Hydrotherapy

Many children have hydrotherapy as a form of physiotherapy during their inpatient stay or during outpatient appointments at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Patients are treated across many specialities in the hydrotherapy pool following a full assessment and screening by a physiotherapist.

The physiotherapist uses the properties of the water to help children exercise stiff joints, strengthen muscles, decrease muscle spasms and to relearn functional activities.

A hydrotherapy pool is warmer than a typical swimming pool and the warmth can be used to assist with relaxing muscles and relieving pain.

It provides an ideal exercise environment for weaker children, for example those who find walking and sitting challenging.

Children can often do more in the water than they can do on land because of the supportive and buoyant properties of water. It is an excellent medium for rehabilitation after surgery and most importantly, children find it a fun and engaging form of exercise.

"I like hydrotherapy because it helped straighten my knee and it was fun. I had never been in a pool with my frame on before."
Miryam, aged 8