Aquatic Therapy for Spinal Injuries

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Ty's rehabilitative regimen includes 3 to 4 sessions a week in his Endless Pool, which includes a seat to help him wiht access. Ty located his pool in a sunroom.

Such is the value of the Endless Pool in the ongoing therapy of Ty Prause that he remembers the date the installation was completed - July 13, 1997 - and he has been feeling better ever since.

A horseback-riding accident followed in rapid succession by a football injury resulted in a severe spinal compression which rendered Ty a paraplegic in 1972. Since then, he has pursued a rehabilitative regimen to relieve the disability's symptoms, especially the accumulation of fluid in and around joints. And although swimming has usually been a part of the program, the Endless Pool has made it more convenient than ever before.

Ty's workout, which he does three or four times per week, lasts 45 minutes and includes both stretching exercises and 20 minutes of non-stop swimming. He varies the temperature slightly according to the season - roughly 92 degrees in winter, 88 during the summer - and cites benefits both physical and temperamental from the exercise.

"Boosting circulation is important to anyone with my condition," says Ty, "and the workouts also increase my strength, endurance, and muscle tone. Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress."

 

 

 

 

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