Wikipedia is supposed to be the fount of all collective knowledge on the web. So what does this virtual encyclopedia have to say about aquatic therapy? Here is the entire accumulated wisdom about the topic:
Aquatic therapy or pool therapy is
physical therapy that is performed in the water. Aquatic therapy use the resistance of water instead of weights.
[1]
It aims to rehabilitate patients after injury or those with chronic
illness, avoiding the amount of weight placed on the joints by exercise
outside the water.
References
[1] Musculoskeletal Interventions
Yikes! Let's see how many fronts that is wrong on.
1. Aquatic therapy is performed by many professionals, not just physical therapists. Although physical therapists and recreational therapists are the most common providers of aquatic therapy, aquatic therapy is also performed by occupational therapists, speech therapists, massage therapists, kinesiotherapists, exercise physiologists, athletic trainers and others. Most insurance companies will only reimburse for treatment provided by PTs and OTs, although some speech therapists have started to provide services in the water and been successful in receiving payment.
2. Aquatic therapy is not only used for rehabilitation after injury or for treatment of chronic illness. It can be used as a preoperative method (prior to total joint replacement), a post-operative rehab tool, a sensory integration technique, a training tool for athletes and more.
3. Aquatic therapy deserves more than a 2 sentence statement on Wikipedia. Rise up therapists and add your knowledge! There are certain rules and need for citations when contributing to a Wiki, but what a great class project for a Physical Therapy or other class.
Go forth and post!
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