Aquatic Therapy

Physical Properties and Principles of Water  Buoyancy  Archimedes Principle  Percentages for different submersed body parts  Specific Gravity  Density of object relative to water  A ratio  >1 sink  < 1 float  Not Constant

Aquatic Therapy

Physical Properties and Principles of Water  Hydrodynamics  Viscosity  Resistance due to friction of fluid molecules  Cohesion vs adhesion

Physical Properties and Principles of Water  Form Drag  Depends on shape  Pressure differences at opposite ends  Related to turbulence  How to adjust form drag?

Physical Properties and Properties of Water  Wave Drag  Acts at the interface of two different fluids  Air and water  Greater speed greater wave drag  Reduces if under water  Look at wake created

Physical Properties and Properties of Water  Hydrostatic Pressure  The pressure from fluid is exerted equally on all surfaces of an immersed object at any given depth  Greater depth of immersion = greater pressure

Exercise Equipment  Assistive Devices  Flotation cuff  Pull buoys  Vest, belts  Kick boards  Resistive Devices  Water shoes, fins, boots, webbed gloves, paddles, balls,

 Indications  Advantages  Buoyancy  Warmth of water  Reduction of compressive forces  Neuromuscular control and balance  Psychological boost  Disadvantages  Costly  Time consuming  Precautions  Contrainidications

Principles in Developing Aquatic Therapy Programs  Warm-up and Cool down  Deficiencies  Consider all Principles  Resistance  Progression  Early, middle, advance, end-phase