BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Rehab and Sports Medicine Services Department is launching its new aquatic therapy program this summer, with individual, hands-on aquatic therapy at the Colonial Motel pool on Putney Road.
BMH registered physical therapists, Carol Bailey, PT, and Gail Roberts, PTA, have taken advanced, intensive training from the internationally-known speaker and owner of Aquatic Therapy Innovations, Peggy Schoedinger, PT.
In taking this workshop, Bailey and Roberts learned to safely apply aquatic therapy principles and techniques for patients to help improve balance, improve trunk stability, decrease pain, increase mobility, and improve function on land.
Along with this new knowledge regarding pool therapy, Bailey and Roberts each has more than 20 years of experience as a therapist that they will bring to the aquatic program.
For many, water is a natural place for healing, rehabilitation and exercise. In general, those patients who do well with an aquatic program are those who require the physical properties of water to increase function. The buoyancy of water can help take the weight off of a painful joint and allow someone to exercise with relative ease compared to doing the exercise on land. Exercise in water can also provide a challenging exercise environment for those who have weight-bearing limits after an injury or surgery.
To qualify for the aquatic therapy program, a patient must have a doctor's referral and some insurances require prior authorization for aquatic therapy. To ensure patient safety, the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Rehab Department has set criteria that must be met before starting the aquatic program.
All patients will be evaluated on land at the BMH Rehab Unit in the Richards Building on the hospital campus prior to starting the Aquatic Therapy Program. This is to ensure their appropriateness for this type of exercise. If you feel this program may benefit you during a rehab session, speak with your doctor or therapist.
If you wish more information about the new Aquatic Therapy Program at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, call the Rehab Department at 802-257-8255.