Hydrotherapy treatment at Health Bound is a unique service we offer to clients that is longer in duration than a normal physiotherapy session, private, and a good supplement to physical therapy when healing from an injury or surgery.

Figure 3. Depending on what body part is the focus, different exercises will be done in the pool and developed over time. Once treatment is over, exercises that can be done at the local pool or at home will be given to you to take home and practice on your own time.

Every session is 1 hour long with an experienced practitioner. Before getting into the water, it is important to shower and clean the body with soap and water. After a shower is taken, the next step would be to get into the water and begin the session. An initial assessment will be done on the very first session as a guideline to see what is needed from us to help your body. Within the first initial appointment, a treatment plan will be discussed to assist you with understanding your body and the estimated time it may take to heal or recover from an injury or surgery. Everybody is different in the recovery process. An example of upper body exercise is shown in Figure 3 to help strengthen the patient’s back, shoulders, and arms. Our practitioners will be able to give you exercises to do at home or in your local pool to help speed your recovery. As with anything, the more you practice the better the results will be. Health Bound is here to support you through your recovery and give you all the recommendations to encourage you to continue your practice at home.

Taking the time to help yourself is hard on its own. Health Bound is here to make you feel like you are not alone. We have the skills to help you improve your health and movement in life. Hydrotherapy is one of many services that can help you alleviate pain. There are many benefits to consistently doing hydrotherapy. The temperature of the water really aids the process by providing support for your body in ways a gym could not. An example of how warm water is beneficial is by how it stimulates blood flow in the body, which helps allow your muscles to relax. Loosening up your body will reduce the amount of injuries that can occur during a workout. The heated pool will naturally increase the range of motion in your joints, which is very beneficial to those who have arthritis. It is even beneficial to those who are trying to lose weight but have joint pain. Obesity causes many people to have issues with their joints, which is why hydrotherapy may be a great first option to try before the gym. Getting into the pool and doing similar exercises as in the gym will show different results, especially if standing and walking is difficult on a good day.

Figure 4. We have change rooms available to change and shower before and after each session. There are lockers inside to store your belongings during your treatment.

Hydrotherapy can help strengthen your body and build back muscles that have been lost due to an accident or surgery. Water therapy has been around for centuries and is a great way to begin the recovery process of healing because of the relaxation and buoyancy benefits. Having a professional guide you into an exercise routine is a great step towards healing your body and taking control of this part of your life. At Health Bound Health Network, we have many different locations and only one of our facilities has a hydrotherapy pool. Our hydrotherapy pool can be located at our 909 Pape Avenue location. We are two bus stops away from Pape Station or a 10-minute walk. We do ask that you come earlier to hydrotherapy appointments so that you can take a shower before entering the pool. As seen in Figure 4, our pool change rooms are labelled so it’s accessible when you walk in. If you have any questions or interests in trying out hydrotherapy with us please feel free to call us at 416-548-7872 or email us at [email protected]

By: Maria Votsis