Whether you are a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, your osteopath can assist with prevention of injury as well as treatment
of many common sporting injuries. These include:
- Neck and back strains
- Shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries, eg. tennis elbow
- Hip, knee, leg and ankle injuries, eg. shin splints
Ankle and shoulder injuries are very common in amateur and professional sport. These injuries can be poorly treated or not treated at all which can lead to recurrence and early degenerative conditions.
As an osteopath we can provide a number of stretching exercises and routines that will specifically assist you with avoiding injury through muscle and joint strain. In addition, depending on your sport and individual needs, we can provide advice on correct diet to assist you in both performance and recovery.
Osteopathic treatment involves manual techniques, including soft tissue stretching, mobilisation and manipulation, which is like a tune up for strained muscles, joints and spine. This creates a positive influence on your circulatory and nervous systems. In turn, this can have a flow on effect to the rest of the body by improving elasticity and mobility. These hands on methods are gentle, safe and effective.
Out of Breath?
Whether you are aware that you suffer from a breathing disorder or not, it is important, particularly in sport, that you ensure your diaphragm is performing optimally and the rib cage mechanics are functioning correctly. This is highlighted when the body is under stress to perform and the respiratory rate is elevated.
We can assess your structure and assist in maintaining good breathing function.
Prevention is definitely better than cure!
What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is manual medicine which aims to maintain the normal balance between all the systems of the body by focusing treatment on musculoskeletal components. Treatment of the muscles, other soft tissues and joints will affect the nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems of the body. In other words, osteopaths look at the human body as a ‘total picture’.
An osteopath works gently with the body’s structure to diagnose and treat a wide range of health problems.
Osteopathic Training
Osteopaths are government-registered practitioners of manual medicine. In Australia, there are three undergraduate osteopathic courses which are five years full time.
Osteopaths around Australia volunteered their time and expertise to help our Paralympic athletes be at their best in the lead up to the 2000 Paralympic Games.
Sourced from: www.osteopathic.com.au
About Lower Back Pain: What are the causes of low back pain?
- Scoliosis
- Previous back injury
- Poor posture
- Pregnancy
What are some of the warning signs?
Localised pain that can be subtle, dull and creeping, to sudden, sharp and stabbing.
It can be constant or initiated during certain movements. It can also be a travelling pain deep into the buttocks and legs such as sciatica.
Why choose Us?
Our practitioners have been helping their patients with their back pain for over 10 years. They are equipped with the knowledge, experience and appropriate skill to assess and treat your pain. They can assess structural changes that may lead to immobility and dysfunction due to:
Poor posture and decreased flexibility
Recurring injuries
Muscular spasm
Secondary effects of hip, knee and foot problems
Our practitioners will decides which is the most effective course of action as they rely principally on physical examination, including observation skills to form a diagnosis. Our practitioners recognise the importance of the skill and technology of modern medicine. This may lead to further investigation which may include radiological, orthopaedic or neurological assessment.
How does our practitioner treat your condition?
Treatment involves manual techniques including soft tissue stretching and massage, combined with mobilisation and manipulation of the joints. The treatment is effective and conducted with the patient’s assistance. Because our practitioners look at the ‘whole’ picture of your problem, they also use a variety of techniques which acknowledge the many factors contributing to pain and condition. They may provide advice on diet, exercise, posture and many other aspects of daily life.
This caring and comprehensive approach to care and treatment complement the body’s natural functions, helping you to achieve the highest possible level of health and happiness.
Call us now on 9759 5707 to schedule your appointment.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry Needling involves multiple advances of a fine filament needle into the muscle in the region of a “Trigger Point’. The aim of Dry Needling is to achieve a local twitch response to release muscle tension and pain.
Greenacre Sports Medicine Clinic provides dry needling in Greenacre and is conveniently located to treat patients from Strathfield, Bankstown, Punchbowl, and throughout Sydney.
The needle used is very thin and most subjects do not even feel it penetrate the skin. A healthy muscle feels very little discomfort with insertion of this needle. However if the muscle is sensitive and shortened or has active trigger points within it, the subject will feel a sensation like a muscle cramp -’the twitch response’.
The patient also may feel a reproduction of “their” pain which is a helpful diagnostic indicator for the practitioner attempting to diagnose the cause of the patient’s symptoms. Patients soon learn to recognise and even welcome this sensation as it results in deactivating the trigger point, reducing pain and restoring normal length function to the involved muscle.
Dry needling relaxes contracted muscles. Since the presence of the needle in a tense muscle may be painful, the nervous system sends the appropriate feedback to the muscle to inhibit or stop its spasm. This spasm is often the cause of the pain or dysfunction experienced by the patient.
With our osteopaths having a combined 20 years experience, they have found thatDry needling is quite simply one of the most effective treatments for chronic pain.
Is dry needling like acupuncture?
There are many similarities and differences between dry needling and acupuncture. The therapists performing dry needling at Greenacre Sports Medicine Clinic are not acupuncturists and do not practice acupuncture. In contrast to most schools of acupuncture, dry needling is strictly based on Western medicine principles and research and it is increasingly used in the management of musculoskeletal and sports injuries.
How does dry needling work?
The exact mechanisms of dry needling are not known. There are mechanical and biochemical effects. Based on the pioneering studies by Doctor Jay Shah and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, we know that inserting a needle into trigger points can cause favourable biochemical changes, which assist in reducing pain. It is essential to elicit so-called local twitch responses. Local twitch response with dry needling is the first step in breaking the pain cycle.
What type of problems can be treated with dry needling?
Dry needling can be used for a variety of musculoskeletal problems and is especially effective for lingering, difficult to treat long term pain.Such conditions include, but are not limited to neck, back and shoulder pain, arm pain (tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, golfer’s elbow), headache to include migraines and tension-type headaches, jaw pain, buttock pain and leg pain (sciatica, hamstrings strains, calf tightness/spasms). The treatment of muscles has the greatest effect on reducing pain mechanisms in the nervous system.
Is the procedure painful?
Most patients do not feel the insertion of the needle. The local twitch response elicits a very brief (less than a second) painful response. Some patients describe this as a little electrical shock; others feel it more like a cramping sensation. This mildly uncomfortable sensation is necessary to achieve the local twitch responses and that is a good and desirable reaction. Some patients that are generally more sensitive will feel more discomfort than others.
Are the needles sterile?
Yes, we only use high quality disposable needles.
What side effects can I expect after the treatment?
Mild muscle tenderness is a common side effect after the procedure. The soreness is usually over the areas needled and into the referral pattern of the trigger point. Typically, the soreness lasts between a few hours and up to two – three days.
What should I do after having the procedure done?
Our recommendations vary depending on the amount of soreness you have and on the individual response to the treatment. Recommendations may include applying heat or ice over the area, gentle stretches and modifications of activities or analgesic medications such as paracetamol.
How long does it take for the procedure to work?
Typically, it takes several visits for a positive reaction to take place. However, some patients can respond favourably from the first session. It depends on the type of pain, location, referral patterns and how long you have had the problem. Typically, the longer the pain has been around the longer it takes to respond favourably to the needling. Most patients require between 4-7 sessions to see great changes in their bodies and pain levels
Why is my doctor not familiar with dry needling?
In Australia, dry needling is a relatively new method for treating myofascial pain and not everyone is already aware of this effective modality. It is most prevalent amongst Allied health therapies (Osteopaths-Chiropractors-Physiotherapists) and Sports Medicine Physicians. Feel free to inform your GP about this treatment option. It is upon all of us to educate others about new and innovative ways to treat pain.
Where does dry needling fit in the entire rehabilitation program?
Dry needling is the modality of choice when it comes to treating acute injuries, muscle spasms or muscle pattern imbalances. It is very common to initiate dry needling at the beginning of your treatment program to break the pain cycle. Once that is achieved, other treatment options are introduced.
Once I am feeling better, how often do I need to come back to maintain my progress?
Most of the time once the dysfunction or imbalance has been corrected the body will often maintain the appropriate balance. However, the musculoskeletal system is under constant stress from the demands of varying postures, gravity, psychological and emotional states etc. A regular exercise program combined with good posture can prevent many problems. If the pain comes back, occasional sessions are recommended to treat and prevent serious injuries.
I am not comfortable with needles. Do I have to have Dry needling?
No. Before any procedure the therapists performing the dry needling at Greenacres Sports Medicine Clinic will always inform you and your consent is mandatory.