Wednesday 16 January 2013 10:23, UK
Jean-Pierre Meersseman, the genius behind Milan's ground-breaking Milan Lab, is coming to the UK.
World-renowned medic, Jean-Pierre Meersseman, the genius behind AC Milan's ground-breaking Milan Lab and who has helped football stars such as Paolo Maldini play at the highest level past the age of 35, is coming to the UK to work with top Premier League players. Meersseman is a Belgian chiropractor and the founder of the Milan Lab will be providing medical treatment in London starting next week alongside his nephew Stefaan Vossen - a Belgian spinal physiatrist with extensive training and experience in physiotherapy, neuro-rehabilitation and chiropractic, as well as the assessment of gait and malocclusion. The chance for players to prolong their careers is just one reason Premier League stars are flocking to get on Meersseman's list at his new clinic in London. Meersseman's ground-breaking methods are also credited to have significantly improved the performance of some of the world's top players and helped substantially prevent injury. Meersseman was honoured recently by the sports industry at the prestigious Leaders in Football conference at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, for his 'special contribution to sports science'. Until now, Meersseman has devoted his skills to the AC Milan base where he was inspired by owner and patient Silvio Berlusconi, but this new initiative will see him also working in the UK for the first time. The clinic will be dedicated to providing high-quality care to elite athletes and sports teams. UK sports lawyer Carly Barnes and business partner Dean Draper of www.silverstoneformula.com are the force behind the clinic. Miss Barnes counts numerous sports stars and football clubs amongst her client base and is Mr Meersseman's representative and spokeswoman in the UK. Mr Draper is Meersseman Lab's business and brand advisor, and has successfully built branded businesses in a number of sectors including Formula One motor racing. Barnes said: "Jean-Pierre is recognised as the best in the world in his sphere, and he has treated many top international football players and sports stars over the years. This will be the first time he has been available in the UK and obviously I expect a flood of top players and clubs to request treatment with him." Draper said: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the UK's elite sports professionals to benefit from Meersseman's world class expertise to 'improve to' or 'return back to' peak performance." In 30 years of practice, Meersseman has followed over 100,000 clinical cases including heads of state, famous personalities and high level athletes. David Beckham and Paolo Maldini, who played until the age of 41, are just two of his fans as well as superstars Kaka, Ronaldo and Andrea Pirlo. The Milan Lab was created in 2002 after the club saw big money signing Fernando Redondo blighted by injury and, determined not to suffer another multi-million pound mistake, the club turned to the methods of Meersseman. At AC Milan he introduced neurology, biochemistry and psychology into his unique treatments, as well as chiropractic and kinesiology practices, in the process revolutionising the prediction of injuries and prevention in football. Milan Lab remains the medical blueprint that every other football club worldwide wants to replicate. In Meersseman's first full season at AC Milan, Milan reported : "Total practice days lost down 43 per cent, use of medicines down 70 per cent. Player injuries dropped by two-thirds." The appliance of science on the field of sports medicine has helped Milan players prolong their careers and avoid serious injuries. The exact details of Milan Lab and Meersseman's methods are kept top-secret but Meersseman is said to be an expert, thanks to years of extensive testing on players, on how susceptible a player will be to injuries and is a leading authority on injury prediction and prevention. Meersseman is now looking forward to bringing to the UK the standards of care and innovative thinking of the famous Milan Lab he founded, which has improved and extended the careers of countless professional athletes. You can find out more about the launch of the Meersseman Lab London on Sky Sports News this week, including an exclusive interview with Jean-Pierre Meersseman and his business partner Carly Barnes.
