Therapeutic benefits of warm water exercise:
- Promotes muscular relaxation
- Reduces pain sensitivity
- Decreases muscle spasm
- Increases ease of joint mobility
- Increases muscular strength and endurance in cases of excessive weakness
- Reduces gravitational forces
- Increases peripheral circulation (skin condition)
- Improves respiratory muscles
- Improves body awareness, balance and proximal trunk stability
- Improves patient morale and confidence
Physiologic changes during warm water exercise:
- Increased respiratory rate
- Decreased blood pressure
- Increased muscle metabolism
- Increased superficial circulation
- Increased heart rate
- Increased amount of blood returned to the heart
- Increased metabolic rate
- Decreased edema of submerged body parts
- Reduced sensitivity of sensory nerve endings
- General muscle relaxation
Appropriate diagnoses for warm water exercise include:
- Orthopedic and rheumatologic conditions
- Post-surgical rehabilitation
- Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
- Chronic pain
- Neuromuscular disabilities
