Let's talk about the benefits of hydrotherapy and how the properties of water can help.....
Hydrostatic pressure
Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure of the water exerted on the body when submerged in water - the deeper you go, the greater the pressure - think free divers. Have a look at my waders in the attached video.
You can see from my waders that these are baggy - when the water level rises the waders get tighter and tighter around my legs. The boot bits have steel toe caps so these won't collapse.
How does hydrostatic pressure help in a hydrotherapy situation?
Hydrostatic pressure helps to reduce swelling...... Think compression socks when you are on a long haul flight - the same principal applies.
Hydrostatic pressure helps to increase breathing capacity.....
When swimming in the pool the pressure exerted around the rib cage by the water makes it harder for the dog to breath therefore creating a greater exhale and more effort required to inhale making the chest wall stronger when it comes to normal land based exercise. Obviously in an underwater treadmill this won't apply as much as it is water level dependent.
Hydrostatic pressure helps to reduce pain......
By the constant pressure of the water which continually signals the nerve endings. The nervous system responds by automatically dulling the reticular system, which is responsible for tactile sensory neurons (aka the feeling of touch). As a result, this dulls muscle pain, making it more comfortable to move.
Hydrostatic pressure can help to increase circulation....
In short, it helps move the blood back to the main organs by applying pressure to distal parts of the body (parts further away from the heart) and collecting more oxygen and nutrients to distribute and removing waste products from the muscles which are working during exercise. This helps the muscles work better. The improved circulation increases detoxification in the blood,
Hydrostatic pressure helps take waste out of the cell
Look at those little 🕷 legs. Spider is one of our sponsor dogs. We made the decision in 2019 to sponsor Spider to help with her fitness in her agility career. She's gone through the grades and up to grade 7 during this time and she's just awesome. Her partnership with Lily is special and something we believe in, hence the reason we offered sponsorship. Spider comes on a weekly basis to help keep her in tip top condition. Hydrotherapy can be amazing to help with fitness for sporting activities.
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