Fw: Water workouts best Rx for pain

January 13, 2005

I got this from the Spinal Cord Injury List I am on, and I thought some of you

might be interested.

Me

Nebraska, USA

mymocha@...

Water workouts best Rx for pain

UWSP's pool program offers many benefits

By KELLY MCBRIDE

For the Daily Tribune

Getting back on your feet after a stroke or spinal cord injury may seem an

insurmountable task, but taking some weight out of the equation can ease the

road to recovery for patients with a variety of ailments.

Be it rheumatoid arthritis or an athletic injury, exercising in the water can

ease joint pain and increase range of motion, said Dr. Banovetz, director

of Rice Medical Center's Division of Orthopedics and Otolaryngology.

" The advantage of a pool program is that the water helps support your body so

you have less weight on your joints, and also less impact, " Banovetz said. " With

doing (water) exercises, you're able to move your joints through a range of

motion with less stress on them. "

Helping patients achieve that range of motion and giving them a comfortable

environment to exercise in are two goals of the University of Wisconsin-s

Point's Special Needs Aquatic Program, or SNAP. The program, now in its 12th

year, begins its winter sessions Jan. 24. A children's version of SNAP, which

aims to get children ages 6 months to 5 years old accustomed to the water,

begins Feb. 9.

" The biggest thing we teach is safety, " said Joanne Suomi, a s Point Area

Public School District physical education teacher and instructor for the

children's SNAP program. " Water is a big distraction for young children. ... I

think our main focus is to get the children just to be around the water. We have

a wonderful pool environment. It's not intimidating. "

A parent or guardian accompanies each child for the younger version of SNAP. As

for the adult version, Suomi said, a myriad of ailments and ability levels are

represented. Suomi's husband, Rory, started SNAP when he arrived at UWSP 12

years ago. Classes take place at the University's Health Enhancement Center.

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