Osteopathy and sports injuries
- Matthew Rogers
- Aug 4, 2016
- 3 min read
Taking part in sport or keeping fit can be rewarding, can improve your health and reduce the risk of certain illnesses such as heart problems, stroke and cancer. It can help maintain your weight and improve your self-esteem by generating endorphins, chemicals that occur naturally in our bodies and makes us feel good.
As a general rule, adults between the age of 19 - 64 are advised to do 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity, 5 days per week (such as walking fast, cycling or aqua aerobics) as well as exercises to strengthen all the main muscle groups twice per week.
As such, sport has become a way of life for many in the UK, from those who have an avid interest, to those who just want to keep fit. But what happens if you get an injury and can’t participate?
Playing too often or too hard can result in overuse injuries. Not warming up properly beforehand or not warming down and stretching after can result in strains. Inappropriate equipment such as the wrong footwear may hinder your performance and a previous unresolved injury which might not even be unrelated to sport can make it difficult to even get started
How can osteopathy help?
It is common to feel a little discomfort after training as the body recovers and adapts to the demands of your activities, and this often resolves quickly by itself, but if it persists for more than a few days or makes it difficult for you to train, an osteopath may be able to help.
Osteopaths use a wide range of gentle hands on techniques. Treatment varies from patient to patient depending on your age, fitness and diagnosis, but often focus on releasing tension, stretch muscles and mobilise your joints which can help to relieve your pain. Most doctors now agree that spinal manipulations, such as those carried out by osteopaths, can help with back pain, especially if carried out within the first 6 weeks after your pain starts. Occasionally when this happens there will be an audible click. This is perfectly normal, does not hurt and can improve joint mobility helping you to return to movement and normal activity. They may also be able to strap or tape the area to support it, easing pain and aid recovery.
As well as treating injuries, an osteopath may be able to help you train by giving sport specific diet and nutritional advice, identifying muscle imbalances before they give you symptoms, helping to maintain joint mobility and hence enhancing your performance.
Osteopaths are highly trained professionals who are skilled in diagnosing problems, including those which may require further investigation. Discomfort related to sport is not normally caused by anything serious, though it is natural to worry that it might be and can be frustrating if it stops you training. Your osteopath will always check for this as part of their routine examination and will advise you on any further action that might be required.
The good news is that although sports injuries are common, those who are fit tend to recover more quickly and easily from their injuries.
Remember:
warm up first, and then warm down with stretches afterward
Begin slowly and build up, especially after an injury
Drink plenty of water when exercising
Exercise regularly, and try to alternate the types of exercise that you are doing every day
Following a joint injury apply ice to the area for 15 minutes through a thin tea-towel. Repeat this regularly over the first 72 hours
Apply a bandage to compress the tissues to minimalise swelling
Elevate the area if it is a limb to help with drainage
It is always the last thing that you want to hear if you play sport but resting the area from any activities that make the pain worse can help, even if that means not playing sport for a week or two