Upson praise for ‘holistic’ approach

MATTHEW UPSON believes his remarkable return to fitness can be credited to his new-found faith in holistic medicine.

The West Ham defender has spent almost as much time on the treatment table as the pitch during a career which has seen him succumb repeatedly to knee and hamstring injuries. He made just two fleeting appearances for the east London club last season following his £6million (€8.1m) move from Birmingham but has played every game in the Premier League this term.

Upson, 28, believes kinesiology — which uses ‘muscle testing’ to detect imbalances within the body’s muscle groupings — is responsible for his up-turn in fortunes.

“I have got a South African doctor who specialises in kinesiology but he applies it to sports medicine,” he said. “He is fantastic and the best person I have ever worked with.

“I will do various things in the warm up and during the week. It is just not before a game. Kinesiology says that different parts of your feet relate to different parts of your body so he creates orthotics out of yellow pages which load your body through your feet.

“I have played every minute in the Premier League, which is great and something I was confident of doing. I have gone to the ends of the earth to search ways of getting my body on the pitch and I will do anything it takes to play and stay fit.”