During his younger days, Kyle Buskirk got into a few motorcycle accidents that have caused him issues ever since. After four surgeries with multiple spinal fusions, he knows a thing or two about recovering from surgery. After his most recent surgery, Kyle had aquatic therapy at Perham Health and has become a big believer in the benefits of it.

Aquatic therapy is a type of physical therapy in a heated therapy pool. Patients perform physical therapy treatments in water, benefitting from the water’s warmth, buoyancy, and resistance, which can help improve pain and stress on joints and muscles. It also allows patients to strengthen and stretch muscles and work on balance without the fear of falling.

“I’ve done land and water therapy before, and I like aquatic therapy better. On land, I am fighting to hold up my 200 pounds; at the same time, I am trying to exercise. The water holds up my body so I can focus on the exercises. I can do more in the water with less pain, and that’s important after a big surgery,” says Kyle.

Physical therapist Kelsey Wiskow started working with Kyle at the therapy pool at the Perham Area Community Center.

When Kyle started therapy, he had little endurance and would quickly tire. Standing or going upstairs was hard to do, and he was at risk of falling because he was so weak in his core and legs.

“When I first started physical therapy, I had sat on a couch for four months. I would get winded going up the steps at my house,” he remembered.

Kelsey and Kyle started meeting three times a week, working on balance, range of motion for arms and legs, and strengthening different body parts.

“Kyle starts every session with a warm-up, and then we move to different exercises like walking in deep water while supported by a flotation device, stepping up and down on an underwater step, leg and arm exercises, and crunches,” Kelsey states.

Kyle notices a big difference between aquatic and land therapy. “When I did land-based therapy after my earlier surgeries, I would still feel weak even after eight weeks of therapy. It took a lot longer to recover. When we started, I could do about eight calf raises on land, but I could do twenty in the water. I’m so much farther ahead with aquatic therapy,” he says.

Kyle says, “I’m a retired nurse, so I know how things work, and Kelsey knows her stuff. She is responsible for so much of my recovery.”

Their work together has dramatically improved pain levels, function, strength, and endurance. He can walk further without fatigue, use the stairs at home, and stand for extended periods without resting.

“I went to my kid’s cross country match last week and was up and moving for eight hours straight. It’s been hard for me to do that even a year after previous surgeries,” he said gratefully.

He has noticed that the pain and soreness is considerably less. “When I did it on land, I was sore after each session, and I would go home, take Tylenol, and sit around. That was not helping anything, says Kyle.

“Now, when I go home, there isn’t any pain, so I keep moving.”

Learn more about Aquatic Therapy.  Meet Kelsey Wiskow.

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About Perham Health 

Perham Health is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital with three primary care clinics located, a 96-bed nursing home, home care agency, adult day services, memory care assisted living, and housing.  The medical staff consists of 25 physicians, a nurse midwife, 15 advance practice clinicians, and three chiropractors. Visit perhamhealth.org to learn more.