Only in Cochrane: Warm water therapy

People are known to travel from all over to take advantage of the province’s best warm water therapy programs right here in Southern Alberta.

Cochrane and District Warm Water Therapy is a registered charitable society offering physiotherapy in the warm embrace of weight-bearing water.

At the recent Annual General Meeting of the Society, many users came forward to provide testimonials for the unique therapy about how it immensely improves quality of life.

The Society runs warm water therapy programs at the Winsport Medical Clinic and helped Anne Scott of Bearspaw who battled a variety of injuries, including a ruptured Achilles and a troubling and nearly fatal staph infection in her knee.

A Calgary physiotherapist recommended warm water therapy as a way to recover from her trauma rapidly, especially since Scott had been lying in bed for almost 18 months.

Part of her treatment involved movement on a specially designed treadmill submerged in the warm water.  This therapy had her up and walking normally in just four months.

Another Cochrane Warm Water therapy convert is Kim Wedgerfield who lived through two pretty terrific car accidents.  She suffered a brain injury, a spinal injury and as a tragic twist to her story, she developed Huntington’s which causes loss of motor control.  Warm water therapy is vital to her exercise programs, helping her with balance.

The Town has approved space for the therapy program in the new aquatic centre but the Society is still in fundraising mode and has only raised $81,500. It’s taken four years just to put that amount together.

Cochrane’s Warm Water Therapy program is something for the town to treasure.  It’s the only community-based program of its kind in the country.  There are some in the U.S., and some say that Cochrane’s program may become part of the town’s tourism program.  Warm water therapy might be a “destination” spot in Cochrane.

What does warm water therapy do?

According to the Society’s website, warm water therapy provides buoyancy and body weight is supported while the patient is in the water.  Water also provides natural resistance and so sudden movement or jarring movement can’t occur.  The warm water is soothing and relaxing.  People report that their flexibility is improved and they have better range of motion.  It allows the patient to exercise for muscle tone without undue stress on the joints.  Stiff joints are soothed and sore muscles can relax.

Pain is reduced, circulation improves and recover time is considerably shorter.

Some of the conditions which can be treated or improved through Cochrane Warm Water Therapy programs are stroke, heart ailments, fibromyalgia,  arthritis, chronic fatigue, Cerebral Palsy, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes and post-surgical physiotherapies.  Warm water therapy is also beneficial for seniors to keep them mobile in later years.

How you can help

Cochrane and District Warm Water Therapy Pool Society is a registered charity and all donations received are eligible for tax receipts.  If you believe in this program visit the Society’s website for contact information.