Osteopathic Manipulative Technique (O.M.T.) and Sports Medicine

Source: www.xprss.com/robeygroup/appreciation_x10.asp

Osteopathic Manipulative Technique (O.M.T.) is used frequently in sports medicine. It is used in the recovery from sports injuries, to enhancement performance in athletes and can be used successfully in high-impact sports such as running, basketball, tennis, football and baseball. O.M.T. techniques vary depending upon the physical injury. We use "high velocity manipulation" for acute injures to the spine. If an athlete is impacted from the side, his cervical, thoracic or lumbar vertebrae may be knocked out of alignment. High velocity, low impact adjustments, a.k.a. cracking of the spine, can gently move the segment or segments instantly back into place. If done right after the insult, you can prevent the soft-tissue damage often associated with chronic injuries, from occurring. On the other hand, soft tissue manipulation, where one gently moves the tissues through the barriers of pain and restriction, are useful in chronic injuries. The tissue changes associated with this type of injury are much harder to treat and require frequent visits to the osteopath. Another type of manipulation is called, "muscle energy". This is where the physician finds the barrier, such as a limitation in cervical rotation to the right, and gently holds the neck while the patient uses his own muscles at his own pace to turn in the opposite direction of the barrier. After a couple of seconds, the patient relaxes and the doctor would turn the neck incrementally towards the restriction slowly, taking up the slack and substantially increasing range of motion to the neck. There are many more techniques for many types of injuries and some used for the prevention of injuries.

OMT and Sports