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Every week, Dr. Jean-Marc Sène, sports doctor, presents his sports column in Priorité Santé. Today, he talks about the benefits of water for rehabilitation.
In some cases, when it comes to rehabilitation, it is best to start moving while submerged. We call it balneotherapy…
The Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC) already wrote about the healing power of water. He recommended seawater baths to his patients to cure them of muscular pains and arthritis.
Balneotherapy is the set of treatments, treatments and cures where baths are used: they can be sea water (thalassotherapy) or fresh water (balneotherapy). The patient immerses himself in hot water and performs a series of exercises, stretching, sheathing.
The intensity, length and positioning of the exercises vary according to the patient, their age, their pathology, the intensity of their pain as well as the desired effect (weight training, analgesia, mobilization, etc.).
What are the benefits of being immersed ?
Water is a practical and effective way to reduce stress on joints or fractured bones because the body weighs less. It allows you to start working the muscles without the action of earth’s gravity and allows a more progressive work of the joints and/or muscles in pain. Being in the water facilitates movement, works the joints and prevents ankylosis.
For example, lightening the weight of the body allows someone who breaks a leg to regain weight bearing and walking more quickly. When you injure your leg or foot, you temporarily lose the ability to walk. Very quickly, your body forgets how to do it. The earlier you engage the gait pattern, the faster you will recover.
Are there any contraindications ?
The list of contraindications is not exhaustive and some of the pathologies cited are relative contraindications. It is necessary to seek the advice of your doctor before starting:
- open wound
- skin pathology (eczema)
- lung disease (bronchitis)
- ENT (angina, pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis)
- cardiovascular pathology (arterial hypertension, history of phlebitis)
- contagious illness
- urinary and/or anal incontinence.
In practice, how to ?
It is necessary to perform movements under the guidance of a physiotherapist or his doctor, always under supervision. For example, for a knee to be rehabilitated:
- In the swimming pool: walking in the water is relaxing and helps to relax, to let go.
- You can also lean your back on the edge of the pool and do beats
- After the beats, you can make pedaling movements (pedalo), relaxed at the beginning then seeking to increase your flexion.
Also ideal for regaining good overall physical shape: alternating the front crawl or the breaststroke without the legs, with a pull boy between the knees, is an effective workout that does not require too much time.