Water-Based Rehabilitation in the Elderly: Data Science Approach to Support the Conduction of a Scoping Review

Abstract

Water-based rehabilitation is a well-known approach that is useful for the prevention and management of many conditions. Its application in the elderly is quite common in clinical practice, but scientific evidence is limited. We conducted a scoping review on geriatric water-based rehabilitation using a methodology borrowed from data science to investigate and discuss the extensive literature data. We searched the papers on PubMed and we used the abstracts to collect different data. We imported them into an electronic database and we used its filters to build different graphical representations. The filters allowed the selections of specific modalities of a variable and the following visualization of the values of the other variables linked to that selected modality. A total of 49 papers were found and they confirmed the safety and usefulness of water-based rehabilitation. Our analysis was able to show the relationships among the variables and the differences in the elements considered for the analysis. The current literature shows some limitations, especially concerning the article types in some specific diseases and the outcome measurements. Future research can overcome these limitations by collecting more data on the diseases that affect old people, even with the use of precise outcome measures. Our described methodology can be potentially beneficial and other studies may confirm its utility.

Frailty Education

“…Nevertheless, when center-based GR is not possible, home-based interventions should be used 11 . Recently extra-hospital settings have been suggested to be used for this population 12 . An example of a potentially suitable setting for promoting healthy aging among elderly patients is the spa setting, as it offers opportunities to provide health education programs and address coexisting medical conditions 12 .…”

“…11 Recently extra-hospital settings have been suggested to be used for this population. 12 An example of a potentially suitable setting for promoting healthy aging among elderly patients is the spa setting, as it offers opportunities to provide health education programs and address coexisting medical conditions. 12 A rationale proposal could be to allocate wards for patients with comorbidities requiring continuous medical care while reserving community-based settings for frail patients with fewer comorbidities.…”

The Potential Role of Spa Therapy in Managing Frailty in Rheumatic Patients: A Scoping Review

“…Water-based rehabilitation is a widely employed approach for the prevention and management of numerous conditions [ 14 , 103 , 111 , 122 , 151 ]. In the field of musculoskeletal conditions, water-based exercise has been utilized to enhance pain management and functional outcomes.…”

“…In the field of musculoskeletal conditions, water-based exercise has been utilized to enhance pain management and functional outcomes. On the other side, in the case of neurological disorders, there is notable evidence supporting aquatic exercise effectiveness, particularly in Parkinson’s disease and strokes [ 122 , 152 ]. These conditions can benefit from water-based rehabilitation, as it helps reduce the risk of falls and enhances exercise safety [ 122 ].…”

“…The addition of rehabilitative treatments to traditional spa interventions has been demonstrated to further contribute to the benefits regarding pain and motor function in OA patients [ 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 ]. A spa-rehabilitation program (12 sessions of stretching and strengthening exercises, floating or standing in the thermal pool) was found to have a clear clinical benefit on patients with chronic back pain secondary to axial OA in terms of pain and disability reduction [ 84 ].…”