Athletes from many disciplines at many levels are seeking the osteopath’s unique skills and detailed knowledge of the body mechanics. Osteopathy can help keep you at your training peak and also enable a swift return to sport following strains and overuse injuries.
In the past, sports injuries have been examined and treated as separate problems and considered in isolation from the rest of the body. Osteopaths consider all the factors, which may have led up to and contributed to the injury: these are often just as important as the injury itself and may slow or even prevent total and speedy repair.
The Osteopathic approach also helps the body’s various parts to function, as they should, ‘for you and your sport’, the ‘whole’ body functions better and greater potential for improved performance is the natural consequence.
Osteopathy is particularly suited to assisting the sportsman or sportswoman with complaints as varied as back pain and tennis elbow, or hip problems and recurrent muscle injuries.
The Osteopath’s unique approach to appraising an injury as well as the wide range of techniques and treatment approaches employed by Osteopaths makes them ideal for the treatment of sports injuries. When a sportsperson consults an Osteopath, they will examine the posture and condition of those parts, which make the human body a dynamic machine - these include the muscles, ligaments and tendons of all joints from head to toe.
The Osteopath examines the strength and flexibility of these tissues and considers how well adapted they are to the individual sportsperson and the chosen sport. This approach is suited for the treatment of complex and/or recurrent injuries.
The Osteopath’s skill in assessing the interaction between the many different tissues that combine to determine your body’s structure, to differentiate between areas of normal and abnormal function and to therefore recognise patterns that are potentially developing into sites of stress, strain and/or injury enables him/her to provide you with advice and treatment that should prove extremely valuable in helping you to recognise possible injuries before you are suffering any symptoms and, together with the Osteopath, to prevent such injuries from occurring.
Mobility of the body is of the utmost importance to an athlete. Poor flexibility in the joints will prevent the body performing at its best and is often an important contributory element to injury.
By using manual techniques, the osteopath provides the body with the best environment for repair, and enables it to function at its best.
Advice on self-care is always given to maximise the effects of treatment and minimise the possibility of recurrence. This may include specific exercises, technique tips, postural advice etc.
We may also recommend that you seek professional advice from a Coach of your given sport or a Personal Trainer (PT). If you are looking to have some personal training or improve your fitness and well-being then we highly recommend seeing the trainers at M.E.T.A Studio in Chatham. They are equipped to give advice and training to help you achieve your goals while making it enjoyable. They are also skilled to adapt your exercise with respect to your injury and current fitness level.
Whether you’re an enthusiastic amateur or an elite professional, an Osteopath can help with the prevention and treatment of common sporting injuries.
Many sports clubs at international level use the unique skills an Osteopath can offer. Currently osteopaths are involved in Football, Cricket, Rugby, Golf, Tennis, Athletics, Swimming, Squash, Cycling, Show jumping and Hockey.
Here at the City Way Osteopathic Clinic we have an experienced team of Osteopaths with many sporting connections. These include an ex-professional footballer, a semi-professional footballer and rugby player, a horse rider and an ex-national martial arts champion.