Sports injuries can be a very real problem for all athletes. If you are a sportsman or sportswoman, you have probably suffered from at least one of the following conditions at some time:

strains, sprains, tendinosis, bursitis, tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, frozen shoulder, back pain, neck pain – the list goes on and on.

Chiropractic – particularly sports chiropractic – can be of enormous benefit in treating and preventing sports-related injuries and improving athletic performance, as many world-class athletes can attest.

COUNTDOWN TO THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES: VOLUNTEERING

In just under three years’ time, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will begin.  Our vision within the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is to use the Games to inspire change. The Olympic and Paralympic Games is the largest sporting event in the world and will generate enormous excitement and enthusiasm, which many people want to be part of and if they are not actually competing, volunteering is the best way to do this, either as a general volunteer or for a specialist role.

Volunteers at the Games

Volunteers are at the core of the Games and essential to all the functional areas that make up this global festival of sport.  Information about the recruitment of up to 70,000 volunteers will be found on www.london2012.com from the summer of 2010, but it will be worthwhile for interested chiropractors to be aware of what might be expected of volunteers and whether they have the desire and attributes required to volunteer as a chiropractor.

Olympic and Paralympic Medical Services

There will be three Olympic and Paralympic Villages and five sites for the football venues (spread around Great Britain).  The 26 sports will compete in 34 venues at the Olympics and 21 venues at the Paralympics.  There will be 10,500 athletes at the Olympic Games and 4,200 athletes at the Paralympic Games coming from 205 and 147 countries respectively.   The Olympic Games last for 17 days and the Paralympic Games for 11 days with each Games having a two week build up prior to the Opening Ceremony when medical services have to be provided; over two months  in total.

Physical Therapy Services

Physical therapy encompasses chiropractic, osteopathy, physiotherapy and sports massage. A physical therapy service  will be provided at the main Polyclinic in the Olympic Village (in East London), at the smaller Polyclinics at Royal Holloway (rowing and canoeing) and Weymouth (sailing) as well as at all the competition venues and some training venues.

As this is the first time a chiropractic service will be provided at a summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the number of volunteer chiropractorsrequiredis likely to be small. LOCOG will need to consider the diversity of manipulative treatment techniques and international experience available from those chiropractors that volunteer.

Working within their scope of practice, chiropractors will use their knowledge, skills and experience to assess, treat and rehabilitate. Although the prime aim is to safely return athletes to the field of play as quickly as possible, it is essential that chiropractic volunteers are aware of the importance of working within an interdisciplinary team and use referrals to other disciplines when necessary.

The chiropractic service will be part of the core medical services provided at the Polyclinic. The chiropractor will have particular responsibility to see athletes who do not have their own national team medical staff and will work closely with other medical professionals, including osteopaths, physiotherapists, sports massage practitioners, sports medicine doctors, radiologists, and podiatrists. They will provide back up advice and support for national team medical staff. The detailed provision of these services is already being planned by the Physical Therapy Workstream, led by Lynn Booth.

All short-listed applicants will be interviewed, and their skills and experience will determine success and help determine where they are most appropriately based.  At LOCOG we are looking for chiropractors with sport specific experience. Experience of looking after elite athletes will be of particular value.  By identifying and selecting sport medicine volunteers early, LOCOG will identify any potential gaps in sport specific cover or experience. Chiropractors selected as volunteers have the chance to gain further relevant experience and arrange leave and cover from their employer well before the Games.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are truly inspirational and this really is a unique opportunity for chiropractors to volunteer to be part of it and to promote the expertise available in the UK. Medical volunteers bring unique and special skills which will enable London to host a safe, successful and inspirational Olympic and Paralympic Games.  We need your help to do that.

All physical therapy volunteers will need to commit to at least ten days. It may be possible to divide this time into two 5 day periods, but not into any smaller units.  Their time will need to be flexible to cover the busiest periods and variable competition schedule. Chiropractors who can commit to more than the basic 10 days will be much appreciated.  All volunteers will be expected to attend test events in 2011 and training days in the run up to the Games.  There is no remuneration or honorarium for volunteers but they will receive a volunteer uniform, a meal when on duty and free local transport. Volunteers are expected to find and pay for their own accommodation whilst working at the Games.

If you are a qualified chiropractor and would like to be part of this once in a lifetime event, do you fulfil the following criteria? If not, are you aware of how to attain this before volunteering commences in July 2010?

Essential

• Registered with the General Chiropractic Council
• Suitable professional liability insurance to a minimum of £5 million
• Evidence of appropriate and current CPD in the context of working with athletes
• 5 years post-graduate clinical practice at the time of application (2010)
• Holder of a current basic first aid in sport or life support qualification
• Have experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
• By 2012,  have 3  years (full-time or equivalent) experience of working in sport and exercise / musculoskeletal area
• Extensive experience with athletes / sports as a clinician in the field and the clinic setting.
• Sports-specific experience at international level
• Knowledge and understanding of the needs of all athletes
• Excellent team worker, and good communicator
• Knowledge of the World Anti-Doping Agency policy

Desirable

• Membership of the British Chiropractic Sports Council and the College of Chiropractors Sports and Exercise Faculty
• Post-graduate manipulative / soft tissue skills
• Post-graduate taping qualification / experience
• Post-graduate sports massage qualification / experience
• Previous experience (at least one full season)  with a sports team
• Experience of working within with special groups / disability sport i.e. amputees, spinal injuries, visually impaired, neurologically impaired
• Experience of working in a multi-sport environment
• Working towards an MSc in a sports-related field
• Experience of working with other sports medicine professionals
• Foreign languages spoken
• IT competent

If you need any advice about how to develop these skills contact physicaltherapies@london2012.com

If you do not fit into the above categories, perhaps because you have only recently qualified or are still a student, you might consider applying as a sports massage practitioner; providing you have the required qualifications and experience (information re sports massage volunteers can be found at www.gcmt.org.uk), or you may be interested in applying to work as part of the Emergency Medical Services workstream  (EMS). This workstream will be responsible for providing first aid services to athletes and spectators. Volunteers with first aid qualifications such as First Aid at Work (a 3-day course) or a sports trauma management course would be looked at favourably. To find out more about general and other specialist volunteer opportunities check the LOCOG web site www.london2012.com

LOCOG looks forward to working with all its medical volunteers to provide high quality medical care to Olympic and Paralympic athletes and all those taking part in the Games.