Are you dealing with a mysterious knee, hip, or lower back pain? Or maybe you recently suffered a sports injury and are now dealing with pain and restricted mobility. Either way, you’re looking for someone to help alleviate pain and improve your function and quality of life. At Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery, we offer two options of care: osteopathic therapy and athletic therapy.
But what exactly is the distinction between these two fields? Today, we want to explore the benefits of these different approaches to rehabilitation and explain how they can help you feel and function better.
A Closer Look at Osteopathic Therapy
Osteopathic therapy is a holistic approach that views the body as an interconnected system where bones, muscles, ligaments, and tissues work together to provide function. Our osteopathic therapists seek to improve overall function by treating restrictions and misalignments in the musculoskeletal system. We accomplish this through a wide variety of hands-on techniques.
Key Benefits of Osteopathic Therapy
Whole-Body Approach
- Osteopathic therapy considers how the entire body contributes to pain and dysfunction, not just the affected area.
Relief for Chronic Conditions
- Our approach can help manage long-term pain conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia.
Improved Mobility
- Osteopathic treatments can help restore movement by treating joint and tissue restrictions.
Hands-On Osteopathic Techniques
Soft Tissue Manipulation
- This approach carefully manipulates muscles, tendons, and ligaments to release tension and promote healing.
Joint Mobilization
- We’ll carefully guide a restricted joint through its current range of motion, helping to gradually improve mobility.
Visceral Manipulation
- This technique targets the organs in the abdomen to improve their function and alleviate discomfort.
A Deeper Dive into Athletic Therapy
Athletic therapy is a specialized approach to injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, primarily for athletes or active individuals. However, it’s not just for athletes—it can benefit anyone with physical injuries or pain from everyday activities.
Athletic therapists generally focus on musculoskeletal issues such as sprains, strains, and joint dysfunctions.
Key Benefits of Athletic Therapy
Injury Prevention
- Athletic therapy teaches you strategies to avoid sports injury.
Enhanced Recovery
- We’ll help facilitate recovery from sports-related injuries or surgeries, helping you get back to activities faster.
Personalized Strength and Conditioning
- We can work with you to develop exercise programs tailored to restore strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Common Athletic Therapy Techniques
Manual Therapy
- Athletic therapists often use similar hands-on manual therapy techniques as osteopathic therapists to reduce muscle tension, improve joint movement, and relieve pain.
Therapeutic Exercise
- Personalized exercises help improve strength and mobility, which can prevent future injuries.
Rehabilitation Programs
- We can design specific programs for recovering from sports injuries, including sprains, tears, and fractures.
Osteopathic Therapy vs Athletic Therapy: What’s the Bottom Line?
Both osteopathic and athletic therapy aim to improve physical function and relieve pain. However, there are a few key differences.
Firstly, athletic therapy is generally geared toward athletes and other active individuals and focuses on addressing pain and dysfunction stemming from musculoskeletal injury. Osteopathic therapy has a wider view and is especially beneficial for those suffering from chronic issues.
The techniques used can also differ somewhat. Our osteopathic therapists tend to focus on osteopathic manipulative treatments, a variety of hands-on therapies with a wide range of benefits. Our athletic therapist will incorporate manual therapy treatments, exercise-based rehabilitation programs, and injury prevention.
That said, both therapies offer unique benefits and can complement each other. At Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery, our osteopathic and athletic therapists frequently work together and can help you determine which approach will best help you achieve your goals.
Schedule an Appointment To Get Started
Are you looking to reduce joint discomfort, rehabilitate from a sports injury, or manage a chronic pain condition? The team at Jenna Howe & Associates Osteopathy and Concussion Recovery is here to help. Schedule an appointment at our Victoria BC or Burnaby, BC clinic to learn more about our unique approaches.
