Author Archive
November 15, 2010 by Dr. Carla Cupido
Some people think I hate unstable surface training.
Last week, I wrote a post called “Effective core training??” I included my article from a Canadian Running magazine issue released earlier in the year called “Stand Your Ground.”
I also told people to get off the balance board when strength training.
People started asking me “What’s your beef with unstable surface training? Don’t you want to work your core too?”
Well, you see, unstable surface training is a popular method used to rehabilitate ankle sprains in physio clinics… with great success. This method of training is also used to rehabilitate other injuries associated with the legs and hips.
(more…)
November 11, 2010 by Dr. Carla Cupido
I recently just wrote a blog for Jon Kawamoto’s website Stronger Runner on why Graston Technique can help with your running. Take a peek!
November 4, 2010 by Dr. Carla Cupido
One of my blogs was just featured on Jon Kawamoto’s website, Stronger Runner. I wrote about how Active Release Technique can help runners. Take a peak and send it along to your running friends if you think they could benefit from this read.
Jon is a kinesiologist and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is one of the best in his field. Thanks for featuring me Jon:)
Run strong!!!
October 15, 2010 by Dr. Carla Cupido
I just attended a lecture by Dr. Jack Taunton of UBC this week on a research study he led that was funded by Nike. The results of this study have been HUGE in the running world! Apparently it has been the most blogged about topic on the Runners World website! The name of the study is “The Effect of Three Difference Stability Categories of Footwear on the Presence and Severity of Running-Related Injuries: A Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial”.
They had just over 100 women train for 13 weeks (3-4 runs per week) in a pair of shoes that was randomly assigned to their foot (they did not purposefully place a pronated foot in a pronation control shoe). They used the Pegasus as the neutral shoe, the Stucture Triax as the stability shoe and the Nucleus as the motion control shoe.
The most interesting result from the study was that the highly pronated individuals suffered the most subject withdrawls and missed training days due to injury! Their conclusions go as follows:
Neutral feet: best served in stability shoes
Pronated feet: best served in a neutral shoes
Highly Pronated Feet: best served in either neutral or stability shoes
All foot types were suggested to avoid motion control shoes! So interesting!
This however is not a recipe to follow; we have to consider many factors when selecting a shoe. We also need to consider the extreme importance of whole body stability, muscle tissue health and movement patterns. Remaining injury free it isn’t as simple as just picking the right shoe. This is an exciting step forward for the shoe industry. Much more research is required to answer more of our questions, but it is great that companies like Nike are funding such research. As a side note, they put the money forward and have to be ok with whatever results are discovered! Nice to know Nike research is not biased!
There have also been a few studies on the Nike Free released (minimalistic shoe). It has been proven to increase the intrinsic muscles of the foot while improving proprioception. It has been used as a training tool for athletes during warm up, but not for the entire duration of their practice / training.
Onwards and upwards to the research teams out there!
February 11, 2010 by Dr. Carla Cupido
Professional Dancer: Caitlin Griffin
Professional Dancer: Kyle Toy
As I have shared before, I have had the privilege of working with a number of professional dancers. My privilege turned fortune this past Monday as I was given a ticket by two of my wonderful patients (Caitlin Griffin and Kyle Toy) to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremony Rehearsal. Both Caitlin and Kyle are performing in the opening ceremonies and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see them perform live at such an exciting event! They are STUNNING!
I am not allowed to share rehearsal details, but I can say that I feel incredibly proud to be Canadian. I am also thrilled to finally see the Olympics from a different perspective. To me, the Olympics have always been about sport; however, this couldn’t be farther from the truth! The Olympics provide everyone with the opportunity to shine. Athletes, professional dancers and musicians, artists, government officials, community volunteers, and even locals with friendly smiles and welcoming gestures have all been given the chance stand out. It is up to us to use the Olympics as our stage to show the world our many gifts.
Take this incredible opportunity to share in the spirit of the 2010 Olympic Games. Embrace the cultural experiences, support our Canadian athletes, celebrate our beautiful country and use this event as an excuse to spend more time with your family and your friends. GO Canada GO!
