Whether you consider yourself an athlete or just love your social sport (like me), everyone can be at risk of developing injuries during exercise.
Anyone participating in regular training and/or competition enjoys when their body is working near capacity, so let’s talk about what can be done to help this.
How May Osteopathy Help?
Osteopaths work with athletes in many ways to assist with recovery and repair of the body, while maintaining and increasing sporting performance. Sports injuries that osteopaths see can range from impact injuries in sports such as footy, rugby and basketball, to repetitive-use injuries that build up over time from sports such as golf, tennis and running.
Unfortunately, injuries can set you back and limit future performance in your sport. Here at Pakenham Osteopathy, we work with athletes to respond to the sporting demand on the body by customising a treatment plan aimed to reach the results you desire.
When Is It Best To See An Osteopath?
For preventative purposes:
- To arrange base level assessments before a sporting season or event. We can identify areas of dysfunction or restriction that need to be addressed
- Correcting movement patterns to optimise performance
For healing purposes:
- To strengthen and heal injured tissues: after an injury, a niggle or soreness
- To regain functional attributes such as balance, proprioception, mobility, and fitness
- Providing a timeframe for returning to sport
- Offering advice on what to do and what to avoid, assisting with the healing process
Osteopathic History and Assessment
We take an in-depth history and assessment, which allows us to:
1.Thoroughly understand your injury → this helps us identify the underlying cause of your injury. Often there are under-performing areas of the body that leads to pain and issues elsewhere. As an example:
- Shoulder injuries can be caused by restriction in the ribs, shoulder blade and neck.
- Knee pain can be related to hip or ankle dysfunction, as well as muscle tightness in the thigh.
- Lower back and pelvic restrictions have a relationship with groin and hamstring injuries
2. Completely understand the dynamics of your sport, leading to a clear sport-specific rehab program, where we can get you doing the movement and skills your sport requires sooner rather than later.
Osteopathic treatment for sports injuries
Hands on manual therapy aims at improving mobility, reducing muscle tension, and relieving pain from injury. Techniques may include manipulation, massage, and muscle energy techniques. ‘Dry needling’, a common favourite amongst athletes we see, may be used to restore normal muscle length along with a decrease in pain, promoting positive muscle function.
What do I do if I get an injury?
Even with increasingly accessible information about injury management, athletes still underestimate the importance of a gradual reintroduction to their sport to avoid re-injury.
If you do suffer an injury in your sport, the best thing you can do is seek professional assistance. The osteopaths at Pakenham Osteopathy will be able to assess the injury and provide hands-on treatment, along with management and advice specific to your sport.
Come in and see one of our team members so we can get you back competing and doing what you love! If you would like to make an appointment, please call us on 5941 4157 or book in online.
