Hi everyone, Emma here 🙂
Running long distance can put a great strain on the body, and in many cases may even lead to injuries. Most occur from doing too much, too soon, and also, faulty biomechanics. Therefore, steps should be taken to ensure that your body is in the optimal position to prevent injury and to fully recover.
It may be obvious for you to see an osteopath once injured but it is way more beneficial to see one beforehand in order to prevent any future injuries.
My goal as an osteopath when working with runners, is to get them back on track as soon as possible but making sure they are in the ideal position to do so, and also not returning too soon; we know the danger of doing too much too soon following injury.
Each session will start with a biomechanical assessment to analysis movement pattern, identify asymmetry’s or joint restrictions. This will be followed by muscle testing to identifying any weaknesses, which will then be used as a base to create a rehab plan on. I won’t only assess the injured area but look above and below, and how the region is functioning with the rest of the body. This will allow us to be thorough and treat the cause of the injury and not just the symptoms.
If dysfunction is present in one or more joints or muscles in the lower limb, it will automatically affect how the structures around will function and probably lead to compensation elsewhere.
All the findings from the assessment will be used to create a treatment plan which will be unique to each of my patients. Treatment will range from soft tissue release, joint manipulation or mobilisation, acupuncture and rehabilitation. The aim is to speed up the recovery process by making sure everything is functioning in order, to provide the athletes body with an optimal environment for it to heal itself and resist further injury. Hands on treatment to address the issue will be combined with a specific exercise plan to strengthen weak muscle and address imbalances, with the aim to improve running biomechanics and prevent further injury.
You can read about my experience and more about what I do here, before coming in to see me. I’m here to help!
