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The Ultimate Guide to Effective Post-Injury Rehabilitation Treatment

Aug 14, 2023 48 Comments By INNER NORTH OSTEOPATHY

Injuries have a knack for catching us off guard, even when we’re being exceptionally cautious. It’s a reminder that accidents can happen to anyone, regardless of how careful we are. When an injury occurs, your priority becomes your recovery. While minor injuries might lead to a swift bounce back, more significant ones often call for the expertise of skilled medical professionals.

Remember, the strength, fitness, and health you’ve built up over time can’t fully guard you against the impact of an injury. The consequences can be more significant than we often anticipate.

If you find yourself injured during exercise or while participating in a sport, securing the right post-injury care is crucial. Want to learn how effective post-injury rehabilitation treatment is? Here’s how it can guide you back to an active lifestyle, helping you regain your stride and reclaim your vitality.

What is Post-Injury Rehabilitation

Post-injury rehabilitation is essentially the process of recovering and rebuilding after an injury. Think of it as a tailored roadmap that guides individuals back to optimal health and function following a physical setback. Whether you’ve encountered a sports-related injury, an accident, or a strain from everyday activities, post-injury rehab will help your body heal, regain strength, and regain the abilities you may have lost during the injury.

Rehab is also more than fixing physical damage – it’s about understanding the underlying causes, addressing any imbalances, and helping you regain your confidence in your body’s capabilities. With a blend of exercise prescription programs, hands-on therapies, and expert guidance, post-injury rehab can pave the way for you to reclaim your quality of life. This is whether you’re stepping back onto the field, resuming your daily routine, or simply moving pain-free.

Why is Rehabilitation So Important to Consider Post Injury

Simply put, getting effective post injury care can make a serious impact on your health. Rushed, improper, or no rehabilitation exercises at all can result in chronic pain or even more serious complications. That’s why seeking a professional is always recommended, someone who can map out a treatment plan to help you recover faster.

The good news is you can steer clear of potential issues by committing to a well-structured rehab program with the help of an osteopath. They are professionals in crafting meticulous treatment plan that’s tailored to restore your functionality and mobility.

How Does Osteopathy Help in Post Injury Rehabilitation

Osteopathy is valuable in harnessing the body’s innate capacity to self-heal. It achieves this by reestablishing balance and alleviating strain in areas that have been affected by injury. Through primarily hands-on techniques, osteopathy involves skillful manipulation of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. This restoration of mobility and reduction of pain are at the core of osteopathic treatment for recovery.

When it comes to managing injuries, osteopathy takes a holistic approach, aiming to enhance the body’s overall functionality by ensuring seamless coordination between its structure and function.

The osteopath’s objective revolves around realigning the body’s systems, facilitating their harmonious interplay once more. The ultimate outcome? A life free from pain, where your body operates at its optimal capacity.

Rehabilitation Treatment and Exercises for Post Injury Care

Depending on the nature and severity of your injury, the practitioner employs a range of diverse therapies and exercise prescription programs to ensure effective post-injury care.

Among the common osteopathic techniques may include soft tissue massage, joint mobilisation, joint manipulation, dry needling, and shockwave therapy. Based on your unique needs they may even customise your treatment plan to encompass exercise prescription therapies.

Recovery Period: What to Expect?

The duration of your recovery process after an injury can span from several weeks to a few months, depending on how severe your injury is. The timeline is influenced by various factors, including how promptly you seek osteopathic treatment and your commitment to following the exercise regimen and injury guidance provided by your Osteopath.

How to Prepare for Post Rehabilitation Treatment?

In your initial consultation, the osteopath will delve deeper into your medical history to understand the intricacies of your injury. Following a comprehensive physical examination, they’ll precisely identify the root cause of your issue.

Depending on how major or minor your injury is, they may even conduct a thorough assessment of your muscles, honing in on any tension, tightness, or pain. This is to understand what other areas might even be affected and if certain structures are also experiencing excessive movements.

After this comprehensive assessment, the practitioner will chart an optimal path for managing your injury.

At Inner North Osteopathy, we ensure your post injury rehabilitation treatment is taken care of with the comfort you need to get better quicker and better. Our practice has everything you need for rehabilitation services in Melbourne. We can make your journey as smooth as possible with experienced osteopaths who will meet your needs as and when needed. For post-injury care, simply reach out to our practice today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Osteopaths are primary healthcare providers which means that no referral is necessary. If your treatment is being covered by WorkSafe, TAC or DVA, you will require a referral to ensure that your costs are covered.

We are able to treat WorkSafe, TAC, EPC and DVA patients, however you will require a referral from your GP. For TAC and WorkSafe patients we will also require your claim number and date of injury.

We are covered by private health funds via extras cover. Exact details will vary depending on the individual fund and level of cover. We do have a Hicaps machine which enables you to claim health fund payments on the spot.

For medicare rebates you must qualify for an EPC plan. You will need to discuss this with your GP, and a referral is necessary.

Yes, please bring in any X-ray, CT or MRI scan results you may have. If you have a report for these scans, make sure you bring this along as well.

During your first consultation your osteopath will ask questions about your problem and symptoms. They may also ask questions about your medical history, any medications you are taking or other factors that may not appear to be directly related to your problem. If your medical condition changes during the course of your osteopathic treatment, you should tell your osteopath.

Your osteopath may ask about any recent X-rays, scans or test results that you may have.

Depending on the area of your body requiring treatment, your osteopath may ask you to undress to your underwear. It’s important that you feel comfortable, so you may want to wear loose pants or bring a pair of shorts to change into.

Next, your osteopath will conduct a full osteopathic examination and if necessary, clinical tests. This may involve diagnostic, orthopaedic or neurological tests, postural assessments and activities or exercises, which will help determine how best to manage your condition.

The examination may include passive and active movements, such as the osteopath lifting your arms or legs. As part of the examination, you may also be asked to bend over or stand in your underwear. Be sure to wear comfortable, flexible and appropriate underwear.

As osteopathy takes a holistic approach to treatment, your practitioner may look at other parts of your body, as well as the area that is troubling you. For example, if you have a sore knee, your osteopath may also look at your ankle, pelvis and back.

Your osteopath may also provide education and advice to help you manage your condition between treatments. This may include giving you exercises to do at home or work.

Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy, so hands-on treatment may include massage, stretching, repetitive movements, mobilisation and/or manipulation. Most osteopathic treatment is gentle and should not cause undue discomfort. If your injuries do require hands-on treatment of painful and tender areas, your osteopath will exercise care to make you as comfortable as possible.

Some people experience mild soreness for a day or two after treatment, similar to that felt after mild exercise. If this soreness persists or increases significantly, call your osteopath to discuss your concerns.

Your initial consultation may last up to one hour. This will enable your osteopath to take a thorough history, examine and treat you. Follow-up treatments are usually shorter. Depending on your condition, they can take 30-40 minutes.

Generally you would expect to see some changes in your symptoms after one or two visits; however, some long-term or chronic conditions may require a longer course or more frequent treatment. If you have any concerns, your osteopath will be happy to discuss these with you.

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