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Aquatic Therapy & Parkinson's: Systematic Reviews & Practice Documents

A reading list of systematic reviews and practice documents on aquatic therapy for Parkinson's disease, covering balance, gait, motor function and quality of life.

By Andrea Salzman, MS, PT4 min read

Neuro
Research
Exercise
Balance

First published January 18, 2024 on atuseminars.com

If you want the strongest evidence on aquatic therapy for Parkinson's disease in one place, start here. This list gathers the systematic reviews and practice documents I return to most.

Want to go deeper? Explore the Introduction to Aquatic Therapy for Adult Neurological Conditions course →

An older woman stands in a pool with her arms stretched out to the sides. — Systematic reviews on Parkinson's disease look at balance, gait, motor function and quality of life in the water.

Benefits of aquatic exercise in adults with and without chronic disease -- a systematic review with meta-analysis [with consumer summary]	systematic review
Effects of ten different exercise interventions on motor function in Parkinson's disease patients -- a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials	systematic review
Effect of aquatic physiotherapy on functioning, balance performance, motor performance, and health-related quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: a review of structure and dosimetry of aquatic exercise programs	systematic review
A systematic review on exercise and training-based interventions for freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease	systematic review
Is aquatic therapy optimally prescribed for Parkinson's disease? A systematic review and meta-analysis	systematic review
Physical therapy for freezing of gait and gait impairments in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review	systematic review
Combining aquatic physiotherapy with usual care physiotherapy for people with neurological conditions: a systematic review	systematic review
Effects of water-based exercise on functioning and quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis [with consumer summary]	systematic review
Is hydrotherapy effective to improve balance, functional mobility, motor status, and quality of life in subjects with Parkinson's disease? A systematic review and meta-analysis	systematic review
Aquatic exercise improves motor impairments in people with Parkinson's disease, with similar or greater benefits than land-based exercise: a systematic review [with consumer summary]	systematic review
The effects of aquatic therapy on gait, balance, and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease	systematic review
The efficacy and feasibility of aquatic physiotherapy for people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review [with consumer summary]	systematic review
Systematic review of published studies on aquatic exercise for balance in patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and hemiplegia	systematic review
Complementary physical therapies for movement disorders in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review [with consumer summary]	systematic review
Efficacy studies in neurological physiotherapy: is a new point of view possible?	systematic review
The therapeutic effect of balneotherapy: evaluation of the evidence from randomised controlled trials [with consumer summary]	systematic review

What the reviews say, in plain words

Four of the reviews on this list, in brief:

Water vs land. Aquatic exercise improved motor impairments more than no intervention, and slightly to moderately more than land exercise for balance, fear of falling and quality of life.¹
Dosing. Aquatic therapy gave gains in gait, balance and mobility comparable to land physiotherapy, but many programs were under-dosed (3 to 11 weeks), so the best dose is still unknown.²
Across chronic diseases. A broad review found water training improved pain, gait, fitness and quality of life in people with Parkinson’s, with most benefits seen after 8 to 16 weeks.³
2023 update. Compared with conventional rehabilitation, aquatic exercise improved balance, walking and quality of life, but not motor scores.⁴

Most trials are small and short. That is why the dose question matters so much.

Frequently asked questions

Is aquatic therapy as good as land therapy for Parkinson’s disease?

For balance, fear of falling and quality of life, reviews find it is as good or slightly better (Cugusi et al., 2019).

How much aquatic therapy should a person with Parkinson’s get?

No one knows yet. Many trials were short or under-dosed, so the best dose could not be confirmed (Carroll et al., 2020).

References

Reviews summarized in this post

The table links to each review’s PEDro record.

Systematic reviewCugusi L, Manca A, Bergamin M, et al. Aquatic exercise improves motor impairments in people with Parkinson's disease, with similar or greater benefits than land-based exercise: a systematic review. J Physiother. 2019;65(2):65-74. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2019.02.003. PubMed: 30904467.
Systematic review and meta-analysisCarroll LM, Morris ME, O'Connor WT, Clifford AM. Is Aquatic Therapy Optimally Prescribed for Parkinson's Disease? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Parkinsons Dis. 2020;10(1):59-76. doi:10.3233/JPD-191784. PubMed: 31815701.
Systematic review and meta-analysisFaíl LB, Marinho DA, Marques EA, et al. Benefits of aquatic exercise in adults with and without chronic disease-A systematic review with meta-analysis. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022;32(3):465-486. doi:10.1111/sms.14112. PubMed: 34913530.
Systematic reviewDai S, Yuan H, Wang J, Yang Y, Wen S. Effects of aquatic exercise on the improvement of lower-extremity motor function and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2023;14:1066718. doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1066718. PubMed: 36818451.

How to cite this article

First published January 18, 2024 on atuseminars.com · Last updated October 19, 2026 · Permanent URL: https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/blog/aquatic-therapy-parkinson-s-systematic-reviews-practice

How to cite

Salzman, A. (2024, January 18). Aquatic Therapy & Parkinson's: Systematic Reviews & Practice Documents. Aquatic Therapy University Blog. ATU Educational Services, LLC. https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/blog/aquatic-therapy-parkinson-s-systematic-reviews-practice

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