MANUAL OSTEOPATHY FOR ATHLETES
Osteopathy for Athletes
Manual Osteopathy for athletes and sports addresses common sports-related injuries, and can also be an important adjunct therapy for performance enhancement. Maintaining balanced musculoskeletal tension throughout the body not only helps prevent injuries, it ensures proper muscle-firing patterns and improves neuromuscular control, thereby optimizing the athletes unconscious trained response of their muscles during dynamic activity.
"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself" ~ Joseph Campbell
Osteopathic Treatment for Athletes & Sports is useful in a wide variety of health complaints including:
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Aches and pains
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Concussion / Post-Concussion
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Elbow tendonitis (Golfers/Tennis)
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Forward Head Posture and related issues
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Headaches
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Joint pain
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Knee injuries including post-surgical issues
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Musculoskeletal conditions and injuries
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Neurological disorders - sciatica, piriformis syndrome, neuropathy, tingling, numbness
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Rotator cuff and shoulder injuries
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Scoliosis
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Sports injuries such as strains, sprains, tendinitis
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Repetitive stress syndromes
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Traumatic injuries including post laceration/fracture
Osteopathic Treatment for Athletes & Sports is Geared to Improve:
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Post-Concussion - improvement in neurological functions are addressed by cranial-osteopathic techniques.
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Post-Trauma - accelerate the healing process from strains, sprains, tears, and post-surgery.
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Muscle Performance - balancing the relationship between agonist and antagonist muscles thereby reducing compensatory misalignments, stress and tension.
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Balance and Postural Equilibrium - this involves aligning the body segments to move in equilibrium with gravity.
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Neuromuscular Control, Coordination & Stability - improves the capacity of the neuromuscular system for greater stability, postural control, equilibrium, and static or dynamic balance which augments the muscles ability to anticipate or respond to proprioceptive and kinesthetic information, and act in the correct sequence in order to produce coordinated movements.
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Flexibility & Mobility - facilitates full range of motion (ROM) for functional activities.
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Cardiopulmonary Fitness - releasing restrictions in the rib cage, diaphragm and accessory respiratory muscles can improve cardiopulmonary endurance and fitness.
Karen may recommend a regiment of one or more specific exercises to help a patient:
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Prevent or reduce injury and health-related risk factors
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Improve, restore, or enhance physical function
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Optimize overall health, fitness, and sense of well-being
Therapeutic exercise may interventions include:
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Muscle performance exercise: strength, power, and endurance training
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Stretching techniques: muscle lengthening procedures and joint mobilization techniques
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Neuromuscular control, inhibition, and facilitation techniques and posture awareness training
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Postural control, body mechanics, and stabilization exercises
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Balance exercises
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Relaxation exercises
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Breathing exercises and ventilatory muscle training
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Task-specific functional trainin
What to Expect
Osteopathic manipulative therapy is aimed at addressing the cause, and letting nature do the rest. Treatments naturally stir up the body's innate healing response. The accumulative healing effect post-treatment may last hours or several days. Also see FAQ's below...
1st Appointment
For the first appointment please arrive 15 minutes early to complete a health questionnaire. First appointment includes:
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Patient History Intake Form
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Examination and assessment
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Initial treatment and treatment plan
Note to New Patients: Karen's appointment schedule typically books up several weeks in advance. Therefore when booking your first appointment, patients are recommended to book a series of three to four appointments, one week apart. This serves two purposes: a) to secure your appointments in advance, and b) to allow for the most effective outcomes for your treatment. Appointments may be adjusted and spread out as symptoms improve.
Follow Up Appointments
Depending on the nature of your condition a series of appointments may be required. It may be recommended to meet weekly or bi-weekly and gradually reduce frequency as needed. This allows for further adjustments and modifications as symptoms improve.
Treatments naturally stir up the body's innate healing response. The accumulative healing effect post-treatment may last hours or several days. While this is not typical in all cases, there may be discomfort (similar to soreness after a workout) for the first few days post treatment while the body is resetting itself.
What to Wear
Please wear clothing that is not too loose and baggy so that posture and skeletal structure can be assessed easily.
Wear light and comfortable clothing that allows for ease of breath and movement, such as casual stretchy clothing that gives you full range of motion. For example: a tank top or t-shirt, and either stretchy shorts, yoga pants or tights.
What to do 1-3 Days Post-Treatment; Getting the Most From Your Treatments
It's recommended that within the first 24 hours after a treatment that you do not perform any strenuous activity. The ideal activities during the first 24 hours post-treatment are:
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Take an Epsom salts bath the same night after a treatment. This draws out lactic acid and reduces post-treatment muscle soreness, just as it does post-workouts.
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For exercise, take a leisurely walk. If you already have a yoga practice, keep it gentle and light.
The second and third day its recommended that you resume your normal routine, however still keep it light. If you are accustomed to working out, lower the intensity. Remember, treatments may take three days to settle into the body, and the body continues to adjust itself, and find homeostasis for days after the treatment. We do not want to alter or undo the benefits of the treatment.