Page 37 - Waterfall City Issue 10 October 2023

• Warmth – thermal
conductivity
The temperature of the water in a
hydrotherapy pool is held at a constant
of 34˚C – this is called thermoneutral.
It means that the human body can
stay in this temperature indefinitely,
without much fluctuation in its core
temperature.

Given that water conducts heat (or
cold) 25 times better than air, the
temperature of the water is transferred
efficiently into the body’s tissues.
The warmth is also uniform, reducing
muscle tension and spasticity in the
whole body and enhancing stretching
and mobilisation. Aquatic Bodywork –
intensive rest after an
In temperatures colder than 32˚C, intensive workout
cardiovascular exercise is required to There are a number of other In this part of the session, the
maintain the body’s core temperature physiological responses to hydrostatic therapist tailors the patient’s
if the body is immersed for longer than pressure that affect venous return, blood buoyancy using special floats so
10 minutes. Since most osteoarthritic volume in the heart, kidney function and that he/she lies weightless at the
patients experience restricted lymphatic return. surface of the water.
movement, vigorous exercise is
not always possible, and there is a • Three-dimensionality A variety of techniques are then
risk of spasticity and less effective I’ve added this property as I’d like to focus applied to ‘work’ the body in
mobilisation. on the ease with which one can use ways impossible on land. These
multiple positions – supine, side-lying, include stretching, massage, gentle
Another interesting fact is that the prone, sitting and standing, to name a traction, myofascial release, tremors
sensation of warm water reduces pain few – and, of course, the movement from and oscillations. These are applied
sensitivity. The warmth ‘distracts’ that one position to another. The therapist together with breathing rhythms
pain because sensory nerve fibres applies this property extensively in to provide three-dimensional
that detect warmth and touch are the active modalities to maximise the integration and ‘balance’.
larger and faster and have greater challenges posed in a session.
conductivity than pain fibres. Now we For those who have not come
know why our bull feels respite from I’ve often found myself ‘inventing’ a new across this work, it is highly
his aches and pains simply from the move by necessity (given the parameters experiential and it changes
swirls during immersion. of a patient’s limits) and later reflecting according to the needs of each
on how uniquely effective it was on patient.
• Hydrostatic pressure 2 coordination, motor skills, balance, etc.
Simply put, hydrostatic pressure For the osteoarthritis patient of
means support. Joints experience a In my 18 years’ experience in the field, I every age, shape and size, it is the
multidirectional force that immediately find the three-dimensionality of water combination of active and passive
stabilises them and significantly lowers to be its most wondrous property. It methods, facilitated by the unique
the risk of injury during movement. nurtures creativity and continues to properties of water, that achieve
It also means that muscle groups surprise me by presenting a versatile and the desired results: reduced pain,
are allowed to strengthen in more ingenious way of addressing challenges increased strength and ROM.
numerous and functional planes as and resolving problems. This is also the
opposed to being limited to fixed property that allows for the application Visit the website
planes on land. of passive bodywork techniques. www.hydrotherapy.co.za

2 This is the pressure or multidirectional force that is applied to all surfaces that are immersed and References: Templeton, Booth,
increases with the depth. and O’Kelly. Norton et al.

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