Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapy assistant and aquatic therapist Sue demonstrates several exercises you can do to improve your balance through exercising in our warm water therapeutic pool. Improving balance and stability is a key goal of aquatic therapy. Aquatic therapy utilizes the physical properties of water to help patients heal and regain strength, balance, and function without placing unnecessary pressure on healing joints in a safe environment.

Check out our March Newsletter which highlights Mangiarelli Rehabilitation's recent features in 21 WFMJ News, 7 heart health benefits of exercise, aquatic therapy treatment at our clinic, and how to manage rotator cuff tendinitis with physical therapy.

At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, aquatic therapy takes place in our warm water therapeutic pool with our aquatic therapy specialist, Sue. Aquatic therapy provides a safe and effective environment to build strength, improve mobility and balance, and enhance function with minimal stress on your joints. On the blog, our aquatic therapist, Sue, explains what aquatic therapy involves, ways it can benefit you as a patient, and how it can improve your strength and reduce pain.

Our February Newsletter covers the latest news from Mangiarelli Rehabilitation including how physical therapy can help you recover from Covid, an update on our recently renovated warm water therapy pool, how dry needling works as a physical therapy treatment, and how physical therapy can help you manage sciatica.

Arthritis is a chronic pain condition that involves swelling and tenderness in one or more joints. It is the leading cause of disability for American adults, affecting 54 million adults each year. Aquatic therapy is a safe, low-impact physical therapy option that allows a patient to exercise and build aerobic capacity with reduced pain. Aquatic therapy at the Mangiarelli Rehabilitation clinic heated pool involves specific exercises and aerobics performed in heated water.

Susan Davis is a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) and Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT). She earned her Associate Degree from Penn State as a Physical Therapist Assistant and works in all areas of outpatient rehabilitation. She has additional training in aquatic therapy and lymphedema.

Sue’s favorite part of her job is the people! She enjoys working with the patients, wellness clients, and co-workers. She says, “As a privately-owned clinic, there is a closeness that isn’t there with a corporate-owned facility. The same staff has been at the clinic for years because it’s a great place to work! Patients get better and join the wellness program in order to stay healthy. It’s a very positive atmosphere.”

Aquatic therapy has unique benefits for many musculoskeletal and neurological conditions due to the specific properties of water. The top three benefits of water therapy include accelerated healing time, decreased swelling and reduced inflammation, and improved circulation and mobility. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, aquatic rehabilitation takes place in the clinic pool under the supervision of aquatic therapists.