BENEFITS --> Programs

Why Active Physical Therapy?
Our primary goal is to help our patients stay active. We chose the name, Active Physical Therapy, because of our belief that staying active is therapeutic. Staying active is a key component in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Our Mission
Our staff is dedicated to serving our patients in their time of need. To provide care, in a compassionate and professional manner, for those seeking our help. To strive for the highest quality skill in manual therapy and therapeutic exercise.

Whether you enjoy walking on the beach, horseback riding, snow boarding, triathlons or just want to keep up with your grandchildren, our staff will help you achieve your activity goals that will foster an active lifestyle.

Our Aquatic Therapy Mission.

• Provide individual skilled aquatic treatment under the direct supervision of a PT or PTA.
• Demonstrate functional progress in the pool and on land using the SwimEx pool as a treatment modality.
• Develop therapy goals and treatment progression from the pool to land-based rehabilitation.
• Provide evaluations and medical screening for aquatic appropriateness.
• Send progress notes to the referring physician.
• Provide a safe and inviting aquatic environment for our patients.

Why Recommend Hydrotherapy for Your Patients?
There are unique benefits to aquatic rehabilitation.

• Aquatic physical therapy has been clinically and scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for many musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiopulmonary, and immunological disorders.
• The physical properties of water including buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, and viscosity provide a therapeutic environment that cannot always be achieved with land rehabilitation.
• Aquatic therapy can address many of the problems commonly associated with musculoskeletal injury including:
  • Pain
  • Reduced range of motion (ROM)
  • Reduced strength
  • Reduced functional mobility
  • Limited weight bearing
  • Diminished proprioceptive input
  • Deconditioning

  Patients start therapy earlier and recover faster.
  Water can be the best environment in which to pursue full function.

• Therapy pools are a safe environment for injuries and conditions in all stages of rehabilitation.
• In many cases, hydrotherapy in the acute stages of rehabilitation can be initiated earlier than land-based therapy.
• The aquatic environment can be effectively utilized in the progression of:
  • Strengthening
  • Weight-bearing
  • Functional land activities
  • Conditioning and endurance
  • Sport-specific activities
  • ROM
  • Gait
  • Balance
• Aquatic therapy can accelerate the healing process and recovery time for your patients.

Get Optimum Outcomes From a State-of-the-art Aquatic Facility.
The SwimEx is more than just pool.

• The SwimEx pool has been specifically designed to maximize the unique benefits of water for rehabilitation providers and their clients in hundreds of therapy clinics across the US.
• The Swim Ex pool has multiple depths allowing our therapists to control and progress the patients’ weight-bearing status.
• The SwimEx features a patented water current system that is measurable and fully adjustable for a wide variety of strengthening, stabilization, balance, and conditioning exercises.
• The SwimEx pool is also equipped with unique workstations for a wide variety of stretching exercises, seated exercise and/or variable depth closed-chain exercises.

Common conditions for aquatic rehabilitation referrals.

• Arthritis
• Musculoskeletal sprains and strains
• Post-surgical diagnosis
  • THR
  • TKR
  • ACL reconstruction
  • Rotator cuff repair
• Status-post fractures
• Lumbar spine injuries and surgeries
• Fibromyalgia
• Severe deconditioning
• Sports-related injuries
• Balance disorders
• Frozen Shoulder

THERAPY PROGRAMS

All programs begin with a thorough evaluation on land. Ongoing evaluation to progress program and modify ration of land to water based therapy. Instruction and training in home exercise program.

1. Lumbar Stabilization:
   • Aquatic therapy is more tolerable than land-based exercise for patients with back pain due to axial unloading of the spine because of the buoyant effect of the water.
   • Protocol emphasizes lumbar stabilization and strengthening.
   • Water depth is modified to allow gradient levels of axial loading.
   • Deep-water traction for pain relief and additional axial unloading. Land therapy is critical to establish and progress a home exercise program.
   • Aquatic protocol incorporates total body conditioning.
   • The ratio of land to water therapy increases as the client is able to stabilize and safely work on ADL's.
2. Balance and Gait Disorders
   • Standardized assessment tools are used to objectify goal setting and achievement.
   • Warmth, buoyancy and 3-dimentional support of water provide a safe environment for someone who has balance challenges.
   • Water decreases protective reactions and guarding, which allows therapists to facilitate more normal gait and movement patterns.
3. Arthritis, Surgical Repair, Joint Arthroplasty
   • Warmth and buoyancy of water provide an immediate reduction of pain and enhances the ability to move.
   • Water provides the environment for increased joint ROM and muscle length.
   • Soft tissue and scar massage is effective in the water requiring less force.
   • In the water, patients with weight-bearing precautions can begin gait training earlier.
4. Nerve Entrapment/Repetitive Strain Injury
   • Modalities/manual therapy for pain reduction.
   • Strength training.
   • Aquatic therapy may provide the only arena comfortable for cardiovascular fitness training.
   • Breathing retraining and gentle nerve glides as appropriate.
   • Evaluation of work site or leisure activities and movement retraining to avoid re-injury.
5. Bowel and Bladder Health/Incontinence Prevention and Training
   • Using the approach of Janet Hulme, PT "Beyond Kegels."
   • Specific programs are designed to treat competitive athletes, pre- and post-partum women, peri-menopausal women, men, frail and active elderly.
   • Aquatic therapy may provide the only arena comfortable for walking and necessary exercise.
   • Breathing retraining and autonomic nervous system quieting are critical parts.
   • Evaluation using EMG Biofeedback is being developed at this time.

In summary, water provides a safe place for protected and guided motion to begin, without overly stressing the joint, site of injury and/or surgical repair. The comfort of water allows the patient to begin moving earlier in the healing process, which can decrease overall recovery time. Finally, the added resistance of water provides an arena for progressive strength training.

To encourage discharged therapy patients to maintain an active lifestyle they are given a Fitness & Aquatic Center membership discount.