Osteomyologist & Kinesio play major part in British American Football

Osteomyologist and Sports Therapist Nicola Delglyn has been playing a major part in the recent success of British American Football team the Bury Saints, which has seen the club go from training at Nowton Park; a local recreational area shared with dog walkers and joggers, to promotion to the Premier Division in the British American Football League.

Nicola qualified as a Sports Therapist before retraining as Osteomyologist, where she received a doctorship. She is also a qualified nutritionist and Level 4 PT Specialist. Like many professionals with a Sports Therapy background, Nicola, who is based in Bury St Edmunds, has always been passionate about sport and has previously played at a competitive level. Her interest was piqued in 2010 when she heard about how Kinesio taping could help with the recovery of injuries. She attended a course hosted by CKTI Gudrun Collins and enjoyed the practical nature of the teaching, even going so far as to treat a current ankle injury during the course and was impressed by the recovery assistance. Nicola hasn't looked back since and Kinesio Taping has become a key modality in her treatment programmes.

"Kinesio sticks well. You don't necessarily have to strap somebody up to the Nth degree to get the results that you need, which I like, but if you want to put that sort of strapping on you can do it. It gives you the flexibility to manage a patient's recovery".

Her work at Moreton Hall Health Club introduced her to one of the head coaches at the Bury Saints who then began recommending her to the rest of the players and a fruitful partnership began. Nicola uses Kinesio tape frequently in situations where players are recovering from injury and has had good results. Speaking about how she deals with rehabilitation and treatment she said, "If they have an injury and they've got to work through the injury then they have the tape on to aid with the recovery and to support."

The Bury Saints began life back in spring of 2013 and were awarded a Sport England grant that same year which enabled them to buy the training equipment and player kit to take them to the next level. A good relationship developed with the local Thurston Rugby Club, which gave them access to suitable facilities and they have gone from strength to strength since.