Do the Health, Motion, Function, and Occupational Performance of Iranian Police Personnel Change with Hydrotherapy Exercises?

Background: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) are a common health related problem throughout the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydrotherapy training on health, function, motion, and occupational performance of the police personnel in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this before/after prospective study, 30 participants were selected purposefully and divided into two experimental (n = 15) and control groups (n = 15) randomly. The 8-week hydrotherapy training program was just assigned for the intervention group. The occupational performance and physical fitness tests, Health related Quality of Life (HRQOL) questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were measured for both groups before and after intervention. data were analyzed through SPSS 16. Results: Totally 15 policemen with mean age of 36.7 ± 7.7 years participated in the intervention group and 15 policemen with mean age of 35.2 ± 7.8 years were assessed in the control group . After intervention the flexibility rate, muscle strength, pain intensity and HRQOL were improved significantly in intervention group (P .05). However, no significant change was observed in control group (P .05). Conclusions: It can be concluded that hydrotherapy training program could be recommended for reducing (WMSD) and to improve muscle strength/flexibility, pain intensity and HRQOL among policemen in Iran.