Rehab Management recently had the opportunity to ask Milton Velinsky, CEO of Aquatic Trends Inc, Tequesta, Fla, about the benefits of aquatic therapy in physical rehabilitation.

Q: Please give us a brief history of how your company was founded.

Milton Velinsky

A: The original incarnation of the company came in the early 1990s when we introduced the first water workout station. It struck me as such revolutionary equipment when I saw it that I believed it needed to be marketed immediately. Once we introduced the equipment, we began getting feedback on how to improve it and how to make it more "user-friendly," as they say nowadays. All of those initial efforts resulted in the Aquatrend Water Workout Station^TM that is available today.

Q: Your company’s primary product is the Aquatrend Water Workout Station. What are its primary applications/uses? Benefits?

A: The most popular uses for the water workout station definitely include rehabilitation after injury or after orthopedic surgery and for use by those who have difficulty exercising on land—arthritis and neuromuscular disorders are often the culprits in these cases. The stability of the station, its multiple handgrips and footholds, and its adjustable seat all allow for a wide range of exercises and protocols that are often difficult—and sometimes impossible—without the Aquatrend.

Q: What was the inspiration behind its development?

A: The original development of the water workout station came from the need to relieve back pain. The pool was just starting to be seen as a good place to perform exercise thanks to the hydrostatic pressure and buoyancy of the water. The water workout station gave a place to actually perform exercises in a stable manner without trying to hang on to a ladder or trying to keep a good grip on pool coping. Plus, the station gives a sturdy yet unimpeded place to sit, something that really wasn’t available up until that point.

Q: Is your product available for both professional and home use? Who are your primary clients?

A: While there are definitely those who have the Aquatrend Water Workout Station in their home pools, these purchases are mostly the result of people having used it at their wellness center pool, at physical therapy, or in another professional aquatic setting, although occasionally someone will have seen it somewhere and will just want it. Physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, aquatic therapists, and aquatic instructors still make up the majority of both existing and new customers, along with so many others: Ys, nursing homes, wellness centers, spas, and hotels.

Q: What are the primary benefits of using your product in conjunction with standard aquatic regimens?

A: Because the Aquatrend is such a stable platform, users find they can expand on what they can normally do without the station. We've had therapists and doctors who have Aquatrend Water Workout Stations tell us how much they appreciate being able to have the handholds and footholds—it feels safer for patients who might be a bit nervous about being in the water; it allows for better positioning of the body for more effective exercising; and the seat gives a benefit beyond the exercises that can be performed on it—it gives those who tire easily a place to rest without having to swim to a step or seat or having to get out of the pool altogether.

Q: How have recent changes in the reimbursement issues affected your industry?

A: There are so many facilities, such as YMCAs, that want to be able to have outside physical therapists come in and be able to perform aquatic therapy in the pool. Unfortunately, for Medicare reimbursement the PT would have to rent the entire pool for the exclusive use of his or her patients for at least 3 hours. That’s costly for both the therapist and the facility. Fortunately, better understanding by insurance and Medicare of what aquatic physical therapy is has made reimbursement a bit less daunting in the last few years.

—Rogena Schuyler Silverman