Aquatic Rehab and Consulting

What Aquatic Rehab and Consulting does

Aquatic Rehab and Consulting (ARC) is a privately held, single-specialty outpatient physical therapy practice founded in 2004 by physical therapist Carrie Thorson and based in Orange County, California. The company delivers aquatic physical therapy services in heated pools (92°F indoor; 86°F outdoor) at two partner-operated facility locations: Cal Elite Sports Center in Rancho Santa Margarita and Waterworks Aquatics in Irvine. Its core clinical offering leverages the buoyancy and warmth of heated water to reduce joint loading, decrease spasticity within 15–20 minutes of immersion, and enable earlier range-of-motion work compared with land-based therapy, applied across orthopedic/musculoskeletal, post-surgical, neuromuscular, stroke, geriatric, and pediatric conditions (including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and developmental delay).

The clinical model is hands-on: the therapist enters the pool with the patient, progresses exercises using supplemental aquatic equipment, and runs sessions of approximately one hour. Services are billed primarily through major health insurance plans as a courtesy, with patients ultimately responsible for charges; HMO patients require doctor authorization, and ARC is treated as an out-of-network provider. Patient acquisition runs through physician referrals, insurance networks, the company website (aquaticrehabandconsulting.com), published testimonials, and an email newsletter, with no formal sales motion beyond direct consumer scheduling.

ARC is bootstrapped and founder-operated, with two named clinical staff (Carrie Thorson, PT and founder; Michelle Storey, PTA), no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding or M&A activity. Its key intangible assets are clinical expertise — Thorson has 35+ years of PT experience, began aquatic therapy work in 1995, serves as adjunct faculty at Chapman University, and is California campus director for Aquatic Therapy University — and tenured facility partnerships in a defined Southern California geography.

Name

Aquatic Rehab and Consulting

Legal name

Aquatic Rehab and Consulting

Website

https://aquaticrehabandconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aquatic Rehab and Consulting is a privately held outpatient physical therapy practice in Orange County, California, founded in 2004, that delivers hands-on aquatic rehabilitation in heated pools for orthopedic, neurological, post-surgical, stroke, geriatric, and pediatric patients at two partner-operated facility locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquatic Physical Therapy Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatic Physical Therapy & Hydrotherapy (HSADAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Orthopedic & Sports Rehabilitation Centers (HLAFAFAI), Orthopedic Physical Therapy & Post-Op Rehab (HSADAIAA)

Keywords

• Aquatic physical therapy
• Pediatric aquatic therapy
• Orthopedic rehabilitation
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Neuromuscular therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bear

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance-Billed Physical Therapy Services: Direct patient services billed to health insurance plans. The company accepts most major insurance plans and bills as a courtesy. Patients are ultimately responsible for charges. HMO plans require doctor authorization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aquatic Rehab and Consulting delivers one-on-one physical therapy services in heated pools (92°F indoor, 86°F outdoor), using water's buoyancy to reduce body mass, decrease joint loading, and enable earlier, less painful rehabilitation than land-based therapy. The practice offers distinct treatment programs for orthopedic, neurological, pediatric, geriatric, post-surgical, and chronic-pain patients at two partner facilities in Orange County, California, billing most major health insurance plans as a courtesy.

Product overview

Aquatic Rehab and Consulting provides aquatic physical therapy services through a network of two facilities in Orange County, California. The company offers a core aquatic therapy service that leverages the therapeutic properties of heated pools (92°F standard, 86°F outdoor) to treat various conditions. Treatment programs are designed for specific diagnoses including arthritis, athletic injuries, geriatric care, neuromuscular disorders, pre/post surgical rehabilitation, spinal stabilization, stroke rehab, and total joint replacements. The company also provides specialized pediatric aquatic therapy for children with developmental and physical disorders. Services are delivered at Cal Elite Sports Center in Rancho Santa Margarita and Waterworks Aquatics in Irvine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquatic Physical Therapy Services One-on-one physical therapy delivered in heated pools (92°F indoor, 86°F outdoor) using water's buoyancy to reduce body mass, decrease joint loading, and allow earlier, less painful range-of-motion exercise than land-based therapy. For adult and pediatric patients with orthopedic, neurological, post-surgical, and chronic-pain conditions.
• Pediatric Aquatic Therapy Specialized aquatic therapy for children with disorders of bones, joints, and muscles, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and neurological/developmental disorders. Combines clinical expertise with engagement strategies (patience, fun) to make therapy productive for young patients.
• Stroke Rehabilitation Aquatic therapy following stroke or cerebral vascular accident (CVA), utilizing heated pool immersion to decrease spasticity within 15-20 minutes and address arm/leg function recovery.
• Neuromuscular Disorder Treatment Aquatic therapy for multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and cerebellar ataxia, using the three-dimensional water environment to address abnormal muscle tone, gait dysfunction, and balance deficits.
• Total Joint Replacement Rehabilitation Rehabilitation program for hip and knee replacement patients utilizing water buoyancy to assist with range-of-motion exercises and progressive strength training.
• Arthritis Treatment Program Aquatic therapy for arthritis and fibromyalgia affecting single or multiple joints, decreasing weight bearing through joints to enable strengthening and cardiovascular fitness.
• Athletic Injury Rehabilitation
• Geriatric Physical Therapy Physical therapy for seniors addressing joint wear and tear, balance issues, and fall prevention in a safe water environment.
• Pre/Post Surgical Rehabilitation Physical therapy addressing restricted movement and strength following surgical interventions, designed to minimize surgery effects and restore function.
• Spinal Stabilization Program Treatment designed to strengthen and balance muscles providing support and movement of the spine, including post-back surgery rehabilitation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Spasticity decreases within 15-20 minutes of heated pool immersion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cal Elite Sports CentercoreOthersFacility partnership providing aquatic physical therapy services. Located in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA with completely indoor heated pool (92°F). ARC operates here Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings 7:30-9:30am.
• Waterworks AquaticscoreOthersFacility partnership providing aquatic physical therapy services. Located in Irvine, CA with 4 pools (3 enclosed heated to 92°F, 1 outdoor at 86°F). ARC operates here daily except Wednesday with varying hours.

Scale indicators2 records

Broad incumbents

• Pivot Physical Therapy: Outpatient PT provider offering aquatic therapy among its service lines across multiple U.S. states. Comparable to ARC in core service delivery model and patient base, but operates as a multi-state chain rather than a small specialty aquatic practice.
• Select Physical Therapy: National outpatient PT brand within Select Medical offering aquatic therapy, orthopedics, and neurological rehabilitation. Comparable to ARC across service mix and patient populations, but operates at significant scale with owned facilities across many states.
• ATI Physical Therapy: One of the largest U.S. outpatient physical therapy providers, offering aquatic therapy alongside orthopedic and sports rehab. Comparable to ARC as a physical therapy services provider serving similar diagnoses, but operating nationally as a broad incumbent rather than a single-county specialist.
• Athletico Physical Therapy: Large national outpatient PT chain offering orthopedic, sports, and aquatic therapy services across hundreds of locations. Comparable because it delivers similar physical therapy services to similar patient populations including post-surgical and neurological cases, though as a much larger generalist rather than a niche aquatic specialist.
• NovaCare Rehabilitation: Outpatient rehabilitation provider under Select Medical offering aquatic therapy, orthopedic, and neurological rehab services. Comparable to ARC across clinical services and patient populations, but operating as a broad multi-state incumbent rather than an independent specialty practice.
• RehabCare / Kindred Hospital Rehabilitation Services: National inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation provider offering aquatic therapy within larger rehab programs. Comparable to ARC because it serves overlapping patient populations (post-surgical, neurological, geriatric), but operates at facility/hospital-system scale across many geographies.
• BenchMark Physical Therapy: Multi-state outpatient PT chain providing orthopedic, sports, and aquatic therapy services. Comparable to ARC as a direct physical therapy services competitor serving similar patient segments, though at broader regional scale across the Southeast and other markets.

Others

• HydroWorx International: Manufacturer of aquatic therapy pools and underwater treadmills sold to PT clinics, hospitals, and sports facilities. Comparable because HydroWorx underpins much of the specialty aquatic therapy infrastructure that ARC and its peers depend on, but it is an equipment supplier rather than a clinical services competitor.

Direct peers

• St. John Physical Therapy: Independent outpatient physical therapy practice with aquatic therapy specialization. Comparable to ARC as a similarly-sized private practice offering aquatic PT in a defined regional market, though typically with broader land-based services.

Emerging players

• Burdenko Method / Burdenko Water and Sports Therapy Institute: Specialty aquatic therapy education and consulting organization founded by Igor Burdenko, focused on hydrotherapy protocols. Comparable to ARC because it operates in the same aquatic therapy niche and shares a clinical specialty focus, though it monetizes through training/certification rather than direct patient care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquatic-rehabilitation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aquatic Rehab and Consulting