Oak Tree Osteopathy supporting Australian field hockey stars on their journey through injury prevention.
In 2019, Oak Tree Osteopathy had the great pleasure of sponsoring and treating Australian field hockey forward Laura Barden. A Camberwell local, Laura was selected in the Hockeyroos squad for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo! We have been very proud sponsors and supporters of Laura and her journey as a young elite Australian athlete. Looking after Laura’s body with weekly osteopathic treatment during the recent inaugural HockeyOne season allowed us to safely guide Laura away from the pitfalls of injury and lead her into injury prevention and optimal care of her body.
The start of a new hockey season typically sees the highest rate of injuries. Now improving and strengthening injuries within a season is not an easy task! Weekly games have a tendency to aggravate pre-existing injuries and not allow adequate recovery time. This is where osteopaths can intervene and give the body a helping hand.
Osteopathy and injury prevention in athletes
As osteopaths, there are a number of things we consider when it comes to treating hockey players and sportspeople in general. Juniors can often suffer from overuse and overload injuries on growing bodies. These have a tendency to manifest into issues that plague athletes in their 20s and 30s, ultimately forcing them into early retirement from the game they love. For players in general, their bodies are constantly subjected to acceleration forces, quick changes in direction, and rotation forces in the spine and pelvis. They also require plenty of power and precision to trap, dribble, pass, and hit the occasional tomahawker.
How Osteo treatment and management helps
As osteopaths, we aim to address previous/existing injuries and general wear and tear to optimise mobility of important joints and ligaments, improve flexibility of muscles and tendons, and strengthen regions that have become unstable and painful. We use a number of approaches to achieve this including the following and much more!
- Hands-on treatment to optimise hip range of motion to unload pressures and strains on the pelvis and lower back.
- Knee and ankle proprioception and stability exercises to build strength and resilience in the lower limbs.
- Spinal mobility exercises and self-treatment for the back with an aim to improve flexibility and strength.
To stay in the game you love without the burden of injuries and constant pain, come and visit the team at Oak Tree Osteopathy.
Osteopathy has been great for prioritizing areas of my body that were limiting me from moving my best. It uses creative techniques and conscious awareness on my part to help me address them – Laura Barden, 2019
