Welcome to the May 2009 Newsletter from Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy!

 

 

Welcome to the Summer edition of the Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy newsletter. The weather has been good and the days are longer which is great for outdoor activities... now is the time to improve fitness with cycling, jogging, swimming, tennis etc.

With this in mind we are focussing the newsletter on those who may get sports injuries – however, this can happen to any of us who are fairly novice at ‘being fit’ and not just to experienced athletes.

 

Practice News – Sports Injury Treatment and Rehabilitation

At the practice we see many injuries as people return to exercise after a long break... the secret is to Interval Train (bursts of activity interspersed with less activity/rest) to increase ones fitness rather than to ‘beast’ oneself in one session. This helps increase cardiovascular fitness and is also more effective at fat burning than moderate sustained activity in the same period of time.

At the practice we offer full rehabilitation treatment including an exercise programme and advice on how to return to the gym safely.

What To Do in the Event of Injury:

First and foremost with any injury it is vital to immediately stop doing whatever caused the injury. Then apply an ice pack for 15 minutes per hour. Ideally, this should be wrapped in a thin towel rather than placed directly onto the skin. If there is a joint sprain then often the joint becomes swollen – in this case the area should be strapped and then elevated.

At Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy we have a combined approach to sports injury using massage, ultrasound therapy and myofascial acupuncture dry needling. Problems that we often see are:

  • Achilles tendonitis (heel and calf pain)
  • Tennis or Golfers’ Elbow
  • Sprained Joints (eg ankles, wrists and thumbs)
  • Plantar Fasciitis (pain in the feet)
  • Knee Pain
  • Muscle Tears

Should you have any queries with regards to the above please contact us on 0208 977 6396.

 

Stretch of the Month:

How To Stretch Your Hamstrings and Calf Muscles Safely

Lie on your back and pull up one knee to the chest. Attempt to straighten your leg, keeping your foot at right angles to the leg and your toe pointing down towards your head. Pull behind the knee to increase the hamstring stretch. Hold for 15. Repeat 3 times and then repeat for the other leg.

This stretch is ideal for stretching out the muscle chain from the lower back and down the whole leg. It minimises stress on the lumbar spine and so is perfect for after exercise.

Should you require a personalised exercise sheet please contact us via email at carragh@osteopathuk.co.uk

 

From all of us at Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy we wish you a fit and healthy summer!

For any queries please do contact us at the practice on 0208 977 6396 or 07957 348 513.

Best wishes
Carragh

 

General Osteopathic Council Registered • BUPA & PPP registered providers