How Can An Osteopath Help Your Sporting Life?

Whether you are an athlete or cricketer drawing the season to a close, or a footballer or rugby player gearing up for the new season, how can an osteopath help make sure that you are match-fit and ready to go? Also, what can they do to help you post-match to make sure you feel a sense of wellbeing?

Playing sport and doing regular exercise is good for your health, but sometimes sport can result in injuries caused by a fall or heavy blow, not warming up properly, using inappropriate equipment or poor technique or pushing yourself too hard.

Almost any part of the body can be injured including the muscles, bones, joints and tissues such as tendons and ligaments. The most commonly affected areas vulnerable to both summer and winter sports injuries are the ankles and the knees.

What Is Osteopathy And How Can Osteopaths Help?
Osteopathy is a way of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging muscles and joints based on the principle that health and wellbeing is based on bones, muscles, ligaments and tissues working together.

An osteopath’s aim is to:
Increase the mobility of joints
Relieve muscle tension
Enhance blood supply to tissue
Help the body heal

An osteopath can help with:
Lower back pain
Neck pain
Shoulder pain
Arthritis
Problems with the pelvis, hips and legs

Does osteopathy work?
Many patients argue that it does work and it is especially effective in treating persistent lower back pain and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends the treatment for those with the condition.

Who can treat me in osteopathy?
Osteopathy is not widely available on the NHS but your GP should be able to tell you whether it is available in your area but most patients pay for osteopathy treatment privately with treatment costs varying for different sessions.

You do not need to be referred by your GP to see a private osteopath, a top tip is that most private health insurers provide cover for osteopathic treatment but do see your policy for more details.
Importantly, when you are looking for an osteopath, only practitioners registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) are allowed to practise as osteopaths or call themselves osteopaths.

By Jacob White