Professional athletes rarely train and recover in isolation

Professional athletes are supported by a network of physicians, physiologists, nutritionists and psychologists.

Interventions are generally discussed as a group, but sometimes choices are made by the performance director or coach.

A survey of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine found that 88 per cent of physician members had prescribed at least one type of CAM for sports medicine pathologies in the preceding year, mostly chiropractic, acupuncture and yoga.