Chiropractic and Osteopathy are widely used in Premier League Football

Before the turn of the millennium, it was unusual to see Chiropractors and Osteopaths involved with elite sports. Where they were involved, it would normally be on a private basis with individual players, rather than with a team, as a whole.

The musculoskeletal needs of a 1990’s football team would typically be provided for by a medical team including Physiotherapists. Pitch-side support was typically referred to by commentators as “the Physio” and this continues to this day.

This began to change in the early 2000’s. Under Jean-Pierre Meerrseman, the Italian team AC Milan established The Milan Lab. Meerrseman pioneered the use of analysis of players to predict and prevent injuries. Over the next ten years, AC Milan became a force to be reckoned with in Italian and European football, winning Serie A the Champions League twice each, despite being involved in a match fixing scandal that slowed their progress.

With limited running and tackling, it is not unusual for goalkeepers to play beyond their 40th birthday. It is far more unusual for outfield players to continue beyond this age. While not necessarily directly linked to the Milan Lab, AC Milan’s success coincided with various players enjoying strong performances well into their twilight years. As a result, AC Milan players hold several “Oldest player” records in the Champions League (Outfield player 40 years, 211 days – Costacurta 2006, Winner and Outfield finalist 38 years and 331 days – Maldini 2007, Goalscorer in a final 36 years 333 days – Maldini 2005).

The 2007 Champions League winning side was also the oldest side to appear in a final at an average 31 years and 35 days.

So what impact has this had on the game today? To find out, we looked at how many Premier League teams (2020-21 season) have recently been associated with a Chiropractor or Osteopath that is currently practicing. We identified at least three quarters of teams are listed as a place of work or a current practitioner. Our results and references are below.