Extracted from PT Magazine, of Physical Therapy, “Exercises in Warm Water Help Relieve Osteoarthritis Pain”, Vol 16, No 1, January 2008

…studies included patients with osteoarthritis of either the knee or hip, one study followed patients with only hip arthritis, and one included patients with only knee arthritis. In the studies, some patients did aquatic exercises for different lengths of time and numbers of sessions per week, while other patients did no exercise or exercised on land. Most of the studies measured patients after 3 months of therapy…pain may decrease by 1 or more point on a scale of 0-20 with aquatic exercise and function may improve by 3 or more points on a scale of 0 to 68. The review noted there is a “lack of high-quality studies in this area.”

There is a lack of qualified research regarding aquatic therapy in general (humans and animals).

So then, why is it wildly popular? And by popular, I don’t necessarily mean it’s widespread use.

Can some of the talk be attributed to great marketing on behalf of hydrotherapy or underwater treadmill equipment companies?

When you think of “water exercise” in general, what comes to mind? A few things for me:  First off, I think of the type of population that generally flock to “water aerobics”. But on the other hand, I think of hardcore swimmers who swim or compete regularly.

Based on the article cited above, is a 3-4% improvement in you or your animal’s pain and function worth spending 3 months in multiple weekly sessions?

Usually the type of people who exercise in water are those that are older and/or overweight. The water provides a buoyancy that allows them to exercise comfortably in an environment that is easier on the joints and organs than land-based activities. They are not competitive athletes and are not exercising against jet resistance.

Neither are the dogs.

Aquatic therapy is not the gold standard of human therapy, it is but a “tool” that is incorporated into a treatment plan when it makes sense to do so.

Here are some pro’s about hydrotherapy in relation to canine rehab:

• Warmth, in general, is beneficial to arthritic conditions
• Altering the level of water in a pool or underwater treadmill tank can facilitate range of motion at a particular joint(s)
• Some dogs really like water
• It’s efficient; the treatment itself is not time intensive
• some dogs can mobilize themselves, either by water walking or swimming, and cannot do so on land
• If you have access to water, long-term management or treatment can be cost-effective

Here are some con’s:

• The warmth may not be beneficial to some conditions. Furthermore, some skin diseases and immediate post-surgical conditions cannot be in the water
• Some dogs (& YES, some  labs) really do not like water and will “stress out” which will negatively impact their session and rehab
• It’s time intensive because the environment (water) is very taxing to a dog’s cardiovascular system which is something to keep in mind if your dog has any chronic or systemic issues or has been under anesthesia
• Some dogs who are mobile in the water are never able to translate those gains to land (or your home). (And vice versa)
• If you are enduring clinic-based treatments, this can turn out to be quite costly
• It’s not exactly practical

Aquatic-/Hydro-/Water- therapy has its place but not to the exclusion of other types of techniques.

Doing 3 months solid of any physical activity, and then stopping, will most likely result in a loss of those small percentage gains that you, or your animal, may have achieved.

So be realistic. Pick something that you can continue with longterm and makes sense.

Canine rehab & health means life-long management.

This is taken from a blog post by animalrehabilitation.com that was originally published in Feb ’08. This is by no means an all-inconclusive list, opinion or fact sheet regarding hydrotherapy. And as I come across more material on this subject I will post it!