Sports Injuries
Sprained Ankle
 A sprained ankle is a common sports injury especially in football. It is caused by stretching or straining the ligaments that support the ankle. Osteopathic treatment is able to reduce the amount of inflammation and pain, generating a healthy recovery and reducing the chances of further damage.
Frozen Shoulder – Adhesive Capsulitis
The medical term for frozen shoulder is adhesive capsulitis; a very painful condition during which shoulder movement is significantly reduced. It occurs for seemingly no reason at all but may follow a trauma or shoulder surgery.
The shoulder would be a very vulnerable joint were it not for the supportive muscles and strong ligaments surrounding it. Additionally there is a capsule that surrounds the joint. When the capsule becomes inflamed the effect is that it’s two surfaces adhere to one another, a process sometimes compared to what happens when crinkle-wrap sticks together.
Without treatment, frozen shoulder can take up to 30 months to recover. Osteopathic treatment is aimed at restoring normal function to the shoulder. To do this the osteopath examines and treats all structures related to the shoulder, for example the neck, back and shoulder muscles. Healthy tissues around the capsule provide an optimal environment for the shoulder to heal. This can significantly speed up the recovery process and prevent secondary problems developing.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender, usually as a result of a repetative strain without allowing the elbow to recover.
 Eventually the tendons of the elbow become chronically damaged and inflamed. The condition is called “tennis elbow” as it is known to occur to tennis players with poor back-hand. However it is by no-means restricted to tennis players. Anyone who does a lot of work involving lifting or wrist movements is susceptible to the complaint.
Patients with the tennis elbow syndrome experience pain on the outside of the elbow that is worsened by grasping objects and cocking back the wrist. Pain on pouring water from a kettle is a classic example of this.
The osteopath tries to aid the healing process by applying special techniques to the tissues surrounding the elbow; the muscles, ligaments and the joints. The osteopath is also be concerned with the joints related to the elbow such as the wrist, shoulder and back. By applying knowledge of the anatomy of the body the osteopath can improve the healing process to a condition that has a reputation for otherwise being stubborn.
Plantar Fasciitis
Planter fasciitis is the most common condition of heel pain. This condition occurs when the long fibrous plantar fascia ligament along the bottom of the foot develops tears in the tissue resulting in pain and inflammation. It occurs commonly in people whose work involves excess standing or in athletes who put a lot of stress on the feet.
The cause of planter fasciitis is mechanical and osteopaths are trained in understanding the mechanics of the foot and its related joints. By treating the soft-tissue of the foot the osteopath is able to reduce the stress on the fibrous plantar fascia ligament as well as improve the function of the areas related to the foot.
Shin Splints
Shin splints is the name given to pain over the front of the lower leg due to a variety of possible reasons, most commonly due to overuse of the attachment of the muscle to the bone. As well as giving advice on altering the athletes training the osteopath is able to treat the soft-tissues of the leg in order to reduce the stress on the muscles of the shin and allow for a healthy recovery.
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