Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Oct 31;14(5):877-882.
doi: 10.12965/jer.1836408.204. eCollection 2018 Oct.

Therapeutic effects of aquatic exercises on a boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Hakan Atamturk  1 , Arda Atamturk  2
Affiliations

Therapeutic effects of aquatic exercises on a boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Hakan Atamturk et al. J Exerc Rehabil. .

Abstract

Participation in physical activities benefits individuals with disabilities in terms of addressing their social and psychological needs in order for the purposes of quality living. This study reports the findings from a case study conducted with a boy who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in a swimming pool located in the campus of a private university in North Cyprus. The current study reports the adjustments made in the swimming pool in accordance with the needs of the participant, how service quality was increased to cater for these needs and in what ways the participant benefited from the aquatic program. This qualitative investigation aims to shed light onto how aquatic therapy has affected the boy with DMD physically, psychologically, and socially from the parents' perspectives. The results revealed that aquatic therapy had beneficial effects on the participant with DMD in terms of socialization, relaxation, quality of life and self-perception.

Keywords: Aquatic therapy; Functional ability; Quality of life; Swimming for the disabled.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

References

    1. Archer S. Aquatic exercise and arthritis. Aquat Ther J. 2002;16:29–31.
    1. Bendixen RM, Senesac C, Lott DJ, Vandenborne K. Participation and quality of life in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2012;10:43. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Berger BG, Owen DR. Mood alteration with swimming-swimmers really do “feel better”. Psychosom Med. 1983;45:425–433. - PubMed
    1. Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006;3:77–101.
    1. Conaster P. Adapted aquatics and rehabilitation: a literature synthesis. Int J Aquat Res Educ. 2007;1:242–254.