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Comments for Aquatic exercise after stroke
Aquaexercise


A couple of thoughts here. My husband is 4 1/2 years post-stroke and although he had had aquatherapy previously, one thing or another, caused us to stop. One thing was scraping his foot when I forgot his pool shoes. That ended up getting infected. We started it again about a month ago, and he does well and he really likes it. But he doesn't walk much on land, (doesn't have much control of his leg) and it SEEMS that he gets so fatigued with the pool workout that his leg muscles are too fatigued. Therefore, he is generally doing LESS walking on land. I'm feeling perplexed. His PT is saying some of the right things to be helpful, but hasn't actually proved that helpful yet in resolving this. Any suggestions are welcome.

Response from www.stroke-rehab.com: Aquatic therapy can be fatiguing, but it shouldn't actually cause someone to do less walking on land unless it is being done too much. It may directly fatigue someone the day they do the aquatic therapy, but this should be short-lived and not affect someone's everyday walking function at home on a continuous basis. There are precautions that have to be followed with aquatic therapy, and it is not right for everyone. I don't know how many days a week your husband is getting in the pool, but you might consider a decreased frequency if you feel it is truly fatiguing him to the point of not being able to walk on land.

The buoyancy of the water may allow your husband to walk better in the pool, and if it is difficult to walk on land, it may not be because he is fatigued but that it is just more difficult. Of course this is all speculation.

If you converse with the therapist, don't be afraid to ask questions. Find out what muscle groups are weak and being targeted. Ask them what components of your husband's gait are impaired and what you can do at home to address any problems. It's what the patient continues to do at home outside of therapy that will really be of the most benefit rather than the 2-3 hours spent with a therapist in a week.

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About the Author

Karen Murray, MOT, CHT, CSRS, is a licensed occupational therapist,  Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist, Certified Hand Therapist, and Certified Personal Trainer with over 29 years of experience working with stroke survivors in hospital, outpatient, and home settings. She created Stroke-Rehab.com to help patients and caregivers better understand recovery and regain independence at home.


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