Sports Injuries
If you have suffered an injury from Sport, remember that Osteopathy also treats Sports Injuries, and is just as effective as Physiotherapy. Many Osteopaths specialise in Sports Injuries, and have a special interest in runners, and other competition sports, and especially rehabilitation and the prevention / reduction of re-occurrence and re-injuring the same area.
Of course, the most important thing is to always gain the best possible recovery time. Effective treatment works by treating the local soft-tissue injury and the local area of strain, weakness or injury (be this an ankle, knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, neck or back injury).
In conjunction with Osteopathy, sometimes Acupuncture can also be highly effective, not just for pain-relief, but to help promote local soft-tissue healing for the damaged area. (Although Acupuncture can also be used away from the site of injury to also help from distal points).
It is often helpful to also address any underlying issues of global biomechanics, alignment and overall muscle balance (muscle length and strength, synergy with other areas, symmetry, etc) which could increase coordination and performance as well as help prevent future injury.
Admittedly this is to a large extent sport specific through correct technique and training, yet with any injury or area of weakness resulting from it, this becomes even more important, not just through treatment, but correct management and rehabilitation, and return to training and competitive sport.
For example, any pelvic torsion or asymmetry (and the resultant even very minor rotation or minimal scoliosis in the lumbar and thoracic spine) could result in leg length inequality (a slightly shorter leg on one side) with implications for muscle balance in the gluteals, hamstrings, hip flexors and legs (and possibly even the thorax, shoulder and upper extremities through rib and scapula position and orientation). Muscles of the hips and legs are the power muscles that help us move and run, and even shoulder and arm muscles function better in correct overall symmetry, which helps avoid over-strain in local tissues.
Optimum performance (with minimal predisposition to injury and over-strain) benefits from coordination, alignment and correct muscle balance globally. This is where an Osteopathic approach to treatment and management of injury can significantly differ to Physiotherapy (which tends to only treat the local tissues effected).
Effective Osteopathic treatment and rehabilitation probably become even more important for the older athlete, where soft-tissues may loose some elasticity and flexibility, and recovery time can become longer.
Remember that Sports Injury is covered by ACC, and any Osteopath can lodge a new claim for you for this.
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