4 Ways To Use Hydrotherapy For Sports

“With the way the HydroWorx system works, there is not a lot you can’t do.  Use your imagination!” 

So says Dr. Mark Gillett, who is the Director of Performance at West Bromwich Albion and Head of Athletic Performance for British Basketball. Although Gillett focuses mainly on helping patients rehabilitate after injuries through aquatics, he also uses his facility’s HydroWorx pool to boost athletes’ conditioning when possible.

His philosophy is that there are very few limitations when it comes to making the most of his warm water therapy pool.  This is why he puts his clientele in the pool in many situations.

After An Injury

Gillett doesn’t wait; he gets individuals who have been injured in the pool early. Thanks to the compressive ability of the water, and its intrinsic ability to offload the athletes’ joints, he’s able to improve function and speed up healing.  Gillett remarks, “It can save you time… Even if you can get the athlete back one game sooner that can mean the difference to winning the championship or being very disappointed.”

After A Game

Athletes need a reliable – yet safe – recovery outlet, and the HydroWorx serves the purpose.  As they run on the underwater treadmill in chest-high water, their bodies remain challenged in an environment that doesn’t stress their joints.  This is great for athletes of all ages, but especially older athletes who have played a lot of games and require a low-impact recovery method.

After Surgery

Post-surgical water therapy can be tricky because of open wounds.  Gillett takes precautions that include waterproof dressings.  However, when he is certain that one of his clients can safely get in the pool, he doesn’t hesitate.  “There is a really big benefit to getting people in the water as soon as possible after surgery,” he says.

In Between Games & During Intense Training

Gillett had the opportunity to train the Olympic team in Houston at the Houston Rocket’s facility (which has a HydroWorx pool.)  He utilized the pool as a way to give his Olympic British basketball players a means to revitalize their muscles without causing problems related to higher-impact training.

Gillett admits that he’s been a big fan of the water in general for a long time.  As a swimmer at a relatively high level in his younger years, he knew firsthand that the water was a phenomenal venue and a valuable resource.  One of the main reasons West Bromwich Albion is a HydroWorx customer was as result of his diligence in writing a business plan to ensure that his athletes would have state-of-the-art aquatic therapy.

Over time, he’s committed to finding new ways to use this equipment.  We have little doubt that he’ll spearhead some fascinating rehab and conditioning techniques!