Osteopathy and Cycling: Enhancing Performance and Health

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is physical medicine.  An osteopath uses manual techniques to free the body of restrictions to the normal flow of blood via the arteries, power via the nerves and to the drainage of toxins or waste products via the veins and lymphatic system.  When there is free flow of these structures, the body can function at its optimum, move freely and heal itself using its inherent vitality.

Osteopathy is holistic, meaning that osteopaths treat the whole person, rather than just symptoms.  This may mean examining and treating away from the site of pain or working with the entire posture to remove focus from the site of injury, allowing it to heal itself.  The body is interconnected; cyclists especially rely on the transfer of energy between these different regions of the body.  Manipulative treatment can correct these segmental and regional dysfunctions and thereby improve the transfer of energy that is required for various athletic demands

Who Can Benefit From Osteopathy?

Osteopathy can help people of all ages and backgrounds.  The treatment can be used to ease pain, promote healing and increase overall mobility.  It’s not only used to treat sore glutes!  It can also help patients with a number of other health problems such as sinus disorders, whiplash, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines and menstrual pain.  When appropriate, osteopathy can complement and replace drugs or surgery and therefore bring an important dimension to standard medical care.

Key Concept:  Identify and treat the root cause of the injury, rather than simply the symptoms.

‘To find health should be the object of the doctor.  Anyone can find disease.’ 

– AT Still, D.O.

Osteopathic sports medicine covers prevention, diagnosis and the management of sports and exercise-related injuries.  During a consultation, a case history will be taken followed by a physical examination.  These, together, help form a diagnosis which is used as a basis to treat from.  Advice on athletic injury prevention, evaluation of potential of injury and areas of performance enhancement is given.  This is reassessed with every follow-up treatment as the body, posture and any condition is modified.  We are constantly changing according to everything we do and to everything we are confronted with.  Layers are peeled off, enabling the root cause of any problem to be addressed.

Case Study:

Consider an asthmatic patient with upper back and rib dysfunction.  Feeling for these reflexes gives the osteopath useful information regarding management and sports participation.   A cyclist with significant mid-back motion restriction may not transfer the pedal reactive force through his legs and trunk to the upper extremity.  Because of this the thorax, chest cavity and diaphragm aren’t used as well as they could be, producing an overuse syndrome of the upper chest, discomfort on the bike or a reduced diaphragmatic or breathing capacity.  This could be reduced or removed by manipulation, articulation, soft tissue, cranial or visceral (organ) osteopathic work.  Comfort and performance are then enhanced.

An athlete’s performance is primarily a function of the musculoskeletal system.  It is enhanced through a combination of improved flexibility, proprioception, strength and practiced movement patterns which all aim to build better muscular coordination.

‘The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.’

In general, a course of treatment results in the opportunity to return to the activity that originally caused the pain in a successful and pain-free manner.  Therefore a vital component of rehab will be the causative activity.  This will involve removing tension from injured tissue so that it is dispersed throughout.  It will also involve appropriate treatment and advice to prevent further injury or overuse.

Katy Teasdale is a UK trained and GOsC registered osteopath, BSc (Hons)., BSc (Hons) Ost., D.O., DPO. Katy uses structural as well as cranial and visceral techniques.  Area of speciality: paediatrics.  Katy is a qualified yoga instructor ad experienced vipassana meditator, aware of the importance of incorporating patient independence into any treatment regime.