Helping our students find their potential

Hydrotherapy offers tangible benefits to the health and well-being of children and young people with a range of disabilities and health conditions. The warmth of the water has an effect on the individual neuro-muscular junctions which results in decreased muscle tone and decreased spasticity. Buoyancy of the water is used to assist movement of joints – which is either more difficult or painful on dry land. Movement in the water and water pressure helps to reduce residual lung capacity for children and young people with chest problems. This enables more efficient lung function and reduces the risk of chest infections developing. Creating turbulence around an extremity (i.e. arm or leg) can increase their awareness of the limb and help with mobility – both in the water and later on dry land.  The multi-sensory environment helps stimulate the senses whilst calming children with sensory and learning difficulties

 

Some of our young people are in their seating systems or wheelchairs for a lot of the day. Students can experience freedom of movement in the pool. Others who have difficulty moving on dry land become active and really enjoy moving round the pool. Young people who have very limited movement and struggle to communicate when on dry land are able to vocalise or move their arms to indicate preferences whilst in the water. Passive physiotherapy programmes can be difficult to tolerate on dry land but in the water the young people with tight muscles and joints are much happier when their muscle stretches are incorporated into a fun or relaxing time in the pool

 


Artwork by Lucy Wisse