The Halliwick Concept – water-based exercise for people with disabilities

The Halliwick Concept was developed by the swimming instructor and engineer James MacMillan and his wife Phyl McMillan in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Students from the Halliwick School in London, a school for girls with disabilities, inspired them to find a solution so that everyone, regardless of functioning, could participate in water-based activities.

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SBU Enquiry Service

Responds to queries received from Swedish healthcare and social service providers, or governmental organisations. Queries have a limited scope and the process is designed to enable a more rapid response, typically within two to three months. Reports are based on systematic reviews, that are identified through structured searches and critically appraised for risk of bias.

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Published: Report no: ut201828 Registration no: SBU 2018/85

Question

What studies are available on examining effect of swimming pool training according to the Halliwick concept on physical, mental or social health in people with disabilities?

Identified literature

  1. Mortimer R, Privopoulos M, Kumar S. The effectiveness of hydrotherapy in the treatment of social and behavioral aspects of children with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review. Journal Of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 2014;7:93-104.
  2. Tripp F, Krakow K. Effects of an aquatic therapy approach (Halliwick-Therapy) on functional mobility in subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation 2014;28:432-439.
  3. Noh DK, Lim JY, Shin HI, Paik NJ. The effect of aquatic therapy on postural balance and muscle strength in stroke survivors--a randomized controlled pilot trial. Clin Rehabil 2008;22:966-76.

Literature search

Literature search.pdf

Project group

Susanna Larsson Tholén and Christel Hellberg at SBU.

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