March / April / May 2023 | Akwa | 13 Expanding our therapeutic fluency or broadening our fitness professional abilities to better meet our clientele’s needs is an important aspect of grow- ing within the profession. While the worlds of therapy and fitness are often separated, many shared attributes should be recognized and celebrated. At the core of both professions is the premise of enhancing performance. Aquatic therapists may be assisting patients in reaching an achievable level of independence following an accident, injury, or surgery. Aquatic fitness professionals are pushing their clients to maintain independence, excel at sports, or be able to perform functional movements. This contin- uum of care from therapy to exercise should be recognized as a partner- ship to keep individuals independent, moving better, and performing at their highest levels. One attribute that is a concentration for both aquatic therapists and aquatic exercise specialists is range of motion (ROM). Range of motion is the dis- tance and direction of a joint or muscle movement. It is a necessity for many activities of daily living (ADLs) and a common area of decline with disease, age, and overuse. If ROM is limited in one joint or area, additional stress may result in muscular imbalances or injury. Diversity in movement and var- ious types of stretching are the corner- stones to maintaining and improving ROM. Additionally, myofascial release can positively impact ROM by releas- ing fascial adhesions that may impede optimal ROM. In fact, a single bout of myofascial release has been noted to significantly increase ROM at the sur- rounding joints (1-4). AquaStretch™ is an aquatic myofascial release technique with a shared value across the continuum of care. Utilize it for high-performance athletes that chronically repeat similar movement patterns, individuals with occupations requiring similar iterations of posture or movement, or those with ROM restrictions due to surgery or disease. George Eversaul created AquaStretch as a fitness and wellness program to use within both the fitness and rehab realms. Dr. Eversaul collaborated with various individuals and organizations to develop certification programs so that the AquaStretch technique could be taught and delivered to aquatic professionals around the globe. Cer- tification opportunities through the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute (ATRI), Water Exercise Coach, and others teach both the didactic and application needed to conduct Aqua- Stretch sessions successfully. Becoming a certified AquaStretch practitioner may augment your aquatic practice and financial gain. AquaStretch is a one-on-one, whole- body, facilitated stretch technique that can be billed as a form of bodywork or personal training for fitness profes- sionals, or as aquatic therapy or man- ual techniques for aquatic therapists. Once trained and proficient in the technique, the session duration can last from 20-45 minutes. If charging as a fitness and wellness technique, the cost can range from $1/minute to over $100 per 45 -minute session. Standard rates would apply for aquatic therapy or manual techniques when billing for treatment. Beyond the financial gain, AquaS- tretch has had an immediate positive impact on range of motion, function, performance, and pain (3-6). The technique treats the body globally to release areas of tension, restoring nor- mative movement patterns. It allows patients and clients to move how their bodies want to move as the practi- tioner assists and enhances the move- ment. This attribute of AquaStretch has been shown to reduce kinesiophobia, or the fear of movement, for individuals with chronic low back pain (5). While the body of literature is not robust, the anecdotal feedback from clients and patients is overwhelmingly positive. AquaStretch certification can provide greater clinical or wellness care while diversifying the aquatic professional’s AquaStretch™ Certification By Lori A. Sherlock, EdD You can take the AquaStretch™ Specialty Certification at IAFTC 2023 in Orlando, Florida on Mon- day, May 1, 2023. Donna Lewen, Terri Mitchell, and Beth Scalone will be team teaching this pro- gram, so you will enjoy a variety of perspectives and guidance.
