Introduction
The Spine Surgery London is blessed with a considerable amount of sports expertise. Because of his extensive experience in sports medicine Peter Hamlyn, the Surgery’s Director, was recruited as medical advisor to the London Olympic bid for 2012. With the bid’s success, London not only won the Games but directly as a result “Sport and Exercise Medicine” became a recognised specialty within the UK healthcare system and its NHS. As a relatively new specialty in the UK, we are lucky to have two of its most successful practitioners in Dr Eleanor Tillett and Dr Ian Beasley.
As part of our ongoing commitment to this development in medicine we are offer training to the post-graduate doctors studying at the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health at University College London. You may encounter these doctors observing us in clinics.
Why we have sports doctors here?
There are two reasons.
Firstly, Peter Hamlyn works extensively in the world of elite sport. In addition to his Olympic work, he has cared for sports men and women from many of our Premiere League rugby and football clubs, British Horse Racing, UK Athletics, Formula 1 and other Motor Sports as well as other special groups such as The Royal Ballet and of course boxing! Such professionals are often nursing more than one injury and a holistic approach is required if any intervention is to be successful. They may have knee pain, a groin strain, Achilles problems as well as sciatica and we need to be able to deal with it all.
Second, sports physicians are very able in all the non-operative care of spinal disorders. That is to say they can do all of the diagnostic work-up, conservative treatment and in the case of individuals with specific expertise, like Dr Tillett, also perform spinal injections. One sure way to avoid an operation is not to meet a surgeon!
Who we have helped
Many leading sports organisations elect to use our expertise when spinal problems arise in their sports men and women – click here for a list of organisations that have or are using us.