Having done a Sports Science and Physiotherapy Degrees, I always felt my passion and interest was in Musculoskeletal Health to be able to impact people’s wellbeing and performance.
Through my first years as a physiotherapist and guidance from a mentor, I gained multi-sport experience with a vast range in age and abilities, everything from Ultimate Frisbee, Cricket, Boxing, Football, Touch Rugby, Swimming and Rugby League with the aim to see as many clinical scenarios as I possibly could and how to problem solve.
My personal interest as a physiotherapist was Manual Therapy and Rehabilitation, which I have continued to develop. Working in Sport, the goal is to help the athlete achieve their goals and be the best they can be to succeed, which I thrive upon.
In 2014 an opportunity arose to be a part of elite road cycling with then Team Sky, now Team INEOS working with some of the world’s leading endurance athletes. Travelling with the team has put emphasis on my manual therapy skills, being able to clinically diagnose, but most importantly selectively and correctly treat issues for improvements on a daily basis. The unique aspect of road cycling is the repetition day-in day-out for the athletes to compete, compared to other sports that compete once/twice weekly.
For example, a grand tour (Tour De France, Giro Italia, Vuelta Espana) consists of riding 21 stages, with just 2 rest days at periods, meaning accumulation of load is huge and post-stage each day its key to reduce any soft-tissue or joint symptoms so the athlete can perform to their best the next day, and the next and next and next…………
Methods such as IASTM and cupping are key tools in my clinical toolbox to offer the riders to help them be the best they can be and my relationship with RockTape I feel is one that is a natural fit and I’m excited to get ‘stuck in’ to their knowledge base through courses and using all their excellent products as a RockDoc.
Nathan Thomas – Team Ineos Physiotherapist
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