New England Patriots offensive line got a lot stronger when Thomas Austin (#65) returned to the field following an ankle sprain and speedy foot surgery rehab with hydrotherapy. In the video interview below, the 24-year-old credits water rehabilitation for his fast healing process that helped his ankle return to pre-surgery strength.
The offensive lineman said he tried hydrotherapy in the past, but found better results with the Patriot’s SwimEx pool. “Any pools I have been in before might have had a current or treadmill – and that’s about it. This pool has a ramp and a number of different depths. There are stairs with rails to do a lot of exercises. I weigh 300 pounds, so it is a great way to rehabilitate and train at the same time. It is lower impact and I can do it more frequently.”
Austin’s foot problems began after suffering a high ankle sprain while playing football at Clemson University. Ever since, he started to develop painful bone spurs in his joint. “It just got worse and worse every year,” he said. When he turned pro, Patriots athletic trainers encouraged him to remove the spur and scar tissue for good. Following surgery, he immediately started rehabilitation at a local hospital.
“On his first visit to the clinic his motion was limited,” said physical therapist Jaeson Kawadler. “We got him into the pool and started working his range of motion and strength. We had him jumping on the treadmill, running against the current and using the pool as much as we could.”
Kawadler said hydrotherapy yields great results for professional athletes. It helped Austin make remarkable progress following surgery.
Download this free case study by Jaeson Kawadler on how he treated an ankle sprain in 10 days with hydrotherapy.
~ Authored by Liz Lecomte