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Sports Injury Management and Rehabilitation in Osteopathy

Sports Injury Management and Rehabilitation in Osteopathy

Sports Injury Management and Rehabilitation in Osteopathy

When playing sport, there is always the risk of injury, no matter how strong, fit or health you are.

Different sports will often present with different injuries, however, no injury is specific to one sport!

Some sports are contact, or at a high intensity, some have a repetitive action and some are just more difficult than others!

For example here are some sports listed below with some common injuries that may occur (but not the only ones that can happen!):

  • Football:
    • Contact sport, which places high athletic, running, kicking, tacking and reaching demands on the body.
    • Most likely injuries to occur are of the hamstring, shoulders or knees.
  • Cricket:
    • Non contact sport, but involves short sharp sprints, diving for the ball and standing for extended periods of time
    • Some players may have a specialty in bowling or batting there are a lot of back or shoulder injuries.
  • Swimming:
    • Non contact sport, with repetitive actions, generally for an extended period of time,
    • May be at a high intensity at competitive level, or low intensity for someone who swims a few times a week for general exercise and fitness
    • Will often have shoulder and back injuries or complaints

Best care and management practice for patients at our Melbourne osteopathy clinic at St. Kilda is to take a thorough case history, perform a full physical examination, and arrive at a working diagnosis.

This in turn will lead to best treatment methods being used, as well as of course management of home care, and appropriate rehabilitation and return to sport.

From initial sports injury to actual return to sport at full capacity can take time, hard work and dedication – we really want our patients to be compliant to our take home advice and exercises to get them back to sport and feeling better as quick as possible!

As each injury is individual, each person is treated as such! Just because you and your friend may have pain in your hamstring, approach to treatment and rehabilitation may actually be different.  Ensuring that you get individualized and specific care is so important to have you pain free, feeling great and ready to return to sport – no matter what level it may be!

Here is a case example below of sports injury and rehabilitation program we may undertake:

  • 26 year old male,
  • desk worker by day, sits approximately 9am-6pm, with a few breaks in the day.
  • Plays social tennis on Sundays, and runs or walks 5km’s 2 times per week
  • Average height and weight
  • No other medical conditions
  • Recently over the last 4-6 weeks, is starting to notice pain in his right shoulder and neck when playing tennis and sitting at his desk at the end of the day

After a more thorough case history and physical examination is performed by the Osteopath, the patient has been diagnosed with tendonitis of one of the rotator cuff muscles of the right shoulder – supraspinatus. There is also associated muscle spasm and tightness of the shoulder, upper back and neck muscles with joint stiffness.

This is a really common presentation and diagnosis that we see all the time!! And it doesn’t have to be related to playing tennis as in this case.

Osteopathic “hands on” treatment will then often involve using techniques such as massage, mobilization, myofascial release, dry needling, joint articulation of the muscles which are tight and sore – these will often include back, neck, shoulder, chest, arm, forearm, and sometimes even lower back and hips in this case.  There may also be joint mobilization of upper back and neck joints, most likely lower back and elbow joints too!

We also may use dry needling or manipulation of joints too.

Take home care may include using ice packs or heat packs, use of supplements such as magnesium for muscle spasm and tightness, use of medication such as anti-inflammatory or pain relief drugs.

We will also prescribe, as appropriate, rehabilitation exercises. These may include stretches and strengthening exercises for the upper back, shoulder and neck – and will of course be specific to the case we are seeing. We will not just give you a list of 10 exercises and expect that you will follow the list and do them! To get the best compliance with our patients, we work with you and within your capacity, capability and we figure out how best to incorporate our “homework” into your busy schedule to have you feeling better and back to sport quickly!

Let St Kilda Osteopathy help you return back to sport today!  If you are in Elwood, Elsternwick, Caulfield, Prahran, Middle Park, St. Kilda or Melbourne CBD, make an appointment with one of our experienced and caring practitioners! https://stkildaosteopathy.cliniko.com/bookings#service

Categories: General Information