the aquatic therapist

Aquatic Therapist Alert: You don't even know you're thirsty...You spend too much time in the pool.

DRINK. DRINK. DRINK. Everyone tells you to drink water when you work in the pool. But, dang it, you are never thirsty. So the day rolls on with nary a sip.

Well guys, your body is tricking you into a low grade, long term dehydrated state with serious consequences.

Why? Well, we all understand the effects of hydrostatic pressure on edema control in the legs.We even get the fact that this volume shift creates an extra pre-load on the heart ... in effect making each contraction more powerful.

What we fail to realize is that this same shift in volume creates a sustained stimulation of the cardiopulmonary baroreceptors and reduction of a dipsogenic (ahem... fancy term for thirst) stimulus.

This volume-induced stimuli of  fluid receptors sends a message to your brain saying

A potential benefit of aquatic therapy... bladder cancer???

File it under "I didn't want to know"...

Researchers found an increased risk of bladder cancer associated with exposure to water disinfection byproducts.

Risks tended to be higher for exposure through showering, bathing, and swimming in pools compared with drinking water. Download PDF here.

The ADA Compliant Pool - It all changes starting now

It's not déjà vu, but it does seem like we've been here before. Fresh from an industry-shaking experience with VGB, another government mandate has arrived which will force public pool operators to spend money on pool equipment/alterations they hadn't planned for. This one's called ADA. Read more Aqua Magazine article here.

For instance, did you know that the deepest water that an ADA-compliant ramp can let out into is.... (drum roll please) 30".

Most pools start at 3' or 3.5' deep, so this is a rule destined to drive people to choose lifts instead of ramps to be considered ADA compliant.

More aquatic therapy data here.

 

 

Comprehensive Aquatic Therapy, 3rd edition (May 2011 release)

 

Hot off the presses!

 

Comprehensive Aquatic Therapy (CAT) authors just got their first-eyes copies of this 3rd edition. 

 

Over 8 years in the making.... It's HUGE.

 

At 560 pages and 1.5" thick, it's 140 pages bigger than the 2nd edition. It's truly the quintessential guide to aquatic therapy. 

• Get yours shipped today
  
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Comprehensive Aquatic Therapy remains the acknowledged reference text for aquatic therapists the world over. Featuring extensive updates from the 2nd edition, in this edition the editors have included extensive case studies, with multiple choice questions and answers as didactic content.New chapters have been added, covering the entire scope of aquatic therapy practice, including innovative new techniques with material for program development, including staff training and marketing.

Standards and Guidelines for Aquatic Fitness at Your Therapeutic Pool

Looking for an authoritative source on what temperature your pool should be for MS patients?

Or, whether or not your instructor should stand on deck?

Or how much time is too much time for therapists to work in the pool?

Turn to the source. Download the Aquatic Exercise Association's white paper "Standards and Guidelines" (updated 2011; 10 page PDF).

 

Drowning hazards at pools: Not what you think

People drown at swimming pools because they are swimming alone, without a lifeguard present. Or, because they dive into the shallow pool and suffer a traumatic spinal cord fracture. Or, because there are simply too many kids in the water to watch.

Right? Wrong. People drown in pools for even stupider reasons.

1. They drown because of glare on the water's surface
2. They drown because underwater lights weren't installed right
3. They drown because the lifeguard was busy texting a buddy
4. They die when the babysitter is hopped up on Nyquil
5. They drown from holding their breath too long
6. They drown in NFL player's backyards
7. They even drown in physical therapy clinics.

Put a stop to it. 2011 National Drowning Prevention Symposium

 

 

 

Want to know how quickly your patient can drown?

Quick video showing how quickly a child goes under -- with you 2' away (courtesy Andrew Vaughan)

News: Asthma Fears Prompt Infant Swimming Warning in Germany | February 2011

On the heels of a number of studies linking swimming to respiratory issues, a German agency has become the first to recommend that children younger than 2 years old with a family history of allergies avoid indoor pools.

The warning is based on a number of studies that suggest disinfection byproducts formed from the reaction of chlorine when combined with organic compounds — including human sweat and other body fluids — may contribute to respiratory issues.

Read more in aquaticsintl.com article

 

The Chlorine in the Air May Be Worse than the Poop in the Water!

Indoor air quality is a big deal these days. Although eColi, Crypto and other nasty water-borne bugs get all the attention for making people sick, bad air may cause much more long lasting health effects.

"It's not just that chloramines stink — they smell vaguely of urine — but a growing body of research casts suspicion on chloramines as a health hazard, particularly the concentrated chloramines that can build up in indoor pools."

Read more from "Chlorine in the Air" (AQUA Magazine)

 

Think someone's taking good care of that pool? Mmmm. Not always so...

CDC. Violations Identified from Routine Swimming Pool Inspections --- Selected States and Counties, United States, 2008. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. May 21, 2010 / 59(19);582-587.

To assess pool code compliance, the CDC analyzed 2008 data from 121,020 routine pool inspections conducted by a convenience sample of 15 state and local agencies.

Quick hits of results:

• 12.1% of inspections resulted in immediate closure because of serious violations (e.g., lack of disinfectant in the water). Interactive fountain inspections had the highest percentage of immediate closures (17.0%) 
  

• Another 10.7% of inspections identified disinfectant level violations. 

• Therapy pool inspections had the lowest percentage of disinfectant and pH level violations but the highest percentage of other water chemistry violations (43.9%).

• Child-care pool inspections had the highest percentage of immediate closures (17.2%), followed by hotel/motel and apartment/condominium pool inspections (15.3% and 12.4% respectively)

• Apartment/condominium and hotel/motel pool inspections had the highest percentage of disinfectant level violations (13.1% and 12.8%, respectively).

• Child-care and apartment/condominium pool inspections had the highest percentage of pH level violations (11.8% and 10.0%, respectively).

• Approximately 35% of inspections of apartment/condominium pools, hotel/motel pools, and water parks identified circulation and filtration violations.

• Kiddie/wading pool inspections had the highest percentage of disinfectant level violations (13.5%), followed by interactive fountain inspections (12.6%).

Source: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5919a2.htm