Water Specific Therapy Halliwick

Water Specific Therapy Water Specific Therapy (WST) – previously known as Halliwick-therapy - is THE aquatic therapy concept worldwide, included in more than 60 published research articles, see at https://www.halliwick.net/en/literature/articles . WST covers virtually all neuromusculoskeletal ICF-goals including one of the most important topics in rehabilitation: postural control. WST ranges from muscle strengthening, increasing range of motion, decreasing pain to core stability, agility and fall prevention. WST can be used to evoke subtle muscle contractions that are unable to be generated on land. WST is applied from pediatrics to geriatrics and has been taught in over 60 countries. It is an aquatic therapy with elements of the Halliwick 10 point-programme swimming method that are used as pretraining for exercises that use the fluidmechanical properties of water: flow conditions (turbulence), waves of transmission and metacentric effects (using the change of gravity and buoyancy induced torques). A clinical question in WST could be: “can metacentric effects be used to train central stability in an ataxic patient”? WST was developed by a team of physiotherapists in Switzerland in the early seventies, supporting James McMillan in his efforts to develop Halliwick towards a “Halliwick-Therapy”. The development still continues, following contemporary issues in health care. Examples are executive functions, muscle power training, enhancing facial resilience or modifying neuroinflammation. WST = motor learning in water to be used on land, whereas Halliwick = motor learning in water to be used in water Halliwick Halliwick originally is a swimming concept, developed by the late engineer in fluidmechanics James McMillan MBE. In 1949, he and his wife started to include disabled girls from the Halliwick-school in London in sessions of the swimming club in which he acted as a volunteer swimming coach. It was obvious that the biggest problems the girls encountered was a lack of postural control. He knew how to use fluidmechanics in order to ease the problem and progressively train the girls. The approach soon became more structured and developed into the famous Ten-Point-Programme. Main focus is teaching rotational control: the practical approach to postural problems in 3 dimensions around the 3 axes (sagittal, transversal and longitudinal) and a combination (diagonal). A clinical question could be: “how can we adapt the transversal rotation control for a child with a hemiplegia”? The classroom teacher observed changes within a few weeks: better trunk-, head- and mouth control as well as an increased self-esteem. The swimming method seemed to have therapeutic potential, especially because all rotation controls are related to trunk (core) activity, also a key focus for postural control on land. Halliwick is practiced all over the world at the moment. Especially children with neuromotor deficits can benefit enormously, given the many publications in the area. The Ten-Points are a basis for other activities like adapted swimming, a specific swimming competition, game circuits or scuba diving. Halliwick games are a perfect basis for aquatic gamification (play + exercise at the same time).