Sweden’s Goalkeeper back in the game for the World Cup thanks to Altius and team

Robin Olsen, 28, is a professional footballer from Sweden who plays for F.C. Copenhagen as a goalkeeper and also for the Swedish national team. He was referred by a shoulder specialist in Sweden, to see Professor Len Funk who is a consultant shoulder surgeon with clinics at both HCA Healthcare UK at The Wilmslow Hospital and The Manchester Institute of Health & Performance (MIHP).

Professor Funk performed his AC joint repair procedure at HCA The Wilmslow Hospital. Following surgery, Professor Funk advised Robin to see Sports Physiotherapist Doug Jones and his team from Altius Healthcare, who use HCA THe Wilmslow Hospital’s sister facility MIHP to provide physiotherapy and rehabilitation services, and benefit from the world class performance expertise and facilities. Doug specialises in getting athletes back to playing sport after surgery, and has a worked with a number of football clubs. It was agreed with F.C. Copenhagen’s Physiotherapist, that Robin should visit Doug at MIHP for a two-day intensive residential every fortnight, over a 10-week period, whilst he was injured to get him back to full fitness as soon as possible.

Doug explained: “Often the shoulder operation Robin had to stabilise his AC joint can leave people with initial stiffness and being a goalkeeper – where reaching above his head and to the side for a ball is a vital part of his job – we needed to work on his strength and mobility early on to make sure he would be able to return to the game quickly.” As one of the world’s top goalkeepers, a bespoke progressive strengthening programme was designed for Robin that involved a phased return to all ranges of movement, ensuring not to overload the repaired collarbone for the first six weeks.

Doug added: “The programme I designed for Robin made full use of the world class facilities at MIHP and included hydrotherapy sessions, football practice in the Performance Capture Hall, testing in the Biomechanics Laboratory, training in the Strength and Conditioning Gym, Alter G Treadmill for zero gravity running and Isokinetic Dynamometer for baseline assessment and monitoring his strength.” Robin also benefitted with regular sports massages, Podiatry services and Pilates.

Robin commented: “Thanks to Professor Funk, Doug and the performance team at MIHP, I have played my first game for F.C. Copenhagen since my shoulder surgery, and I’m on track to represent Sweden at the World Cup in Russia. “My experience of both HCA The Wilmslow Hospital and MIHP has been fantastic; from the expertise and professionalism of the staff, to the amazing facilities available under-one-roof at MIHP. I’ve travelled over the world whilst playing for my club and Sweden and haven’t experienced a facility like this.”