For many Madison County residents, summer is a time to enjoy a break from school, take a vacation, and most importantly, relax. However, for therapy patients at Madison Health, continuous sessions are vital to recovery and improving their quality of life.

In an effort to integrate the season’s warm weather with quality therapy care, the Rehabilitation Services team at Madison Health has once again partnered with the City of London to offer aquatic therapy sessions at the London Municipal Pool.

“The City of London is proud to partner with Madison Health for aquatic therapy,” said Tammy Braskett, Director of Parks and Recreation. “Like the hospital, the London Municipal Pool has been an important part of our city for many years. Using the racing and training pools for therapy is an example of maximizing our resources for the benefit of our community. We look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.”

Aquatic therapy is activity that is performed in the water to assist with rehabilitation from injury, joint replacement, muscle weakness or deconditioning. It is performed with instruction from a physical, occupational or speech therapist who is trained to understand how the physical properties of water will affect rehabilitation.  

Four-year-old Trinity Fee of London has received therapy services at Madison Health since she was six months old. Trinity was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and continues see therapists on a weekly basis.

According to Trinity’s mother, Kourtney Baldwin, aquatic therapy sessions are her favorite.

“Trinity really enjoys aquatic therapy,” said Kourtney. “It has helped with her muscle tone and overall, it provides her with a sense of relaxation. She isn’t fighting gravity because she feels weightless.”

Trinity’s physical therapist, Alycia Mokedanz, PT, DPT, is currently working to increase her range of motion following a hip surgery and knows that aquatic therapy can provide a more comfortable setting for recovery.

“The buoyancy of the water helps patients like Trinity reduce stress on the body by reducing the amount of weight placed on the joint,” she said. “This makes exercises more tolerable and less painful. The hydrostatic pressure of the water aids in reducing joint and soft tissue swelling and provides resistance to promote muscle strengthening and cardiovascular endurance.”

Aquatic therapy also helps to relieve joint muscle pain and spasms, improves circulation and encourages an increase in physical activity for patients of all ages.

For pediatric patients like Trinity, the pool atmosphere is a non-traditional environment for them to perform activities that promote progress towards their land therapy goals. Vital therapies including physical, occupational and speech can incorporate aquatic therapy into their plan of care.

Other benefits for pediatric patients include improvement of gross motor skills, endurance and respiratory function. The aquatic setting also provides sensory input in a natural recreational environment.

Aquatic therapy sessions at the London Municipal Pool take place in the racing and training pools, both of which are handicap accessible. Patients who have a gastrostomy tube or jejunostomy feeding tube can participate in therapy. Children who are not toilet trained must wear swim diapers in the pool.

Sessions occur on Wednesday afternoons by appointment, weather permitting, through August 16. A physician’s referral is required.