Summer is full of great opportunities for children to take a break from school and venture outdoors to explore and play. The warm weather and inviting sunshine are all kids need to get active and dirty. However, this can be challenging for the nearly 300,000 kids and teens in the US that are living with juvenile arthritis.
Juvenile arthritis (JA) occurs in children ages 6 months to 16 years when the immune system becomes overactive and attacks healthy joint tissue, creating inflammation. This can cause chronic or even long-term arthritis. The most common symptoms and challenges that JA sufferers experience are:
Treatment can depend on the type of JA and the symptoms that individuals experience. Hydrotherapy — water physical therapy — or taking a dip in your local pool for a bit of fun can be a great option for youth living with this diagnosis. Water immersion, especially warmer temperature pools, can be incredibly beneficial for the mind, body and soul of kids impacted by juvenile arthritis. Here is a few benefits water activity in moderation can provide.
Children swimming and moving in the water can support the body and joints, whereas other forms of exercise can contribute to joint swelling. Instead, hydrotherapy increases blood flow to reduce inflammation and relieve muscle tension.
JA can cause limbs and joints to feel stiff, causing pain with movement. Water activity is low-impact and places little to no stress on the joints, providing a space to work on strengthening muscles to reduce consistent pain.
If JA keeps kids from exercising, future flares can worsen, leading to less exercise and weaker joints. With consistent hydrotherapy sessions, children can increase their joint strength to contribute to a more consistently active lifestyle on land, as well.
The weightless feeling a pool provides can help a child increase their range of motion, keeping joints loose and limber without many limitations. Hydrotherapy can help children meet these goals through controlled exercises.
Working out and staying active causes a release of endorphins — the body’s feel-good neurotransmitters — which improve mood and decrease stress. Children can also feel a mood boost as they swim and escape from daily challenges and limitations for a while.
The water is a supportive environment where children with JA can act like kids. Splashing around without pain can produce positive childhood memories for a child, especially when they can keep up with their siblings or friends.
Water can offer a solution for kids with physical limitations to splash, dip and dive back into activity. Sufferers of this disease can turn to their doctors and clinicians to find local pools and guidelines to safely embrace summer vacation.
HydroWorx provides top-quality wellness pools to help kids with JA feel like themselves again. Our pools offer unique hydrotherapy features for all-in-one rehabilitation, including a treadmill, resistance jets, steps, exercise platforms and more.
Contact us with questions about purchasing an aquatic wellness pool or find a HydroWorx pool near you today.
This post was last modified on July 18, 2023 4:03 pm
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