Weightlifter to pole champion - thanks to new treatment

Paul Bradley has represented Great Britain in pole sport

An athlete in his 60s has reached the pinnacle of his sport after taking part in a pioneering sports rehabilitation study.

Former weightlifter Paul Bradley was left unable to fully lift his arm after dislocating his shoulder 20 years ago.

But helped by a University of Southampton study to assess shoulder blade movement and muscle function, he has gone on to become a world champion in pole sport - a mixture of dance and acrobatics.

He said the programme had "transformed my life".

Sensors monitored Mr Bradley's muscle movements

Mr Bradley, 66, dislocated his right shoulder and snapped ligaments in a fall.

It meant he was unable to lift his arm and could only use his "good" arm to reach above his head.

In 2012 he took part in the Motor Control Retraining Exercises for Shoulder Impingement (Mocats) study, which used new methods to assess shoulder blade movement and shoulder muscle function.

Experts used motion analysis technology to identify bespoke exercises that helped him recover.

The team was able to pinpoint the cause of Mr Bradley's shoulder impingement, where a tendon was catching on a bone.

From there, they identified exercises to improve his posture and teach his body to hold his shoulder in a corrected position.

Mr Bradley recalled feeling an improvement "within a week".

"It then took several months to train my body to naturally hold my shoulder in the correct position. I was so happy and I found I could start to do more and more exercises.”

It meant he was able to take up pole sport, an activity which requires great strength and control.

Prof Peter Worsley led the work studying muscle movement through motion capture systems

Peter Worsley, professor of assistive technology and tissue health at the university, said Mr Bradley's experience was a "fantastic outcome".

“You need all the big muscles and all the little muscles in your shoulder to be working coherently for it to move properly.

"Using surface electrodes and our motion capture system, we measured muscle activity and shoulder blade movement to create tailored interventions for people suffering shoulder pain.”

Mr Bradley has travelled the world to compete in pole sport competitions, representing Great Britain at three world championships.

In 2022 he was the men's over-60s world champion and remains the world record holder in his category.

“If I hadn’t taken part in the Mocats trial, I would never have achieved any of this. I’m so grateful – it quite literally transformed my life for the better," Mr Bradley said.