Easing Pain, Restoring Movement: The Impact of Water‑Based Exercise on Spinal Flexibility in Women with Neuropathy

This study sought to identify the effect of a proposed program using water‑based exercises on spinal flexibility and pain levels in women with neuropathy, focusing on two main variables: range‑of‑motion flexibility and perceived pain. Grounded in an applied humanities perspective on health and well‑being, the study highlights how movement, bodily experience, and quality of life intersect in therapeutic practice for women with chronic neurological conditions.  The researchers used a one‑group experimental design with pre‑ and post‑measurements. The study sample consisted of six women diagnosed with neuropathy. The intervention aimed to examine the impact of water exercises on spinal flexibility during forward and backward bending, and on reducing pain intensity. The Wilcoxon test was employed to identify differences between pre‑ and post‑measurements.  The results showed significant improvements in favor of the post‑measurements in spinal flexibility for both forward and backward bending, accompanied by a reduction in reported pain levels. The study concludes that water‑based exercise can effectively enhance functional movement and alleviate pain among women with neuropathy, thereby contributing to their physical comfort, autonomy, and overall quality of life. It recommends incorporating graded aquatic movement into rehabilitation programs for individuals with neuropathy as a human‑centered, low‑impact therapeutic modality.