The use of aquatic therapy to manage musculoskeletal pain in Canadian military veterans

The proposed research project has two aims: 1) to understand the experiences of Canadian Military Veterans with lower extremity pain when participating in aquatic therapy; 2) To determine the effectiveness of aquatic therapy versus land-based therapy on Canadian military veterans with chronic lower-extremity pain. To accomplish these aims, we will conduct a mixed methods study with two components: 1) a qualitative study that involves interviewing Canadian Military Veterans with chronic lower extremity pain about their experiences participating in Aquatic Therapy; 2) a randomized clinical trial comparing aquatic therapy to land therapy for Canadian Military Veterans with chronic lower extremity pain.

The Hydra Lab is an organization that was developed in order to complete research and guide effective rehabilitation processes at Hydrathletics. Hydrathletics is a physical rehabilitation facility that specializes in aquatic therapy and has a large veteran clientele.
A better understanding of veterans’ experience with aquatic therapy and its effectiveness in comparison to land-based therapy will provide valuable evidence for the creation of new services or programs and for tailoring services to reflect the needs, preferences, and expected outcomes of Canadian military veterans living with chronic lower extremity pain.

Faculty Supervisor:

Heidi Cramm;Jordan Miller

Student:

Nicholas Held

Partner:

Hydrathletics

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

Queen's University