I will never forget the day one of my physical therapy students came to me and said, "I'm so happy. It's the end of the day and I don't have a headache." That gave me pause. Did my teaching style tend to bring on an ache in the brain pan? That gave me pause. Did my teaching style tend to bring on an ache in the brain pan? The student laughed and explained. She had just come from a clinical affiliation where she spent most of her week in the pool. And every night like clockwor

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Megan is scheduled for aquatic therapy three times a week. Every time she shows, she sees a different clinician. During each session, her therapist-of-the-day perches on the deck, asplendid in corporate polo and khakis (“How hot he must be!” opines Megan), clipboard in hand, adding such clinical pearls to her session as “10 more”. If another therapist happens to be poolside, an informal social pow-wow often commences, with both therapists vettin

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT It may not be a question for the ages, but it is  an important question to ask. Is aquatic exercise safe for my patient with COPD, CHF, MI or other cardiopulmonary disorders? There are 5 prevalent myths that have edged into the collective medical psyche and which must be tackled in order to suss out the truth. In order to do so, it is important to first understand what happens when a person stands immersed in water, before placing a single limb

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Megan is scheduled for aquatic therapy three times a week. Every time she shows, she sees a different...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Fast Facts · In US, between 5–10 million women have been diagnosed as having osteoporosis [1] · Each year,...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT The improvement of muscular strength is a desired outcome for athletes, rehabilitation patients and individuals seeking body fitness. Plyometric training, widely utilized to enhance muscle power, is a series of exercises designed to achieve rapid muscle elongation followed by quick contraction. This type of conditioning has been well-documented in the medical literature to enhance dynamic muscle performances, such as vertical jump height, 1 agil

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT I’m not going to lie to you. Patients with compromised cardiopulmonary systems, such as those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), may not tolerate full-body immersion. However, this is by no means a universal contraindication. In fact, clinicians who blindly create an arbitrary cut-off for aquatic participation (for instance, an ejection fraction <25% or vital capacity <1.5 Liters) are neglecting one of the most powerful pulmonary

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Therapists who work in the water have a difficult task. Not only must they understand the nuances of their patients' diagnoses, but they must understand all the technical distinctions that come from working in a unique environment: the pool. In addition, there is more of a call for "justification" for aquatic therapy than for garden variety physical therapy. Payers look at the pool and may think of synchronized swimming, of water aerobics, of le

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Therapists who work in the water have a difficult task. Not only must they understand the nuances of their...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT We have all read books and articles extolling (sans references) the virtues of aquatic physical therapy....

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Water works, right? I mean, we keep hearing that water offers a unique therapeutic environment which can...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Aquatic therapy isn't always smooth sailing. In fact, therapists who treat patients in the pool may face...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Overcoming noise, crowding and water quality problems at the community pool Too crowded? Too loud? Too...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT Therapists who work in the water have a difficult task. Not only must they understand the nuances of their...

Dive into the latest evidence showing that aquatic therapy doesn't just make waves—it boosts brain power! Studies reveal that water-based...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT For many people, natural movement has narrowed to a 3-foot by 2-foot area. Because of the fear of falling,...

Byline: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT *Not her real name For Lauren Anderson*, the therapy pool represents the worst day in her young son’s...

Aquatic therapy offers several benefits compared to land-based therapies for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Here is a short...

Aquatic therapy is not universally contraindicated for individuals with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but careful consideration of the...

Many therapists count on the use of buoyancy to reduce joint load. But is it possible that the pool is not a safe place for everyone,...