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Related Experiment Videos

Immediate blood pressure changes and aquatic physiotherapy.

Emily Jayne Ward1, Auburn McIntyre, Gisela van Kessel

  • 1The University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. emilyjayne@ozemail.com.au

Hypertension in Pregnancy
|July 23, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Aquatic physiotherapy (AP) classes safely lower blood pressure in pregnant women. Blood pressure decreased upon immersion and returned to normal after exiting the water, indicating safety for nonhypertensive individuals.

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Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Therapeutic Exercise

Background:

  • Maternal blood pressure (BP) changes during pregnancy are critical for fetal well-being.
  • Previous research suggests potential risks associated with elevated BP in pregnant women.
  • The effects of aquatic physiotherapy (AP) on maternal BP remain unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of aquatic physiotherapy (AP) on blood pressure (BP) in pregnant women.
  • To assess BP changes during and after AP sessions in the third trimester.
  • To determine the safety of AP for maternal cardiovascular health during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

  • An experimental, repeated measures design was utilized.
  • Blood pressure (BP) was measured in 45 pregnant women before, during, and after a 50-minute non-aerobic AP class.

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  • Measurements included pre-immersion, immediate post-immersion, during immersion post-exercise, and 8-12 minutes post-exiting the water.

    • Main Results:

    • Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a statistically significant difference in BP across all measurement points (p = 0.0000).
    • Mean arterial pressure (MAP) significantly decreased by 10.52 mm Hg upon entering the water.
    • Blood pressure remained lowered during immersion post-exercise and returned to pre-immersion levels 8-12 minutes after exiting.

    Conclusions:

    • Aquatic physiotherapy (AP) appears safe for nonhypertensive pregnant women in their third trimester.
    • AP demonstrated a significant, temporary reduction in blood pressure.
    • Further research is warranted for AP's application in antenatal care for women with unstable or hypertensive BP.