Your Guide to Osteopathy for Sports Injuries
When you’re trying to stay active and healthy, the last thing you need is an injury! Sports injuries are common and can affect anybody, regardless of your level of fitness or chosen sport. And despite the fact that some injuries are unavoidable, there are ways to prevent injuries altogether.
One of the best methods of injury prevention is looking after your body. And one of the best ways to care for your body is with regular osteo visits! Osteopathy will not only help you to prevent injury and improve sporting performance, but it can also enhance your overall health and wellbeing by improving your quality of life.
This blog explores how sports injuries typically happen and how regular osteopathy treatment can help. For further advice or to book an appointment, contact our friendly and knowledgeable team at 13th Beach Health Services today!
What is Classified a ‘Sports Injury’?
Sports injuries aren’t restricted to professional athletes! An injury may be classified as a sports injury if it occurred during any form of physical activity. This includes injuries acquired during exercise, amateur sport, team sport, or any active movement.
Direct impact like a fall or tackle can lead to an acute (sudden) injury, ranging from rolling your ankle to breaking a bone or suffering a concussion. Accidents like a collision can also lead to injury, as can improper training techniques or equipment.
Some of the most common sports injuries treated by osteopathy include sprains and strains, whiplash, shoulder injuries, shin splints, tennis elbow, golfers’ elbow, runners’ knee, Achilles’ tendonitis, and patellar tendonitis (jumpers’ knee).
Sports Injury Treatment by an Osteo
If you’ve already acquired your injury, there’s no time like the present than to get started with your osteopathy treatment. For more serious injuries you may require medical investigations like X-ray or MRI imaging, but in many cases, osteopaths can identify the cause of your pain during your first visit.
In every case, an osteopath will conduct an initial assessment. They will assess the injury and its severity, and how it affects the rest of your movement. From there they will offer a diagnosis and create a tailored treatment plan focused on your injury to promote its healing. This involves drug-free treatments like:
- Soft tissue massage to relax muscles and decrease swelling
- Stretching tight muscles to increase range of movement
- Joint articulation to loosen tight and sore muscles
- Dry needling to release ‘trigger points’
- Cupping to promote blood circulation to the area
How Regular Osteopathic Treatment Can Reduce Sports Injuries
Regular osteopathic treatment can help to prevent injuries occurring in the first place. Not only do they ensure your body is in a great physical condition, but they also detect the development of potential injuries and stop them from progressing. Osteopaths assess the way you move, and then discover any restrictions or mobility issues you may have which could potentially lead to injury.
Using this information, your osteopath will tailor treatment to you and your body specifically. Incorporating osteopathy into your training schedule will help to improve your technique and strength, reducing your risk of injury.
13th Beach Health Services and Sport
At 13th Beach Health Services, we love supporting aspiring and professional athletes to achieve their active goals. We sponsor a triathlon each year and have our very own running club, helping locals of all ages to get involved with physical activity. Our team of osteopaths, physios, podiatrists, and allied health professionals are experienced in treating sports injuries and use a variety of tailored approaches to help you reduce pain, increase mobility, and enhance your quality of life.
Looking For an Osteopath in Barwon Heads or Ocean Grove?
If you’re healing from a sports injury— or looking to prevent one in the first place— we hope this article has been helpful! Our team at 13th Beach is dedicated to helping you feel your best so you can get back on your feet and back in the game. Contact us today to book an appointment at either our Barwon Heads or Ocean Grove clinic!