Anyone with a sore back knows that a soak in a warm bath can make pains fade away.
That's the idea behind warm-water therapy pools, which are increasingly becoming a tool for helping everyone from injured athletes to accident victims.
A new therapy pool is a key part of the $12.2 million Outpatient Rehabilitation Center that opened recently at Immanuel Medical Center. The 39,000-square-foot center is twice the size of the old center.
More space was needed because of increased demand for rehabilitation, said Jill Powers, an Alegent Health administrator who oversees rehabilitation services. The number of patient visits has been increasing 6 to 7 percent annually over the past five years for outpatient physical rehabilitation in the Alegent system.
Demand is rising because of the aging baby boom population. Warm-water therapy is particularly effective for arthritis and other conditions that affect older people, Powers said.
Mike Bryant of ProCare3 Physical Therapy said his Omaha-area centers are increasingly getting referrals from doctors for warm-water therapy.
ProCare3 opened its first outpatient physical therapy center in the Omaha area in 2002 and now has five. All offer warm-water therapy.
The water temperature plays a big part in the therapy's effectiveness. The temperatures, which are usually 93 degrees and higher, relax muscles and ease pain. That makes exercise easier for those with arthritis or joint pain. A typical indoor pool is about 85 degrees.
Trisha Kult of Omaha said the therapy pool makes a big difference for her.
The 34-year-old, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, works her abs using parallel bars in the Immanuel pool. Strong abs help her get in and out of her wheelchair and sit up straight, she said.
The water therapy keeps her strong and has helped her lose weight.
“It's remarkable,'' she said.
Pool therapy is effective because of the buoyancy of objects in the water, said Lynn Hallowell, director of outpatient services at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln.
A person with joint or muscle problems can stand in the water and exercise with less pain because the buoyancy helps support the body, Hallowell said.
Madonna uses its pool for a range of patients, including those with brain injuries from accidents.
Such patients walk up and down steps in the pool. The exercise improves balance and strength, and their buoyancy in the water provides support.
At ProCare3, stroke patients are among those who benefit from the buoyancy.
Bryant said a stroke patient can exercise for 45 minutes in the pool without getting exhausted. Patients exercising on land usually can't go more than 10 minutes. He said ProCare3's biggest pool is about 10 feet by 15 feet.
The new pool at Immanuel is 25 feet by 45 feet, compared with the old one, which was 20 feet by 40 feet. The bigger size provides more room for group and individual therapy sessions, Powers said.
Like the old pool, the new one has a floor that rises up and down to adjust the water depth. Each half of the pool can be raised and lowered separately. Powers said she is not aware of other pools in the area that are as big as Immanuel's and have the split, adjustable floor.
Lowering the floor provides easier access for people with disabilities, including those in wheelchairs.
The adjustable floor also makes it easier to tailor exercises, such as leg extensions, based on the size of the patient, Powers said. A high school basketball player with a knee injury, for example, would benefit from the full 6-foot depth.
Powers said a key benefit of the water therapy is that not only is it effective, but it also costs less than surgery.
Contact the writer:
444-1122, michael.oconnor@owh.com
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