How Different Aquatic Therapies Can Work Together

Combining AquaStretch, Bad Ragaz, Halliwick, and water dance movement for comprehensive aquatic therapy

The benefits of aquatic therapy (or hydrotherapy or water therapy) have been well documented since its inception nearly 200 years ago. Aquatic therapy offers a gentle yet effective way to support rehabilitation, improve mobility, and enhance overall well-being.

As a practising aquatic physical therapist, I’m often asked by clients what methods I’m going to use to treat them. As with many things in life, the answer isn’t simple! The world of aquatic therapy is broad and we practitioners have a variety of methodologies at our disposal.

When someone comes to me in pain, my goal is always to free them from that pain and drastically improve their quality of life. It’s the same for anyone who needs aquatic therapy to help them rehabilitate after injury, or prepare for or recover from surgery, or athletes or dancers who want to boost their performance.

Although I’m known as an AquaStretch® Facilitator, there are other techniques which, when combined with AquaStretch, create a comprehensive and adaptable approach for clients of all abilities and challenges. My job is to select from each approach and combine them to deliver a truly holistic resolution to your pain, rehabilitation, or recovery.

Here I describe four leading aquatic therapy techniques that can contribute towards your ambitions to live a pain-free life. Although they can all be described as aquatic therapies, there are subtle differences in the way they are delivered, the conditions they target, and the outcomes we achieve.

AquaStretch® Assisted Stretching

AquaStretch is a hands-on, myofascial release technique performed in warm water. Through assisted stretching and resistance exercises, it helps relieve pain, increase flexibility, and restore movement. Anyone experiencing muscle tightness, joint stiffness, or chronic pain often benefits from its targeted release of tension.

Bad Ragaz Water Therapy

The Bad Ragaz method (also known as the Bad Ragaz Ring Method or BRRM) uses buoyant rings to support patients in water while a therapist guides their movements. This approach focuses on muscle strengthening, coordination, and joint mobilisation. It’s particularly effective for neurological rehabilitation and musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis etc, or anyone with a limited range of motion or low muscle tone.

Halliwick Aquatic Therapy

Also known as Water Specific Therapy (WST), Halliwick Aquatic Therapy is designed to promote independence and confidence in water. It emphasises balance control, core stability, body awareness, and movement coordination through guided exercises. Patients often progress from assisted movements to self-propulsion in the water. The Halliwick method has proven to be particularly effective with stroke patients, for example.

Water Dance & Movement Therapy

This involves gentle cradling, stretching, and massage-like movements in warm water. It combines elements of muscle stretching, joint mobilisation, massage, Shiatsu, and dance. This deeply relaxing therapy reduces stress, improves flexibility, and relieves pain. Its calming effects make it beneficial for those managing anxiety, chronic pain, or physical trauma.

How the various aquatic therapies complement each other

Each of these techniques utilises water's properties differently to achieve therapeutic goals, whether it's for rehabilitation, mobility improvement, or relaxation. Combining these therapies allows for a more personalised and adaptive treatment plan. Here’s how they might work together:

Initial assessment and release: AquaStretch can be used at the start to identify and relieve areas of tension, providing immediate pain relief and improving range of motion. 

Muscle strengthening and coordination: Following the release of tension, the Bad Ragaz method offers structured exercises to rebuild strength and improve motor control. The water’s resistance supports low-impact muscle training.

Balance and independence: Halliwick exercises can then encourage patients to regain confidence in their movements, developing stability and coordination.

Relaxation and recovery: Concluding with water dance and movement to provide a soothing, restorative experience. This can reduce any discomfort from the exercises and promote mental relaxation.

This is just an example of a treatment plan, the methodologies I use vary from client to client since much depends on where you are now, and where you would ultimately like to be.

Benefits of combining aquatic therapy techniques

Integrating these therapies offers a range of benefits that address both physical and mental wellbeing:

Enhanced flexibility and mobility: AquaStretch and water and dance movement help release muscle tension and increase joint flexibility, making subsequent exercises in Bad Ragaz and Halliwick more effective.

Comprehensive muscle strengthening: The resistance properties of water in Bad Ragaz sessions promote safe, low-impact strength training.

Improved balance and coordination: Halliwick exercises target core stability, improving overall balance and reducing the risk of falls.

Pain and stress relief: Water dance and movement’s gentle actions relieve muscle pain and provide emotional relaxation, enhancing the therapeutic effects of other techniques.

Accelerated recovery: Combining these methods can speed up the rehabilitation process by addressing different aspects of physical recovery simultaneously.

Mental wellbeing: The calming effects of water therapy can reduce anxiety, manage symptoms of PTSD, and improve your mood.

By combining multiple therapeutic methods in one treatment plan, I can create a holistic, adaptable programme that meets your unique needs. Such comprehensive approaches can not only improve your mobility, accelerate your physical recovery, and free you from a life of pain, but also nurture your overall quality of life.

For more information about how I can help you move better, please get in touch.

Mobility Therapies – live the life you want, not a life in pain.