Get Wet in MSA's Hydrotherapy Classes
by Glenn Reed, Editor
Taken from the Fall 2000 Contact Newsletter
"Water is a great medium for providing exercise to people who are physically disabled," said Harriet Ott. She supervises five of the six hydrotherapy classes that MSA offers and personally teaches three of them.
In addition to her MSA work Ott teaches Arthritis Foundation classes, has private clients who are stroke survivors, and teaches developmentally delayed children one-to-one. Although she is a professional recreational therapist, her first job after college 25 years ago was teaching developmentally disabled children to swim. After working in rehab hospitals, adult day care centers, and a stint in long-term care she returned to water therapy two years ago and has focused on it ever since.
If you’ve taken an MSA hydrotherapy class in the past and dropped out, there are plenty of good reasons to start up again with Ott. While hydrotherapy has a long history dating back to (at least) ancient Rome, it is currently enjoying a huge resurgence of interest. "Because therapeutic teams now include recreational therapists and exercise physiologists, as well as physical and occupational therapists, there is a new understanding that water improves our circulatory, pulmonary, musculoskeletal and renal systems" says Ott.
Ott notes that her classes accommodate people at many different levels of abilities. The exercises she offers people who are still walking involve more resistance than those for wheelchair-bound people with diminished lower extremity strength. Although she gears exercises for each individual, some exercises are intended for groups. Volunteers help people whose physical abilities are less. If you are able to volunteer to help someone who is more disabled enjoy the benefits of hydrotherapy, call the MSA Volunteer Coordinator Gregg Robinson at 206-633-2606.
"Every instructor comes with their own previous experience," Ott notes. "An instructor who is a physical therapist will focus on mobility and lower extremity improvement more than an occupational therapist does. In the past, the MSA hydrotherapy supervisor was a physical therapist. As a recreation therapist with an aquatic therapy background I focus more on integrating people into the community, and helping them towards the goal of coming into the pool independently or with a caregiver."
Ott added that sometimes the training goes beyond the pool: to help people have the courage to leave their house and use Access transportation, taxis, or buses.
"There are times when what really happens in hydrotherapy is an incredible sharing, ventilating about medication, medical coverage, joke telling, kibitzing, and laughing. Promoting camaraderie and support is an important part of what I do as a recreational therapist. People come because they want to get together with other people as well as for the exercise.
The hydrotherapy program closes during holiday periods due to pool regulations, but Ott says that her clients have begged that the programs remain open because they feel that their time in the water makes a huge difference for them to avoid setbacks in their range of motion and mobility.
MSA’s hydrotherapy classes are taught at several pools in King County. For information on pools, including times and schedules, go to classes, or call MSA at 206-633-2606.
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The Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County
753 North 35th St., Suite 208, Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: 206-633-2606 Fax: 206-633-2920
Email: info@msakc.org