Imagine donning a scuba suit just to get some exercise. For people recovering from serious injuries, the chance to work out underwater is worth the extra effort. A study is now examining how 'immersion therapy' could benefit more people with brain and spinal conditions.
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00:00 When diving in means working out.
00:06 I like getting in there with the weights and doing some good decent honest exercise.
00:11 Damien sustained a work injury in 2009.
00:15 We had five surgeries on the back, multiple surgeries all over the body, probably 40 in total.
00:21 There were times where I just couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Things were very tough.
00:27 Then a year ago he tried immersion therapy where participants exercise underwater in scuba gear.
00:33 Feeling better, more energy, eating better, sleeping better.
00:37 If I fall over in the water I'm not going to fall flat on my face. I'm not going to re-aggravate an injury.
00:43 A new study is now getting people with brain and spinal injuries to put on a scuba suit.
00:49 While there's been a significant amount of anecdotal evidence about the effectiveness of underwater immersion therapy,
00:55 researchers hope that the new study will provide more definitive conclusions as to how and why it works.
01:01 By getting them underwater we think we can challenge that interaction between the brain and the body completely differently.
01:06 Some aren't fully convinced, saying there can be safety risks.
01:10 The immersion is useful and helpful for many of these clients, but not necessarily with their head underwater.
01:18 Immersion therapy founder and provider Determined 2 says patients must pass eligibility criteria
01:24 and more than 10,000 sessions have been delivered without critical incident.
01:28 It's now being rolled out across Australia and New Zealand, starting in Melbourne this October.
01:34 If I had an option like immersion therapy available to me earlier on in my rehabilitation phase, I would have been better off today.
01:43 The study's results are expected to surface in two to three years.
01:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]