Healing Waters: Aquatic Therapy for Children with Muscular Dystrophy and Neuromuscular Conditions 

In this blog, we discuss the therapeutic benefits of water for children and young adults with Muscular Dystrophy (MD) and other Neuromuscular Disorders. We share how the properties of water, such as buoyancy, viscosity, hydrostatic pressure, and surface tension, play a crucial role in providing therapeutic support.

Aquatic therapy offers a supportive and therapeutic environment for children and young adults with MD, allowing them to improve muscle function, respiratory control, and sensory processing while enjoying the benefits of being in the water.

Did you know that the longer we keep our muscles active the longer we can maintain muscle function and alignment? This is the core principle we follow when treating patients with muscle disorders such as MD.

We use the properties of the water to our advantage to help clients achieve their goals. Let’s break this down to explain just how magical the water really is!

  • Buoyancy
    The buoyancy of water allows movements that might be difficult to achieve on land to be more manageable, helping to keep the muscles active and maintain muscle function and alignment.
  • Viscosity
    Water’s viscosity provides body awareness and slows down movements. This is particularly helpful for children with MD who may struggle with weak eccentric muscle control (meaning when they fall, it happens quickly, with a lack of slow-graded control). The viscosity of the water helps slow down movements, for example, balance reactions, giving more time to process what is happening and respond with a motor action.
  • Hydrostatic Pressure
    The hydrostatic pressure of water refers to the deep pressure it provides around your body, which increases the deeper you go. It offers a calming and organizing effect, creating a feeling similar to a hug around the body. Hydrostatic Pressure also triggers the release of the neurochemical, dopamine, which washes away adrenaline and promotes a sense of calmness, especially when the water is neck-deep.
  • Surface Tension
    The surface tension of water provides sensory input that can be beneficial for children with MD. Breaking the surface tension with up and down movements (in and out of the water) provides a lot of sensory input which is alerting and arousing to the sensory system. This can help to satisfy sensory needs even if large gross motor movements are challenging.

Improving Respiratory Control with Aquatic Therapy

Many children have difficulty with good respiratory control, where the ability to take full, deep breaths can be challenging. Aquatic therapy techniques leverage the hydrostatic pressure of water to facilitate deeper breathing, enabling greater lung expansion. For instance, when submerging the trunk in water, the hydrostatic pressure applies gentle compression to the rib cage, intercostal muscles, and diaphragm. As the rib cage moves or is lifted out of the water, there is no hydrostatic pressure and it’s easier to take a big inhalation without resistance.

For parents looking to support their child’s therapy goals, one technique you could try is to hold your child on their back with their head against your chest, as you lift their ribs up and out of the water. When they inhale, gently push their trunk into the water to assist with exhalation. It looks like a dolphin motion, as the chest comes up for inhalation with extension, and goes down into the water with flexion for exhalation.

Aquatic Exercise Ideas for Swimmers with Muscular Dystrophy

We share three tried and tested exercise ideas for swimmers with muscle disorders such as MD that will help to meet therapy goals.

  • Position your swimmer on their back as they lay against your chest and support them on either side of their trunk. Slowly move side to side in a snaking motion to help lengthen each side of their trunk.
  • Help your swimmer to sit on your knee (you can support your back against the side of the pool) and gently move side to side. Wait for a moment, as you move to the side, for them to have the balance reaction of coming up into a sitting position. You can assist them at the lower trunk to come to an upright position.
  • In our FREE ‘Equipment Tips’ Mini Course we show you one of our favorite pieces of equipment, the large “fluid” noodle from Costco. This is a very buoyant and soft, thick pool noodle. It is great for putting under your swimmer’s chest as you hold them, encouraging them to work on extending their head and trunk. You can also lay them sideways on it, so they work the lateral muscles of their neck and trunk, and then place it behind them, with their arms wrapped over it so you stretch their chest and arm muscles.

If you are looking for more exercise ideas, we’ve got you covered with our Totally Treatment online therapy course.

Note – Information provided should be used within the scope of practice.

Looking for Aquatic Therapist Training?

We can give you the tools you need to help special needs clients achieve therapy goals and improve their independence in the water.

Learn new treatment and handling techniques, understand how to integrate reflexes and overcome roadblocks to help your pediatric clients achieve their therapy goals. We have 4 in-depth online courses to choose from.

Our online training courses will help you strengthen your aquatic therapy skills and allow you to earn CEU’s. Our on-demand platform makes learning flexible to fit into your schedule.

Dive into Our Specialized Pediatric Aquatic Therapy Program!

The unique program that Swim Angelfish offers is created by an OT/PT team with over 60 years combined experience. We have experienced Recreation, Occupational, and Physical therapists who are specifically trained in pediatric aquatic therapy. We use a fun, innovative and multi-sensory approach using the therapeutic properties of the water to reach your specific therapy goals.

We can help improve self-regulation, motor coordination, strength, balance, endurance, and more. There are several options for therapy sessions depending on your needs, including private, semi-private, and small group sessions.