An interview with Phil Ward. Phil is a sports and remedial masseur based in Giggleswick, North Yorkshire. He treats a wide range of patients, who come to him with a variety of injuries and ailments. He is also a qualified Mountain Leader and rock climbing enthusiast, and regularly competes in mountain marathons and other endurance events.
Q: What problems do riders come to you with? Have you noticed any patterns? What do you believe causes these problems?
A: Most of the treatments I have given to riders have been as a result of falls, among them fractured vertebra and collar bones, deep bruising and a whole range of injuries, particularly upper body, from impact.
I have treated some riders for postural problems concerned with balance, not just balance as in the ability to balance, but imbalances in the body, side to side and front to back. Some of these have been a by-product of mounting only from the left, which has caused what is in essence a repetitive strain injury in the lower thoracic area.
Q: What body factors influence a rider's capability to ride well?
A: Good balanced muscle power is essential, especially in the pelvic area, the adductors, and the hip flexors and extensors. These are the groups most concerned with control of the riding posture as far as I have observed but you probably can recognise this better than me.
Q: Are there any supports (back; sacroiliac etc) you would recommend for riders?
A: I know of no specific supports for riders but that doesn't mean that there are none!
Q: Are there any machines eg massage, TENs or lotions/potions you would recommend for riders?
A: A good old fashioned faradic machine will help with muscle power and tone but the best exercise is actually riding. Building up the strengths slowly, allowing time for recovery is a sound principle for any sport and also applies to recovery from injury.
Q: There is a lot of heavy work involved in caring for horses. Are there any guidelines you would give for this?
A: The heavy work involved in horses involves the same message. However I would encourage anyone without ingrained habits to learn to shovel and sweep both left and right handed. This will build up equal strengths and hopefully prevent imbalances and overuse problems.
Q: How does massage fit with - Pilates; Alexander technique; Physiotherapy; Yoga; Tai Chi; Gym; aerobics/step; jogging; swimming; racket sports.
A: All the disciplines you mentioned are valuable to general welfare as well as riding fitness. You don't need me to tell you the benefits. My speciality, massage contributes in an all round way both for recovery from injury and for event preparation. Warming up and down are as important for the rider as the horse and physical treatment of the appropriate kind (ice, massage support etc) before and after performance should, but rarely are, be regarded as part of the whole experience.