Aquatic therapy for patients after burn injury

A substantial number of people who have sustained a burn injury will need to regain their former fitness and activity levels after hospitalisation. Exercise therapy can help, and has proven to be effective in patients with burns. Whether exercise therapy is land or water based, the effect is largely comparable. The relevance, added value however, of exercise therapy in an aquatic environment is in lowering the threshold of becoming active by offering an environment that, among many other things, makes movement easier and is safe. However, the aquatic environment may in itself be a barrier e.g. requiring more planning and people may have problems exposing themselves in swimsuit.

Therefore, in this study we will investigate the acceptability and feasibility of exercise therapy in an aquatic environment by patients after burn injury.

- prior to start

- two weeks after start

- 3 months after discharge

- 6 months after discharge

exercise therapy in an aquatic environment