While we live our daily lives, we often don’t realise how many different worlds can fit into the world around us. Every family lives in its own way – with its own joys, worries and challenges. And so it was for us: as we enjoyed the laughter and smiles of our babies, we began to wonder more and more – what else can water do? Can it become a place not only for play, but also for calming, relaxing, helping
We’ve had questions from parents of children with disabilities or developmental disabilities. We were scared ourselves – we didn’t know how to help, how to behave. Even though we used to just answer in the negative, the thoughts about it never went away. Inside, there was a growing feeling that we can, that we must try. When we started to look at how other countries use aquatic therapy for children with physical disabilities, we were amazed at how much has been done and how advanced the techniques are. Then there was no doubt – it will happen in Lithuania too.
Today, after targeted training with foreign lecturers, we are already working with children with physical disabilities, with a particular focus on cerebral palsy. We use aquatic therapy adapted to this diagnosis, the aim of which is to align the child’s body in the water, to normalise tensions (especially in the pelvis and shoulders) and muscle tone. With the correct body positioning during aquatic therapy, the child begins to feel the paralysed limbs “unlocking” for work. In this case, it is possible to start teaching functional movements, facilitating functional reflexes such as breathing or swallowing.
Water therapy is unique in that the physical properties of water and the positive emotions it produces make the body “calm down”, which in turn leads to better results and the success of other therapies. Water sessions can be done once a month – the benefits will be felt both immediately after the session and over a longer period of time in other activities.
As in all areas of rehabilitation, teamwork is key. Synergy between parents and professionals is essential. In aquatic therapy, we invite parents to take a slower approach, to trust the child and the practitioner, and to let the child just be. In the water, invisible things also happen – relaxation, self-awareness, water massage.
We are happy to be part of this journey – to help children and their families, to give them a sense of security, to discover together the physical and emotional benefits of water.
