Warm baths, cold plunges and aquatic therapy: hydrotherapy uses water’s unique properties to support recovery for people of all ages and abilities.
By Evelina Pak
Illustrations by Mateusz Napieralski
What is hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy is an umbrella term for therapeutic uses of water. It includes everything from warm baths and thermal circuits to clinical aquatic therapy, where physiotherapists use specialized equipment and treatment plans. Depending on the approach, hydrotherapy can help reduce pain, improve mobility and support recovery from injury, chronic illness and cancer treatment.
“Water’s buoyancy unloads painful joints, its viscosity provides gentle and adjustable resistance and its hydrostatic pressure [the natural force of water] supports tissues in all directions,” explains Grant Fedoruk, physiotherapist and owner at Leading Edge Physiotherapy in Edmonton. Fedoruk works with a range of patients, including those undergoing cancer treatment. “These forces work together to create a therapeutic environment where movement becomes possible again.”
Hydrotherapy in cancer recovery
For people undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment, hydrotherapy can make movement more accessible. Warm water allows people experiencing treatment-related joint pain, nerve damage and pain or fatigue to walk, stretch and exercise with less discomfort. Water’s natural pressure may also help ease swelling and improve circulation, while the natural resistance of water helps rebuild strength without placing excessive strain on the body.
The benefits extend beyond physical recovery. Moving more comfortably in water can reduce anxiety, build confidence and lessen the fear of falling — a very real concern for people coping with neuropathy, balance changes or weakened bone structure from osteoporosis, all side effects of some cancer treatments.
“Many patients describe their time in the water as the first moment they’ve felt ‘normal’ again during recovery,” says Fedoruk.
Accessible ways to experience hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy doesn’t only take place in a specialized clinic or spa. People can experience aquatic relief and gentle movement in everyday settings. Physiotherapist Grant Fedoruk offers a few tips for easily incorporating hydrotherapy into a wellness routine.
Go for a dip
Visit a community pool for public swimming, where there are often lanes available for therapeutic use. Some communities even have therapy-specific pools, like at Cochrane’s Jayman BUILT Aquatic Centre. You can also try walking in chest-deep water to reduce load on joints, making movement easier. Using the water as resistance — you could try sweeping your arms and legs through the water, for example — is a chance to challenge your body gently and safely.
Attend a gentle fitness class
Aquafit and other aquatic exercise classes are a structured way to stay active while benefiting from social connection and encouragement. Fedoruk says: “I’ve seen people who felt isolated or discouraged rediscover confidence simply by moving in water alongside others.”
Take a bath
A warm bath can be therapeutic. Gentle movements such as ankle pumps or slow knee bends can help mobilize stiff joints, especially on days when pain or fatigue make land-based exercise difficult. Contrast bathing (alternating warm and cool water) may also help reduce swelling and improve circulation.
Hot-Cold-Repeat Retreats
The thermal experience at Everwild Canmore, an outdoor Nordic-inspired spa owned and operated by Basecamp Resorts, follows a simple rhythm: heat, cold, rest, repeat. Guests move between hot pools, cold plunges, saunas and steam lodges. The cycle is designed to improve circulation, reduce stress and promote relaxation.
“When I started incorporating hydrotherapy and thermal cycling into my own routine, I noticed a real difference, physically and mentally,” says Sky Mitchell, CEO of Basecamp Resorts. “Everwild is a place to slow down, reconnect with nature and actually feel where you are.”
MORE THERMAL EXPERIENCES IN ALBERTA
Kananaskis Nordic Spa
1 Centennial Dr., Kananaskis Village, knordicspa.com
SKA Thermal Spa
638 11 Ave. S.W.; 3970 Market St. S.E., Calgary, skathermalspa.com
Sole Nordic Wellness
4805 50 Ave., Leduc, solewellness.ca
