Sport & Exercise Injuries
At Body Unity, we specialise in treating a wide-range of sports and exercise-related injuries, aches and pain. Our experts help you to recover, and get back to your active lifestyle…quickly. Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, we have the knowledge and skills to provide effective treatment options. We offer a range of tailored services to start helping you straight away. Don’t let an injury hold you back. Let us help you get back in the game.
Sports injuries can arise from a variety of factors, often a combination of:
- Overuse: Repetitive movements without adequate rest can strain muscles, tendons, and ligaments, leading to conditions like tendinitis, stress fractures, and shin splints. This is a frequent cause of running injuries and training injuries.
- Sudden Trauma: Impacts, falls, collisions, or sudden twisting movements can cause sprains, strains, fractures, and dislocations. These are common in contact sports and activities with a high risk of falls.
- Poor Technique: Incorrect form during exercise or sports activities can place excessive stress on specific body parts, increasing the risk of injury.
- Inadequate Warm-up or Cool-down: Failing to properly prepare the body for activity or neglecting to cool down afterwards can leave muscles tight and vulnerable to injury.
- Insufficient Conditioning: Weak or inflexible muscles are less able to withstand the demands of exercise and sport.
- Inappropriate Equipment: Using ill-fitting or unsuitable equipment can contribute to injuries. For example, worn-out running shoes can increase the risk of lower limb injuries.
- Returning to Activity Too Soon After Injury: Rushing back into training before a full recovery can lead to re-injury and prolong the healing process.
- Environmental Factors: Uneven surfaces, extreme temperatures, or poor lighting can increase the risk of falls and other injuries.
Common Symptoms
- Pain
- Swelling and Bruising
- Limited Range of Motion
- Weakness
- Deformity
- Popping or Cracking Sounds
- Tenderness to Touch:
Sports Recovery is in our DNA
We started as a Sports Injury Clinic and have evolved to so much more.
Our multi-disciplinary approach means you benefit from the expertise of both osteopaths and therapists to facilitate your recovery:
- Thorough Assessment & Diagnosis: Our practitioners will conduct a detailed evaluation to understand the nature and extent of your injury.
- Osteopathic Treatment: Our osteopaths use gentle manual techniques to restore proper joint mechanics, reduce pain and inflammation, improve range of motion, and address any underlying biomechanical imbalances that may have contributed to the injury. This may involve articulation, manipulation, soft tissue techniques, and tailored exercise prescription.
- Massage Therapy: Our massage therapists can help to reduce muscle tension and spasms, improve circulation, promote tissue healing, and alleviate pain associated with your injury. Techniques like sports massage and deep tissue massage can be particularly beneficial.
- Rehabilitation Programs: We develop personalised rehabilitation plans to help you regain strength, flexibility, and function, and safely return to your sport or activity.
- Injury Prevention Advice: We provide guidance on proper warm-up and cool-down routines, training techniques, and exercises to help prevent future injuries.
Get Back in the Game with Body Unity
Repair and Rebuild with Us
We optimise your recovery with expertise and services from our Repair & Rebuild Pillars
Osteopathy Sets the Stage
Osteopathic treatment can address immediate pain and stiffness, improving joint mobility and creating a more optimal environment for the body to heal.
One-to-One Training and Rehab Build Strength and Function
Once the initial pain and inflammation are reduced, a personal trainer with a rehabilitation focus can guide you through a structured exercise program prescribed in collaboration with the osteopath. This program will progressively strengthen the injured area and surrounding muscles, improve flexibility, and restore functional movement.
Ongoing Management and Prevention:
Both disciplines emphasize the importance of long-term management and injury prevention. Osteopaths can provide advice on posture and biomechanics, while personal trainers can develop ongoing fitness plans that incorporate injury prevention strategies.
How We Do It
In essence:
- Osteopathy focuses on the why of the injury and uses manual therapy to address structural imbalances and pain.
- Personal training and rehabilitation focus on the how of recovery, using targeted exercises to restore strength, function, and movement patterns.
By working together, osteopathy, personal training, and rehabilitation provide a comprehensive approach that not only helps you recover from your sports injury but also makes you stronger, more resilient, and less likely to get injured again.
At Body Unity in Hemel Hempstead, our team can integrate these services to provide you with the best possible care for your recovery journey.
Personal Training & Rehab for Sports Injuries alongside Osteopathy - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Body Unity, Hemel Hempstead
Here are some frequently asked questions about how personal training and rehabilitation can help alongside osteopathy for sports injuries at Body Unity in Hemel Hempstead.
Combining these disciplines offers a holistic approach. Osteopathy addresses the structural imbalances and pain, while personal training and rehab focus on restoring strength, function, and movement patterns for a full and safe return to activity.
Osteopathy can improve joint mobility and reduce pain, creating a better foundation for exercise. Personal training and rehab then build strength, flexibility, and functional movement under expert guidance, complementing the manual therapy.
Both play crucial roles. Osteopathy addresses the underlying issues and pain, while personal training and rehab ensure you regain the necessary strength and function to return to your sport safely and prevent re-injury. The emphasis may shift at different stages of recovery.
Our practitioners maintain regular communication, sharing assessment findings, treatment plans, and progress updates to ensure a seamless and effective rehabilitation journey.
It’s a specialised form of personal training focused on rehabilitation exercises. This includes strengthening weakened muscles, improving flexibility and range of motion, restoring balance and proprioception, and gradually progressing back to sport-specific movements.
No. Our personal trainers who specialise in rehabilitation work closely with your osteopath and will design a program that progresses at a safe and appropriate pace based on your individual healing and tolerance levels.
Yes. By addressing muscle imbalances, improving strength and stability, and teaching proper movement patterns, personal training and rehab can significantly reduce your risk of future injuries.
Osteopathic treatment can reduce pain and stiffness, improve joint mobility, and optimise your body’s biomechanics, making it easier and more effective to perform rehabilitation exercises with proper form and less discomfort.
While osteopathy is crucial for addressing the initial injury and restoring movement, personal training and rehab are typically necessary to rebuild the strength, endurance, and sport-specific skills required for a safe and successful return to your activity.
The best first step is to book an initial consultation with one of our osteopaths. They will assess your injury, discuss your goals, and determine the most appropriate treatment and rehabilitation plan, which may include working with one of our personal trainers who specialise in rehab.