Osteoarthritis happens when the smooth cushioning inside a joint starts to change over time. It most commonly affects the knees, hips and hands and becomes more common as we get older. 

Osteoarthritis can cause pain and stiffness, making everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, getting out of a chair or exercising feel harder. Because moving can hurt, exercise might be the last thing you feel like doing. 

But the good news is…

Movement and exercise are actually some of the best ways to help your joints feel and move better! 

Why Exercise is Important for Osteoarthritis?

Exercise can help people with osteoarthritis in 4 ways:

1. STRONGER MUSCLES  

Your muscles help protect and support your joints. Think of them like cushions or shock absorbers. Stronger muscles take some of the pressure off your joints when you walk, bend, lift or exercise. 

Strong muscles = more support for your joints! 

2. KEEPS YOUR JOINTS MOVING 

Think of the cartilage in your joint like a sponge. When you move, it gently squeezes and releases, helping fresh joint fluid and nutrients move through the cartilage. 

Movement helps keep your joints healthy and moving smoothly! 

3. HELPS WITH PAIN  

It is normal for people with osteoarthritis to worry that exercise will make their joint pain worse. However, the right amount of exercise can actually help reduce pain over time. 

Exercise encourages your body to release natural chemicals, such as endorphins, that help reduce pain signals. Regular, appropriate exercise can also help reduce inflammation around the joint.  

This means that although exercise may sometimes feel challenging at first:  

Regular movement can make everyday activities easier and less painful over time. 

4. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT 

For every 1 kg of body weight lost, the pressure going through your knee can decrease by around 4 kg with each step. SO less weight = less pressure on your knees.  

It can also help reduce inflammation. Body fat contributres to our bodys inflammation, with more body fat correlating to increased inflammation. Thus, Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce this inflammation, which may help improve joint pain and overall joint health. 

Even small changes can make a meaningful difference to how your joints feel and move. 

Why Hydrotherapy?

For some people, traditional gym-based rehabilitation may not be the most appropriate place to begin. This is typically for people who: 

• Find walking or exercising painful 

• Struggle with gym-based exercises 

• Experience significant knee or hip stiffness 

• Have reduced strength or balance 

• Feel nervous about returning to exercise 

• Want a lower-load environment to begin strengthening 

In these situations, hydrotherapy provides a supportive environment where movement and exercise can be introduced more comfortably. 

Hydrotherapy involves physiotherapist-guided exercise in a warm-water pool. The properties of water make it particularly useful for rehabilitation: buoyancy reduces the amount of body weight placed through painful or sensitive joints, while water resistance allows muscles to be strengthened through a range of movements in a controlled way. 

Why Warm Water Water Changes The Game: 

1. Buoyancy 

When you're submerged to chest height, you're carrying about 25% of your body weight. Submerged to neck height, it drops to 10%. That offloading lets patients move joints they couldn't load on land, and that movement is what kickstarts recovery. 

2. Hydrostatic pressure 

Water pressure on the body produces a gentle compressive effect that helps reduce swelling, improves circulation, and makes painful joints feel more stable. Patients with chronic ankle or knee swelling often notice their joint feels "smaller" within the first session. 

3. Warmth 

Our pool is heated to 33-34°C, warmer than a standard lap pool, cooler than a spa. That temperature increases tissue extensibility, reduces protective muscle guarding, and lets us work through ranges that would be guarded on land. 

Together, warmth + buoyancy + water pressure can create an environment where exercises that are difficult on land become easier to practise. 

What Does A Hydrotherapy Session Look Like: 

Hydrotherapy sessions are designed around your ability, symptoms and goals. Individual sessions generally run for 45 minutes, while small group sessions run for around 60 minutes with 3–4 people working towards similar goals. 

A session may include: 

1. GETTING WARMED UP 

We start with gentle walking and easy movements to get your body comfortable in the water and your joints moving. 

2. STRENGTH AND MOVEMENT EXERCISES 

Exercises such as squats, lunges, step-ups and balance activities are adjusted to suit your ability. The support of the water can make movements feel easier and more comfortable than they do on land. 

3. WATER RESISTANCE EXERCISES 

Equipment such as pool noodles, paddles and kickboards can be used to add resistance and strengthen different muscles. 

4. COOL DOWN 

We finish with slower movements, gentle stretches and relaxation to help your body cool down. 

Many people find that the warm water and reduced pressure on their joints make exercise more comfortable, allowing them to practise movements they may find difficult on land. 

IS HYDROTHERAPY ENOUGH ON ITS OWN? 

Hydrotherapy works best as one part of your overall treatment plan. 

While the pool provides a comfortable environment to build movement, strength and confidence, we also want these improvements to carry over into your everyday life. This is why hydrotherapy may be combined with land-based strengthening, balance exercises, education and gradually increasing activity. 

The pool helps you get moving. Your land-based exercises help you keep progressing. 

HOW TO BOOK & WHERE WE RUN IT 

The Palm Beach Aquatic Centre has a dedicated heated pool. Sessions are bookable directly. No referral required, but we recommend a 45-minute land-based assessment first so we can program the pool work to your specific goals. 

To book a hydrotherapy assessment, give us a call 07 5630 1443 or Book Online

RESOURCE LIST: 

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Osteoarthritis. Australian Government. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/musculoskeletal-conditions/osteoarthritis  

Fransen, M., Nairn, L., Winstanley, J., Lam, P., & Edmonds, J. (2007). Physical activity for osteoarthritis management: A randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating hydrotherapy or Tai Chi classes. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 57(3), 407–414. 10.1002/art.22621 

Resende, S. M., Rassi, C. M., & Viana, F. P. (2008). Effects of hydrotherapy in balance and prevention of falls among elderly women. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 12(1), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-35552008000100011 

Silva, L. E., Valim, V., Pessanha, A. P. C., Oliveira, L. M., Myamoto, S., Jones, A., & Natour, J. (2008). Hydrotherapy versus conventional land-based exercise for the management of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: A randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy, 88(1), 12–21. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20060040