The effectiveness of aquatic therapy on knee injuries
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Fredrick Gardin
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
25-4-2025 9:59 AM
Description
Knee injuries are among the most common orthopedic injuries to occur. Injuries to the knee can range from acute onset to degenerative. The use of Aquatic therapy allows a beneficial method for knee rehabilitation. The benefits of aquatic therapy stem from the buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure and viscosity associated with water.This unique approach to rehabilitation is not only beneficial to short term effects but long term as well. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of aquatic therapy in the rehabilitation of knee injuries and the research that assesses its impact on pain reduction, mobility improvement, and overall recovery time compared to traditional land-based therapies. A comprehensive search was conducted for this narrative review using keywords in google scholar and PubMed. This search was limited to articles that are full text, peer reviewed and between published 2010 - 2025. Inclusion criteria was composed of articles that focused on knee injuries and Aquatic rehabilitation and excluded articles published before 2010. The utilization of Aquatic therapy for rehabilitation of knee injuries showed promising results. Participants of aquatic rehabilitation saw positive effects on pain, swelling, physical function, range of motion, and walking ability. These positive effects led to earlier introduction of plyometric training. The utilization properties of water play a key role in these positive outcomes. In conclusion, aquatic therapy offers benefits in rehabilitation that cannot be achieved with other training mechanisms. Overall, water-based rehabilitation serves as an effective, low-impact rehabilitation method that supports recovery, improves function, and prevents further injury.
The effectiveness of aquatic therapy on knee injuries
Knee injuries are among the most common orthopedic injuries to occur. Injuries to the knee can range from acute onset to degenerative. The use of Aquatic therapy allows a beneficial method for knee rehabilitation. The benefits of aquatic therapy stem from the buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure and viscosity associated with water.This unique approach to rehabilitation is not only beneficial to short term effects but long term as well. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of aquatic therapy in the rehabilitation of knee injuries and the research that assesses its impact on pain reduction, mobility improvement, and overall recovery time compared to traditional land-based therapies. A comprehensive search was conducted for this narrative review using keywords in google scholar and PubMed. This search was limited to articles that are full text, peer reviewed and between published 2010 - 2025. Inclusion criteria was composed of articles that focused on knee injuries and Aquatic rehabilitation and excluded articles published before 2010. The utilization of Aquatic therapy for rehabilitation of knee injuries showed promising results. Participants of aquatic rehabilitation saw positive effects on pain, swelling, physical function, range of motion, and walking ability. These positive effects led to earlier introduction of plyometric training. The utilization properties of water play a key role in these positive outcomes. In conclusion, aquatic therapy offers benefits in rehabilitation that cannot be achieved with other training mechanisms. Overall, water-based rehabilitation serves as an effective, low-impact rehabilitation method that supports recovery, improves function, and prevents further injury.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.