For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, Chiropractors played an integral role as part of the healthcare team at Birmingham 2022. The newly formed Chiropractor, Osteopath, Physiotherapist and Sports Massage (COPS) team for Birmingham 2022 shared what this significant step means for Chiropractors, athletes, and the wider healthcare industry.

The approach taken by the Commonwealth Games recognised how valuable and important this level of integration is with the whole COPS team being present at the Games to assess, diagnose, refer on and/or treat athletes for a wide range of Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. By working as part of a well-integrated team they were able to recognise the skill sets available at each Polyclinic – these are the clinics which were set up to house the COPS teams at Birmingham 2022- and importantly, ensure that athletes saw a professional who could best deliver the care required, regardless of which profession they belong to.

Patient choice is an important part of any healthcare setting. For the athletes at the Games to have access to a range of high-quality services across these professions sets the gold-standard benchmark for how healthcare should be delivered for all patients.

The Commonwealth Games’ model of providing a wide range of options to patients (athletes) at Birmingham 2022 not only offered a great deal of patient choice but also an opportunity for healthcare professions to better understand each other’s skill sets and competencies as well as their professional status.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) health is multifactorial but there are sports and activities that put athletes at greater risk of injury. Injury prevalence is usually highest in team sports, followed by combat sports, racquet and track and field. At the Commonwealth Games the sports which typically cause the most injuries are basketball, hockey, and rugby, followed by tennis, badminton, cycling and athletics.

Whilst all sports pose relative pressures on the musculoskeletal system, athletes will understand how best to manage this with input from expert integrated medical and coaching teams. Each athlete competing at the Games carefully maintained their MSK health to ensure they performed at their best. The types of injury seen varied from sport to sport, be it acute tears and sprains, or more repetitive stress injuries.

How do athletes use Chiropractors during training and for recovery?
Chiropractors regularly play an integral role within the medical teams of professional athletes in the lead up to, during, and post-competition. Many BCA Chiropractors work alongside other healthcare professionals in sports, including at Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club, Bristol Rovers Football Club and Leicester City. They provide vital support for injury prevention, treatment and performance-based care using a combination of manual therapy, exercise prescription and lifestyle advice.

Athletes often report that their athletic performance is enhanced through chiropractic adjustments which allow the body to function better and perform at its best. Chiropractic care helps with injury prevention by enabling an athlete to best control their powerful bodies throughout strenuous activity and intricate movements alike. Chiropractors support recovery from acute injuries and help patients best manage chronic conditions through their wide package of care. Chiropractic addresses mobility issues and provides effective pain relief and recovery after competitions and between training sessions.
 
Chiropractors have many skills that overlap with other professions – and vice versa. Many Chiropractors perform soft tissue techniques while Physiotherapists and Sports Therapists have now learnt spinal manipulation. What sets Chiropractors apart is our specialism when it comes to the spine and nervous system.

We see professions that learn alongside each other have an improved understanding and therefore professional respect of their healthcare colleagues. It is hoped that all medical professions represented at the Commonwealth Games will take the chance to get to know their colleagues and develop their knowledge of other professions so that they can better serve their patients as part of a diverse, integrated, multi-disciplinary team.

Moving forward, we would also hope to see enhanced recognition for Chiropractic and its integral role within healthcare settings from the sporting community, healthcare practitioners and their governing bodies, and the general population more widely. The presence at Birmingham 2022 is a huge step towards elevating the significant roles Chiropractors play in providing effective healthcare and highlights the value of the support we can provide. We hope that this will now pave the way for our BCA Chiropractors to be involved in other events and form part of other multi-disciplinary teams within other settings.

If you have a specific question regarding any pain or problem areas, or would like to book a Free 15 minute consultation for you or your family please call:
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