CSMTA Ontario Chapter

Building Resilience in your Runner

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       On June 8th, 2019 we held our Education Conference and AGM at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy. We had a great line up of presenters, which provided the participants valuable information about their experience when working with runners.

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       First we had Jim Svenoy, owner of ToRunTo and 3x Olympian, who provides coaching to runners whether they are beginnings or advanced. He talked about the different types of runners, understanding a training program and the importance of each phase, which are periodization, recovery, progression. He then touched on the difference of outdoor and indoor training and why as a therapist you should study a runner’s running mechanics. He then stated that having a good core foundation and proper nutrition, is key to pain free running and having fun.

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       Secondly, we had Jason White RMT, SMT(C) present on the process of what normal gait cycle consist of and then what to look for when you are doing a gait analysis. His take home message was to: observe gait from all angles top to bottom, have athletes and client run/walk with and without shoes. Running/walking with and without shoes allows you to see if there are any differences in gait and whether those differences might cause any problems. And a great way to look at gait is that each person has their own UNIQUE gait pattern. It is neither good nor bad. It is what it is. It can become a problem when an injury occurs or when running and pain is involved. We then had some of the participants walk and run to be able to analyze their gait.

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       Thirdly we had Danielle Chow -Leong, who is an RMT and that works with Athletics Canada since 2013. She gave us an in-depth look at her experiences working with athletics. A few take home messages are the following:

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1. Be yourself and have fun.

2. Ask for help when needed. You are not alone.

3. Create a calming vibe amongst all the chaos around you.

4. Be prepared for any and everything.

5. Always ask how a treatment went with your athlete.

6. If you are able to see a training session. Take that opportunity. This allows the therapist to understand the

   coaches’ language, and you are able to see the athlete move in their environment.

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    Lastly we had Dr. Chad Carter, who is a Chiropractor that treats amateur and professional athletes in Toronto for over 5 years. He demonstrated

various soft tissue techniques that are quick, easy and effective when treating athletes in a fast paced environment. His message is the following:

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1. Be able to treat the same muscle in different positions.

2. Be aware of your body mechanics. Remember you will be treating many athletes.

3. Manual Muscle testing, gradually increase your resistance.

4.  Re-check after techniques, to ensure its effectiveness and whether improvements have been achieved. Some important questions to ask your athlete as a pre-assessment/treatment:

5. 1. How are you feeling?
   2. Are you hydrated?
   3. What’s bothering you?
   4. When’s your next competition?

6. Thank you to all of our presenters and their presentations. It was a great day of learning. Hopefully we can see you next year at our education conference and AGM.

 

 

 

                            Thank you to our presenters. From left to right: Jason White, Danielle Chow-Leung, Jim Svenoy and Chad Carter

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                                                               Thank you to the following who members who attended the conference:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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          Jeffery Addley, Chelsea Romany, Joanne De Luca, Taylor Fitzgerald, Ben Wong, Nino Sonsini, Jonathon Maister, and Cassandra Mol.