Water is a restorative element that’s been used for centuries to quell physical and emotional distress. In water we are gleeful escapees from gravity’s unrelenting pressure. It’s no wonder that spas throughout the world have picked up on the resource’s healing powers.

“Aqua therapy promotes relaxation in a number of ways. The buoyancy effect of the water allows muscles to relax, the warm massage action of hydrotherapy soothes the nervous system and the body responds to being immersed in a comforting environment,” says Jackie McAtee of the Aqua Spa at Shoal Bay Resort & Spa in Australia.

Shoal Bay Resort merges the twin luxuries of aqua therapy and aesthetics and counts their Lime & Ginger Salt Glow with Vichy shower (which incorporates eight shower heads that can be adjusted to suit water pressure preference) as one of their most popular services.

In water, we are able to more easily surrender control of our bodies and our minds.

"Submerge the patient in a thermoneutral therapy pool, and you eliminate the temperature gradient between skin and air. Have her close her eyes; she instantly loses the ability to determine where her body ends. Immerse her ears, and you eliminate sound. Lift her feet from the bottom of the pool, hold her in a flexed position, she feels safe like an infant. Let her body rise and fall in the water with her breath. In the pool’s three-dimensional environment, the water itself becomes the plinth. The therapist does not have to work as hard to position the patient. Gravity loses its strength and the body’s joints are unloaded (yet available, unlike when positioned on a plinth). The warmth of the water establishes an environment of relaxation and peacefulness. The patient is touched and touch by itself is often healing," says aquatic therapist, lecturer and owner of the Aquatic Resources Network in Plymouth, Minnesota, (www.aquaticnet.com) Andrea Salzman.

Watsu is a form of passive warm-water therapy in which a therapist moves your body through a sequence of gentle stretches as you float on the surface of the water. This form of shiatsu-inspired massage has proven helpful in treating many conditions from fibromyalgia to back pain and arthritis.

“In Watsu (water shiatsu) the client is floated, supported, stretched and massaged in body-temperature water. The deep quiet of the water, combined with the nurturing support of the body allow the mind and muscles to calm and relax. Old holding patterns due to injury or tension melt away and the body and mind can experience a deep peace and the spine and joints can regain their natural fluidity and flexibility. Having no gravitational responsibilities allows the muscles to let go and deeply relax,” explains Watsu massage therapist and instructor Tal Hurley of the Watsu Oasis and Two Bunch Palm Spa in California.

Cold-water therapy also possesses specific benefits of its own. Researchers in Germany determined that Kneipp, which is essentially a 10-second cold shower in 50-degree water followed by draping a cold towel around the neck for sixty seconds, stimulated alertness and brain activity for up to an hour afterwards.

Other Forms of Aqua Therapy

• Ai Chi is a kind of meditation in motion that incorporates principles of Tai Chi and yogic breathing. You perform various sequences as directed by a therapist. Breathing and visualization techniques are also a part of this experience.
• Bad Ragaz Ring Method can be a passive or active aquatic therapy in which you float on the surface of the water supported by rings or another flotation device while performing a series of movements or your body is manipulated by a therapist.
• Halliwick Method assists those with physical and/or learning disabilities to move confidently and independently in the water—can include games and other recreational activities.

Benefits of Aqua Therapy:

• A low-impact environment, water allows you to gain strength and flexibility and rehabilitate injury without sustaining further damage.
• Reduction in muscle stiffness aches and pains. Aids in the treatment of inflammatory conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
• Increases circulation.
• Hydrostatic pressure offers the body a kind of protective layer that controls movement while at the same time offering increased range of motion. Can also aid in decreasing blood pressure, swelling and joint inflammation.
• Added buoyancy allows for more comfort and freedom of movement in joints and muscles.