Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your child could no longer move his arms? He would have great difficulty performing simple tasks like getting dressed in the morning or taking a shower. Imagine him not being able to reach out to hug you.
For children with physical disabilities, some actually can't reach out to their parents and feel their face or respond to a hug. Simple acts of love are something that most of us take for granted. We are not aware of the mechanics our muscles and tissues go through for us to reach out to someone.
At WQ Park Health and Rehabilitation Centre, a rehabilitation centre in Kelana Jaya, a team of doctors, therapists and physicians are helping children with physical disabilities gain strength and balance in their limbs through a form of treatment called hydrotherapy.
Dr Tunku Nor Taayah Tunku Zubir, consultant rehabilitation medicine physician, explains how children, and even adults, can benefit from this treatment.
“Hydrotherapy is a unique form of therapy as it involves the idea of exercise and play in water. Toys and flotation devices are some of the essential elements of the therapy,” says Dr Taayah.
She explains that the purpose of her job is to look after individuals with disabilities. One of her tasks is to plan out the rehabilitation programme for patients and this includes hydrotherapy.
The therapy is recommended for individuals who suffer from multiple joint problems.
For children, it could be for the following conditions:
- Cerebral palsy;
- Spina bifida;
- Orthopaedic problems;
- Muscular dystrophy;
- Any physical disability;
- Down Syndrome; and
- Following surgery.
Dr Taayah explains the benefit of hydrotherapy as pain relief:
“Warm water reduces pain and the buoyancy of patients. Therefore being in the water gives them confidence to do the activities they can't normally do on land.”
Hydrotherapy can also be used to help patients with obesity improve their fitness and achieve their weight loss goal.
As for children, Dr Taayah recommends this therapy to those with neurological problems like cerebral palsy and spasticity (unusual tightness in muscles). She adds “children with autism can also benefit from hydrotherapy as walking in water can help improve sensory stimulation.”
The benefits of hydrotherapy are as follows:
- Increase mobility;
- Reduce pain and muscle spasm;
- Improve and maintain joint range of movement;
- Strengthen weak muscle groups;
- Increase physical fitness and functional tolerances;
- Re-educate normal movement patterns;
- Improve balance;
- Improve coordination;
- Improve posture;
- Improve self-confidence; and
- Stimulate circulation.
The hydrotherapy pool is less than four feet deep.
The activities that are conducted in the hydrotherapy pool depends on the condition of the patient. Each activity serves a purpose in strengthening, improving flexibility, relaxing and building resistance.
Dr Taayah says, “Aerobics is one of the activities they do in the water.”
She also believes that hydrotherapy is a great bonding session for parent and child. “Parents are allowed to assist in the pool for emotional and physical support,” she explains.
Parents are encouraged to be at the centre while the hydrotherapy session is taking place so that they can understand the types of exercises their child performs.
Can these exercises be done at home in a pool?
Dr Taayah explains that hydrotherapy itself can only be done in a hospital or rehabilitation centre. It is advisable for parents to talk to their therapist to find out which exercises are suitable to be done in their own pool. A therapist should also be able to advise on safety and the necessary assisting devices needed.
However, there are cases where hydrotherapy is not recommended. For example, Dr Taayah will not recommended the therapy to children with water phobia, incontinence (involuntary urination or defecation), open wounds and fever. For each session, children are advised to wear a waterproof diaper.
Before seeking out treatment in hydrotherapy, parents are advised to get a referral from a doctor. Patients need to be assessed for specific information on their condition. This is important as it helps with the planning and recommendation of treatment. Dr Taayah also believes that parents should address the issue of water phobia with their child.
As for swimming skills, Dr Taayah says hydrotherapy is an exercise programme and children are not required to swim. They are purely performing movements in the water. For health reasons and to prevent children from developing a fever, a hydrotherapy session is limited to just 40 minutes.
Dr Taayah relates the story of a patient whom she believes has benefited from hydrotherapy. The goal set for this patient, a 10-year-old boy, was to reduce the spasticity in his legs. “We initially conducted five sessions on land and he spent most of the time crying in pain.
“Then we switched his treatment to hydrotherapy and he enjoyed it.”
Dr Taayah says a simple movement like splashing water is in itself a strengthening exercise.
The WQ Park team then slowly moved to incorporate exercises on land for that 10-year-old boy. Today, with more strength and balance, the boy is able to independently stand and walk using a walking aid.
WQ Park also offers treatment for general rehabilitation, muskuloskeletal therapy, neurological rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, sports injury as well as an early intervention programme for children with learning difficulties.
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