Nobody gives much thought to everyday knocks and bumps — least of all the sports athlete! Yet the resulting small restrictions give rise to slight limitations in movement of the joints, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues. This results in soft tissue imbalance (muscles etc) giving a reduced range of movement of the affected limb or spinal joint. The overall effect of such imbalances is a slight alteration in weight bearing posture – i.e. a slight mal-alignment. Most people just adapt to these, for they cause no obvious problems. However, for the committed athlete this is a different story. Small restrictions in the body may become amplified under the strenuous physical demands of sport and lead to:
• susceptibility to injury
• background discomfort or ache
• less than optimal performance
Osteopathy can assist in maintaining optimal function and alignment of your body. Your osteopath may also provide specific stretching exercises to assist you with avoiding injury through muscle and joint strain.
Sports people commonly see osteopaths to help ease the aches and pains they may have sustained during a vigorous game in their:
• back
• shoulder, elbow or wrist
• hip, knee, leg or ankle
• head and neck
• chest and abdomen
