Soccer players are among the most amazing of athletes. Combining incredible skill, agility, strength and endurance during every match, they push themselves to the limits of physical capability – without using their hands. In so doing, however, they also place themselves in danger of injury on a regular basis.
"That's why we need a clinical staff of 12," jokes David Fevre, MSC, MCSP, SRP and Senior Physical Therapist for English Premier League Football (Soccer) Club, Blackburn Rovers, "Despite being in great shape - or maybe because they play so often at the extremes of their physical capabilities – injury is part of the game for elite soccer players. To help keep our 36 team members on the playing field we have a support staff that includes five chartered physiotherapists, three sports scientists, three massage therapists and a medical doctor. It's a pretty large staff, even by British Premier League Soccer standards. But we feel that the more we can keep our best players healthy, the better the chance we'll have to succeed. Fevre, who has served as a physical therapist for over 26 years, including a 14-year stint in the British Rugby Football League plus time at hospitals before joining Manchester United (1994-1999), incorporates an integrated approach to help keep his athletes from getting injured, and to get those who are hurt ready to return to action without significant risk of reinjury. He includes in his arsenal of exercise, weight training, nutritional education and sessions on equipment designed to improve muscular and cardiovascular strength and endurance such as cycles and treadmills.
"One piece of the equation I consider especially important is our Biodex Multi-Joint System," states Fevre. "I really like it for the isokinetic capability, but I use it in the other modes as well. It is very useful as an exercise-based rehabilitation tool. I was always taught that exercise is the most important part of physio, and this is one of the few machines with a plug that actually provides exercise modality." >>
