Aquatics Program
With appropriate guidance from a trained St. Croix Therapy therapist, the warm water pool provides an environment that increases strength and range of motion, increases balance and promotes independence through building functional movement and social skills, provides pain relief, and decreases spasticity or rigidity. Through development of these skills, improvements have been seen in areas of confidence, self-concept, independence in functional skills, and quality of life. The pool has also been shown to be a safe environment with appropriate guidance from trained therapy staff.
The St. Croix Therapy staff is fully trained and comfortable working with all ages and abilities, including the medically fragile or complex client. We are able to work with clients with: seizures, gastrostomy tubes, tracheotomies, stomas, aspiration risks, and supplemental oxygen. The St. Croix Therapy staff provides one on one intervention in the pool and are fully trained.
Those diagnosed with the following may benefit From Aquatic Therapy:
- Autism
- Sensory Processing Disorders
- Cerebral Palsy
- Down Syndrome
- ADHD
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Muscle Incoordination
- Speech and Language Impairments
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Stroke
- Orthopedic Impairments
- Rett Syndrome
- And many others!
Compared to traditional land-based therapy, the warm water and surrounding pool environment offer a motivating and alternative way to work towards therapeutic goals. The St. Croix Therapy staff are knowledgeable about the various properties of the pool, and can use them to work towards your or your child’s goals.
Aquatic Therapy can help:
- Improve strength and mobility
- Decrease abnormal tone
- Improve sensory processing
- Improve balance and coordination
- Provide a calming environment
- Improve body awareness
- Improve respiration and endurance
- Improve speech and language
- Promote muscle relaxation
- Decrease pain
- Increase movement
- Promote social interaction
- And other areas!
Buoyancy: This property provides the weightless sensation you feel when in the water. The deeper your body goes, the less stress on your joints. This provides opportunities to strengthen muscles and promote development of motor movements in a safe environment for individuals after joint surgeries or who are more medically fragile.
Viscosity: This property relates to the amount of resistance that water provides. The faster you move your body in the water, the harder it will be. This increased resistance can be used to build strength and increase attention and focus. This property can also provide increased tactile/sensory input to promote body awareness and motor planning.