About Sports Osteopathy
Osteopathy for sports injuries
Sports activities are a regular way of life for many of us now, and involve people from across all age groups, from those who have an avid interest to those who just wish to keep fit; from the elite professional to the casual participant. Many of the injuries are the result of overuse i.e. playing too hard and too often e.g. tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and biceps tendinitis, or from not warming up properly beforehand or from not warming down after exercise.
Sometimes incorrect equipment can lead to injuries – ill-fitting footwear can cause hip, knee and foot injuries (e.g. Achilles injuries). Reduced joint flexibility will affect the degree of performance and may result in injury if the player is unaware that they cannot perform to the same level as they used to, for example golfers who cannot turn at the waist as well as they used to, and the enthusiastic older footballer whose knees do not bend as well as they once did.
Young people are especially vulnerable in sport as their growing bodies are often expected to perform to high standards and are putting exceptional physical demands on themselves. The good news is that although sports injuries are common, those who are fit tend to recover more quickly and easily from their injuries.
How Osteopathy can Help
When it comes to injuries, Osteopathy has a unique approach. Osteopaths look beyond the injured area, to find out why the injury has occurred, not just treating the symptoms. An osteopath can help improve performance as well as treat the injuries being suffered.
By using their knowledge of diagnosis and highly developed palpatory skills they can help restore structural balance, improve joint mobility, and reduce adhesions and soft tissue restrictions so that ease of movement is restored and performance enhanced.
For those of you wishing to keep fit, the osteopath can help you keep supple and improve muscle tone so reducing the risk of injury to soft tissues unaccustomed to the extra work they are being asked to do. Advice on diet and exercise, which will help you with your specific sport, can also be offered.
The Osteopaths also use Kinesio Taping or KT techniques to assist healing, reduce swelling and support joints. By still allowing some movement in the affected tissues, kinesiotaping has the ability to aid the lymphatic and muscle systems, substantially reducing recovery times whilst improving range of motion and muscle activity.
Kinesiology taping is a natural extension to the core osteopathic and sports therapy treatment that we offer. It’s particularly useful after the hands-on treatment has finished and offers a longer-term effect that can be felt, and seen, long after the session is over.
Sports Osteopaths
