Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays From ESPT!!

We all know the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Well no where does that ring true more, than at Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT). We want to make sure that it is not just our patients that are enjoying every moment of their physical therapy treatment sessions. We want to make sure our employees enjoy every moment of their time on our team!! This holiday season we had the opportunity to spend some time with each other outside of the clinic and hopefully we can do more of that in 2010.

We had the opportunity to support one of our own, Charissa Chaban, PT, ATC as she performed in Black Diamond Ballet Theatre's rendition of the Nutcracker Ballet. She was beautiful, along with the rest of the cast in their costumes, and they all performed wonderfully for the short amount of time they had to pull the production together. The only downside in my eyes is they played for just one weekend.

The next day, we had our ESPT Xmas Party at Spin-A-Yarn Restaurant in Fremont. We had a great time enjoying the tasty food and drink, but the highlight was seeing what our Secret Santa came up with for each of us. I was surprised to see how well everyone did in buying gifts for their assigned person.

As the year winds to an end, we want to thank all of our patients and referring providers for the trust they have placed in us. We will always promise you nothing short of the best in sports and orthopedic rehabilitative care.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. From our ESPT family to yours: Merry Christmas!!

ESPT Announcing Another Fremont 1st!!!

Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT) is very excited to welcome to our team, Joseph M. Villena, MOT, COMT.

Joey is Fremont's 1st Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT). Physical therapists who hold this credential have to undergo an intensive yearlong course, then pass a difficult written exam. They have been trained in special manual treatment techniques that most physical therapists don't get in their respective education programs. With these added "tools" that they can incorporate into their treatment plans, manual physical therapists are growing in demand in this era of rising health care costs.

"With the economic recession, we want to make sure that patients feel their insurance money is well spent," says Jacon C. Chun, ESPT's Director of Physical Therapy. "With a manual physical therapist on board, patients will be getting something they can't get anywhere else. They won't feel like they can just read information off a website or go see a personal trainer and get the same care. For that matter, they won't be able to get the services of a manual therapist like Joey anywhere else in the area!!"

Since it's inception in 2007, Elite Sports Physical Therapy has elevated itself to the top in providing cutting edge, scientifically sound physical therapy without sacrificing top-notch customer service. With the addition of a certified orthopedic manual therapist to it's formidable team of clinicians, including the city's only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, you will not find a more experienced staff in Fremont to address your sports and orthopedic rehabilitation needs.

For more details about Joey, you can visit the team page on our website here: www.espt-ca.com.


For more details about the Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapy Certification, go here.

In our next blog: What Can A COMT Do For Me?

Shop 'Til You Drop!!

Thank You!!

Thank you Sports Basement for hosting a wonderful shopping party for our friends, family, staff, and patients. I believe we all found some good deals and had a great time browsing in your store. To top it off, your refreshements kept us energized to tackle the many aisles of wonderful sports gear and products.

Here are a few pictures from our event last week: For the complete album of pictures, check out our facebook fan page here.

Floyd VitoCruz, MPT, CSCS (now with Stanford University Sports Medicine) comes back to visit the old gang:

Sam and Jake scoping for deals at Sports Basement:

The Choates having fun:

First time meeting Allison- Thanks for coming out Chang Family!!

Thanks everyone for your support of Sports Basement and Elite Sports Physical Therapy

For more details about the premier sports and orthopedic rehabilitation facility in Fremont, check out our website at: www.espt-ca.com.

Are You Ready To Rocktape?

NOW AVAILABLE AT ESPT

What Is It?

ROCKTAPE is a performance enhancement tape and is designed for athlete that want a little edge in their game. ROCKTAPE helps athletes manage fatigue by promoting better circulation. All you have to do is put ROCKTAPE on the areas of your body that need a little help and you can go longer and harder.

What Does It Do?
ROCKTAPE helps:

• Enhance performance
• Prevent fatigue
• Promote circulation
• Remove lactic acid

How Does It Work?

Unlike traditional athletic tape which binds and doesn't stretch, ROCKTAPE is engineered to mimic the human skin. This stretchiness is the secret behind ROCKTAPE. ROCKTAPE stretches up to 190% of its original length, but has amazing "snap-back" or recovery. This is what gives ROCKTAPE its performance advantage over other tapes.

To achieve this, a special weave is introduced into the cotton when the tape is woven. This weave means the tape will only stretch in one direction. Along with it's "skin-like" nature, these properties create a Bio-Mechanical Lifting Mechanism. This allows the skin to be lifted away from the soft-tissue underneath the skin. This lift, in turn, promotes blood flow and lymph drainage. This is easy to explain, but difficult to manufacture, which is why we make our tape in a special factory in Korea.

ROCKTAPE can also be used to stabilize muscles and joints that have been sprained or hurt. Unlike braces and sleeves that constrain and reduce blood flow, ROCKTAPE can provide support and stability while increasing blood flow. Thus, the tape's capabilities make it well suited to the repair of localized muscle groups.

All of the above information and MORE can be found on ROCKTAPE's website here.


How Do I Get It?

Simply call us at 510.656.377 or email us at jchun@espt-ca.com to place your ROCKTAPE order now. To find out more information about Elite Sports Physical Therapy, check us out at www.espt-ca.com.

Are You Ready For Some Shopping?

At this time of year, when we can all sit back and reflect on all that's transpired, I hope that you all have much to be thankful for. At ESPT, we want to take this time to extend our gratitude to everyone for your support and thank YOU.

In honor of YOU and in conjunction with Sports Basement, Elite Sports Physical Therapy is hosting a holiday shopping party at their Sunnyvale store. On December 10, from 6-8pm, guests of ESPT will be entitled to a 20% discount off their total purchase!! So if you are looking for great triathlon equipment, running gear, ski/snowboard goods, exercise clothing, or even Xmas gifts, come by and look around.

We would like to ask you to RSVP, as there will be food and drinks provided at the event. Please contact jhsu@espt-ca.com or call us at (510) 656-3777 for more details. We ask that you respond by Dec. 4th to provide adequate time for us to prepare for this event.

For more information about ESPT, you can look us up at our website (www.espt-ca.com). To read about why you should choose us as your physical therapy provider go here. Give us a chance to serve you. But most importantly, give yourself a chance to experience the best!!

Hope to see you on December 10th!!!

ESPT Now For All Ages!!!

Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT) has joined forces with Pediatric Physical Therapist Linda J. O'Connor, MSPT, and will be offering some new services at their clinic for the Fremont community.

On November 7, ESPT entered into an agreement with Linda to contract her services, so more children in the area needing pediatric physical therapy could access her care. Already the Premier Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Facility in the city, ESPT will not stray from it's focus to continue that vision while adding this new offering to the public.

"I was approached by Linda because she found that more and more state/regional insurances were denying coverage for kids that needed PT. So parents had to rely on their personal medical insurances to pay for care," states Jacon C. Chun, MPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS, President of ESPT.

"After talking the situation over with her, we were thrilled to have her use our facility to be able to provide this much needed service to her patients. As an In-Network provider for most major insurances, we'll be able to help her patients get the care that they deserve and that's what medicine is all about. It's not the numbers or bottom line that matters, it's the people," says Chun.

The following is a little more information about physical therapists from the Pediatric Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA):

What Is Pediatric Physical Therapy?

Pediatric physical therapists work to help children reach their maximum potential for functional independence through examination, evaluation, promotion of health and wellness, and implementation of a wide variety of interventions and supports. Pediatric PT's support children from infancy through adolescence and collaborate with their families and other medical, educational, developmental, and rehabilitation specialists. They promote the participation of children in daily activities and routines in the home, school, and community.

Pediatric physical therapy promotes independence, increases participation, facilitates motor development and function, improves strength, enhances learning opportunities, and eases care giving.

For more details about our clinic, look us up at www.espt-ca.com. For more information about pediatric physical therapy, contact us at (510) 656-3777 and we will put you in touch with Linda.

Welcome aboard, Linda!!!

Busy!! Busy!! Busy!!

Sorry to have vanished off the blogosphere for like 3 months. There have been a lot of things going on at ESPT as well as my personal life. I'll try and keep you updated and apprised of it all in some more frequent posts this upcoming month.

A big part of my time the last 3 months has been devoted to teaching at Samuel Merritt University's Physical Therapy program. That's right everybody, my alma mater is now a university!! You can check them out here.

I have been teaching Sports Medicine to the 3rd year Doctor of Physical Therapy students. It's been a joy to share my experiences with them and has allowed me to reflect on how far I've come in the last 10 years. I've got a few more lectures to prepare before the end of the semester. As much as I enjoying the experience and the studying (and yes I enjoy the studying as it helps me review material and keeps me on my toes), I am looking forwards to the extra time next spring.

Here's a few more pics of SMU:

With the extra hours freed up, I hope I can devote more time to posting on this blog as well as on Examiner.com. In July, I accepted a position as the Sports Medicine Expert for them, but have posted very limited amounts because of the teaching position at SMU which fell into my lap in August. You can check out and follow me at Examiner.com here. More articles to come for sure in the spring.

And with all the above, don't think that I've put ESPT second. While pursuing these other professional opportunities, ESPT continues to offer the highest-level of sports and orthopedic physical rehabilitation in the Fremont area. As the premier physical therapy facility in Fremont, these are just a few examples of how we're not resting on our laurels and seeking to make sure the the community knows just how good we are.

For more information look us up at www.espt-ca.com.

ESPT Offers Innovative Treatment For Pain

Sorry for the big break between posts. I've had a lot going on, which I'll update you about in future postings.

For this entry, I'd like to continue the discussion on treating low back pain. As I've mentioned before, PT's that simply focus on treating pain with modalities like ice, heat, e-stim, ultrasound are kind of archaic. That is a wonderful adjunct to a physical therapist's toolbox, but a good PT never focuses on a painful area and treats that area solely. The goal of treatments should be helping patients gain sustained functional improvements. And I've seen that most with helping patients improve flexibility/mobility and increase core strength/stability when treating low back pain.

At ESPT, we are now excited to offer to the Fremont/Newark/Union City community: The ATM2 by Back Project.
The ATM2 is a cutting edge rehabilitation tool used currently by top teaching hospitals, athletic rehabilitation facilities, and professional sports teams. It's rapid growth in popularity is the result of its unparalleled ability to provide immediate and sustained results for decreasing pain and increasing motion in suitable users.

The ATM concept focuses on eliminating a patient's symptoms/complaints by normalizing impaired movements. By effectively positioning a patient on the ATM2 device, the clinician is able to find a pain-free position for a patient that may have not been possible previously. When this position is found and stabilized, a series of gentle re-training movement exercises are performed to bring about immediate pain reduction, increased range of motion, and improvement in quality of motion.

In recent studies, it's been shown that muscular activation strategies are altered when there is pain. This altered activation strategy is a protective mechanism in acute injuries, but it can also become a problem for chronic injuries. When normal muscle activation strategies are restored is usually when individuals are successful at relieving pain and restoring normal motion.

ATM studies have enabled clinicians to help patients achieve an immediate, average of 60% reduction in pain and decrease the number of treatments needed to resolution by over 50%!! There are only a few select clinics in the area with this equipment.

To find out more details about us or the ATM2, feel free to call Elite Sports Physical Therapy at 510-656-3777 or check out our website at www.espt-ca.com.

ESPT Press Releases

Elite Sports Physical Therapy is thrilled to continue to provide new and exciting rehabilitation services to the Fremont and East Bay community. We blogged previously about our Dance Therapy/Dance Rehabilitation program- a Fremont 1st!!

Now you check out some press releases about our offerings at Newswire and PR.com.

For more info call us at 510.656.3777 or check out our Elite Sports Physical Therapy website here.

AB 1152 And Physician-Owned PT Services

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming at this time for a special announcement of the Elite Sports Physical Therapy Broadcasting System............

Assembly Bill 1152 (AB 1152) is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Committee on Business, Professions, and Economic Development on Monday, July 6th in CA. This bill would make it clear in the law that physicians and podiatrists may employ physical therapists in their professional corporations. Though many of these clinicians argue that by providing in-house rehabilitation services they are better able to oversee the physical therapy their patients receive, there are a few facts they are leaving out.

Referral For Profit Is About The $$$$

These physicians are billing for the physical therapy services provided; and therefore, they are profiting from them. Studies have shown that this poses an inherent conflict of interest for the patient, as the physician may be more likely to refer them for in-house physical therapy versus an independent physical therapist practitioner who may be better qualified.

In a June 16, 2009 Wall Street Journal article, the independent commission that advises Congress in Medicare payments said that "when physicians have a financial interest in imaging equipment, they are more likely to order imaging tests and incur higher overall spending in their patients' care." So could that also apply to physicians who own physical therapy practices? Could they continue to refer patients to their own in-house physical therapy even if it is unnecessary or outcomes are less than optimal?

In this article, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), they found that utilization, charges per patient, and profits were higher when physical therapy and rehabilitation facilities are owned by referring physicians.

In one more article posted in Medical Care, they found that after a physician group took ownership of a specialty hospital, there was a 650% increase inn patients referred for "complex" spinal fusion surgery. 650% people!!! At the same time, they decreased their referrals for "simple" spinal fusion surgeries, compared to an increase in such referrals from non-owners.

Physician Owned Physical Therapy Is Not About The Care

The JAMA article also discovered some interesting service characteristics of the physician owned PT practices in their study. They found that the physician PT facilities employed fewer licensed physical therapists and licensed physical therapist assistants to perform physical therapy, so that those licensed professionals that were employed spent significantly less time per treating visit with the patient. So not only may you be getting a less qualified PT (remember a highly qualified PT will cost the doctor more $$ to employ them), but you are also probably going to spend less time with the PT you do get to see in these physician owned facilities.

This would be in stark contrast to a freestanding physical therapist owned clinic, that needs to earn the respect and trust of the medical practitioners and citizens of the community with their quality of care because referrals for them are not "automatic."

So What Does This Mean?

As consumers in the healthcare system, we need to be vigilant in preventing any inherent conflicts of interest that get in the way of quality of care. For AB 1152, you can do either or both of the following:

1. Please make a phone call and send a letter of opposition to your local state Senator. To find your state senator, click here and enter your zip code. Click on the state senator's name to access their contact information. Please make your phone calls of opposition to the senator's Sacramento/capitol office.

2. Fax a personalized letter of opposition to the fax number also found on the state senator's site through the above link. For a sample form letter or more details, you can go to the CPTA Legislative Action Center here.

REMEMBER, you need to be the person taking care of your own health. YOU are your best patient advocate. And that includes ensuring that those delivering your care, are doing it for no other reason than to see you get better.

Once again, we apologize for this interruption. We will return you to your regularly scheduled broadcasting shortly.........

The Back Pain Epidemic

Did you know hat Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain? Did you know low back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work? And the only neurological ailment more common in the United States than low back pain is headache.

Most incidences of low back pain are temporary and the result of trauma to the low back from sports, overuse with housework/yard work, or a motor vehicle accident. This usually results in inflammation and muscle spasm in the low back, creating a problem that is mechanical in nature. There are situations, however, where the source of pain is a damaged structure like a protruding disk, a fractured vertebrae, or a pinched nerve. In these cases, it's very important that you seek the advice of a physical medicine and rehab physician or a spine specialist for the next step in caring for your back.
Finding The Right Balance
In treating many patients with mechanical low back pain (and even some of those with structural issues), I have found that there is usually an imbalance in hip flexibility, thoracic mobility, and core strength. In other words, most of my patients have tight hip/leg muscles, they are very stiff in the thoracic spine (usually from poor sitting posture), and have weak abdominal and back muscles due to deconditioning. Most of the time, correcting these imbalances will provide a significant reduction in pain and improvement in function.

For example, I had the opportunity to treat a crew athlete that had been diagnosed with several disc protrusions in his low back. One physician told him that he would never be able to row again. Another doctor said, "Who knows how many of these crew athletes have protrusions. They sit in that prolonged position in the boat for practice and competition. If we did an MRI on all the crew athletes, we might find some with the same thing. But how many of them are actually in pain? Go ahead and treat the imbalances first and see what happens."

Well, that's what we did. This crew athlete had very poor hamstring flexibility and core strength. We worked very hard on this for 8 weeks and he started to see improvements in both of these areas. Soon after, guess what: His Back Pain Decreased!!! And before he knew it, he was back in the boat with the crew team rowing!!

Treat The Cause, Not The Symptoms
Fortunately for the crew athlete, his second doctor was able to think outside the box, or should I say the back. (A very good doctor might I add. If you would like more information about him, email me at jchun@espt-ca.com). This is something that we are seeing more and more as medicine (and physical therapy) is evolving. Just because someone has back pain, you don't just keep treating the back. This can provide relief, but without addressing some of the other issues mentioned above, the back pain will likely return.

Most physical therapists use modalities like ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cold lasers, and traction to address low back pain. But that should not be the only thing they do. If it is, you need to find yourself another therapist. Those things will only address your pain. A physical therapist that looks at the whole person and not just the diagnosis, will help patients find the root cause of their back issues. They will help patients find balance in their bodies. Balance between flexibility, mobility, and strength, so that the low back pain is relief is for longer periods and the occurrences are fewer and farther between.
For more information about how physical therapy can help decrease low back pain or for a comprehensive evaluation, contact us at Elite Sports Physical Therapy at (510) 656-3777.

Next blog post........Simple Stretches and Exercises for Low Back Pain.

Barefoot Running- Au Naturel or Unnatural?

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. By request, I will post an article shortly on low back pain with a few exercises you can try if you have problems with your own back.

But today I ran into this article which has an interesting take on running barefoot and the new "minimalist" campaign taken by Nike and some other footwear makers: Should-you-toss-your-running- shoes-and-just-go-barefoot?

Nike has their Nike Free shoes which are supposed to mimic the bare feet and allow the foot to adapt and strengthen as you run. The result is supposedly better biomechanics because one does not need to "rely" on footwear for support. The article even cites some runners that have noticed increased foot/leg pain with their new shoes.

Please check out my two part blog here and here, before jumping to conclusions. There is such a thing as too MUCH support when selecting a running shoe. And there is such a thing as too LITTLE support. Make sure you see a physical therapist or a podiatrist for proper footwear recommendations. I have seen many a running shoe store employee make the wrong recommendation. Only a proper biomechanical foot evaluation can give you a clear picture of the proper type of shoe for your foot.

Feel free to contact us at Elite Sports Physical Therapy at 510.656.3777 if you have any questions. Just ask to speak with a physical therapist and will guide you in the right direction!!!

Repetitive Strain Injuries

Did you know that Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI's) are the nation's most costly occupational health problem and that they affect hundreds of thousands of workers a year? The average annual cost spent on these types of injuries is $20 Billion Dollars!!!

The problem with a lot of 21st century jobs, is that most of them take place in front of a computer. Even my job as a physical therapist requires several hours a day in front of a computer completing paperwork on my electronic documentation system or updating this blog. And computers require very little task variation.

Most computer users stay in their chairs and type/perform mouse work for prolonged hours. This forces a few isolated muscles to activate repeatedly to accomplish a task like holding the head up to focus on the screen, moving the fingers to type, or moving the wrist to mouse. The repeated motions involved in typing or mousing can cause tendon and tendon sheath injuries, especially if the wrist or hand is in poor position during these activities.

A poorly designed computer workstation may also increase fatigue to any of the muscles in the upper extremity (forearm/elbow/shoulder) and irritate any of those muscles or tendons as well. To simplify things for you, just remember that you always want to maintain good posture. And that means straight wrists, elbows close to the body, and head straight and in-line with the torso.

For a little more detail, here are some tips for setting up your computer workstation properly:

1) Do not bend or twist your neck when looking at the monitor. Try to keep everything straight in front of you.

2) Make sure your computer monitor is not too high or too low. You don't want to flex or extend you neck for prolonged periods of time when working.

3) Try to avoid reaching when mousing or typing. Try to keep elbow to your side and close to your body when doing these activities. Try to keep the mouse and keyboard at approximately the same height.

4) Try to keep forearms parallel to the floor and your wrists should be kept in a straight line with your forearms. Angling the wrist up or down while typing or mousing is bad and contribute to wrist tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

5) Try to keep your thighs parallel to the floor and your feet should resting flat on the floor. If you're sitting too far forward in your chair or your feet do not touch the floor, this can increase stress to your low back with long periods of sitting.

In addition to properly setting up your workstation, there are two things that can help reduce repetition and decrease the likelihood of repetitive stress injuries: 1) Task Rotation or Job Enlargement- Manage your job and mix tasks so that you don't do the same job for a prolonged period of time and 2) Micro Breaks or Rest Pauses- Make it a habit to take short rest breaks to stretch your wrist and forearms, drink some water, and walk a little ways to get circulation to your legs.

If you need more help about properly setting up your workstation or preventing repetitive strain injuries, you can consult your company's human resources department to see if they have a certified ergonomics specialist they could recommend. Feel free to contact us as well at Elite Sports Physical Therapy. Taking care of your body now, means much less pain in your future. Happy Correct Posture Month!!!

All Physical Therapy Is Not Created Equal

Just as there are many different types of hotels and restaurants, there are different types of physical therapy clinics. There are 5 star hotels like the Four Seasons and there are budget hotels like Holiday Inn. There are fine dining restaurants like French Laundry and there are casual dining experience like Applebee's. But the bottom line is you will always have to pay for the best quality and the best service.

Fortunately, for physical therapy and medicine, there's a little thing called insurance that helps people out. Insurance is the buffer so that people can have access, even to the very best medical services, without breaking their bank. And in Fremont, the very best physical therapy is found at Elite Sports Physical Therapy.

Remember, selecting a physical therapy facility is not like picking up a prescription from a pharmacy. You don't just want to select the one closest to home out of convenience. That's because one physical therapy clinic can be absolutely different from the next. And that difference could mean a good or bad outcome for your recovery. That difference could mean you just getting back to a level where you can function or you exceeding your expectations and being able to do things you never though possible.

At Elite Sports Physical Therapy, we do not just want to be any other clinic. Our vision is to be the best and set the standard for sports and orthopedic rehabilitation. Our focus is excellence in clinical care. Our mission is to make sure that the public sees what true evidence-based physical therapy is all about. Check out our latest press releases on Newswire and on PR.com to see what sets us apart.

So remember......when choosing your physical therapy clinic: All physical therapy clinics are not created equal. And you now have the opportunity to access the best at ESPT!!

Running Shoe Shopping Guide

By now, you should all have an understanding of the type of foot you have and the type of shoe you need. If you are still confused or would like a more detailed biomechanical analysis of your foot or gait pattern, feel free to contact us at Elite Sports Physical Therapy at 510.656.3777.

For those ready to take the plunge, let me give you a few more tips about purchasing the right running shoe for you.

1) Go shopping for shoes around the time you would run- Feet swell a little bit during the day with our weight resting upon them as we go about our business. So if you normally run in the evenings or afternoon, don't buy a pair of running shoes first thing in the morning.

2) Try the running shoes on with the socks you will run in- Don't wear dress socks to try on running shoes if you are stopping by on the way home from work. If you wear ultra-thin moisture wicking socks when you run, don't try on running shoes on a day you are wearing tube socks. Try and get as close to the feel you will have when you run. This will give you the most accurate picture of whether or not the shoe is appropriate for you.


3) Bring your orthotics with you- If you wear orthotics when you run, be sure to bring them with you. You will have to take into account the space the orthotic will occupy in the shoe.

4) Try on both shoes- Their could be a slight difference in the way each shoe is made or even in your foot size. Some people have one foot slightly larger than the other. Be sure both of your feet are comfortable before you seal the deal with the shoe store.

5) Try running in the shoe if possible- You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it right? So why would you just walk around in a shoe if you need to see how it feels when you run? Some stores, especially running specialty stores, may have a treadmill or track for you to try a light jog in the shoes before you purchase them.6) Try on more than one model of shoe- Once you know your type of foot and shoe, try on several different models to see which one fits the best. Every manufacturer makes slight tweaks on their models, even if they claim to be the same shoe type. See which one is the most comfortable for your foot.

7) Try to go to a running specialty store- As mentioned above, some of these stores focus on making sure you have the right shoe for your foot, so that you can get the most enjoyment possible out of running. Many of these stores are owned or managed by experienced runners. Buying a good pair of running shoes at a big box retailer is like buying a bike or golf clubs at Walmart. No offense to Walmart, but if you want the highest quality gear, you probably have to go to a specialty store. Look online for a retailer near you.
I hope this guide provides you some helpful hints on how to ensure you have the best fitting shoe for your foot. And remember, shoes have life to them as well. Once you have found the right shoe, that doesn't mean you stick with it until the sole falls off or the bottoms are so worn there is no tracion. Studies show that after 100 miles of running, a shoe loses about 10% of it's shock absorbing properties. After 400 miles, the shoe loses 80% of it's shock absorption.

So next time you think of hanging onto a pair of shoes because they still "look OK," ask yourself this: Would it be better to invest another $80-100 on a pair of new shoes when the time is right or to save the money and have to go see the doctor after continuing to run in my old shoes? If you ask me, I'd pick the new shoes!!!

It's Not Just The Glass Slipper That Needs To Fit

We all know the story of Cinderella and the glass slipper. It's all about how the slipper fits. The same goes for running shoes as many of you gear up to start training again as the weather warms up. And I know the decisions to select the correct running shoe can be overwhelming with all the different shoemakers pushing their "technology" and the varied pricing from one type of shoe to the next.

Well I'm here to help you simplify that process, because I know how important a good pair of shoes can be. Pick the right one: You'll be enjoying them for a long time, achieving your fitness goals, and avoiding serious injury. Pick the wrong one: You may as well pencil yourself in for an appointment with me sometime down the road.

Understanding Pronation
A lot of clinicians will tell you that pronation is bad. Well I'm here to tell you that it's good. Overpronation is bad. Pronation is normal. It's natural. And we should all do it. You see pronation is the process where our foot rolls from the outside of our heel to the ball of our foot when we walk. This is a very important part of our gait mechanics because it helps us absorb shock. If there is too little pronation people can develop stress fractures, cartilage damage, even arthritis because the shock is not dissipated. If there is too much pronation, people tend to develop overuse injures like plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and tendinitis.What Type Of Foot Do I Have
Selecting the right shoe begins with understanding the type of foot you have. Then you can accommodate your foot with the multitude of options available. Feet are usually separated into 3 basic types: low arch (overpronators), normal arch (normal pronators), and high arch (underpronators). You can determine this by looking at the imprint your foot makes on a dark colored towel when you step out of the shower.

Low Arch- No curve along the inside of your foot noted and imprint shows the whole foot. These people overpronate and will need a shoe to control the motion from going too far.

Normal Arch- A curve is noted along the inside of the foot. The band from the heel to the toe is a little less than half the width of the foot. These people just need a shoe to keep them doing what they are doing. The foot is functioning fine and we don't need to mess with it.

High Arch- A large curve is noted in the inside of the foot. Very thin band from heel to toe. These people need lots of cushioning from their shoes because they underpronate. They don't absorb shock, so they will need a shoe to do it for them.
What Type Of Shoe Do I Need
Now you know what type of foot you have, so what type of shoe do you get? Well it's easy enough because there are 3 shoe types to go along with the 3 foot types: motion-control, stability, and cushioned.

Motion-Control: These are shoes for the overpronators or low arch types. These shoes will help limit the overpronation, so they usually have a very thick arch and the sole of the shoe almost mirrors the foot.

Stability- These are shoes for the normal arch or neutral foot. They just keep your foot doing what it was meant to do. There is a semi-curve to the sole of the shoe, but the inside should not be built up too thick. If the arch is too rigid and stops your pronation (shock absorption), problems with arise.

Cushioned- These shoes are for the underpronators or high arch types. There is a curve to the sole of the shoe that may help with the heel to ball of the foot motion, but the most important thing with these shoes is that help with shock absorption. If your body is not absorbing shock, you will need a shoe to do the job.

By now you should have a good idea of what type of foot you are and what type of shoe you need. This will help narrow the field down some, but you will still have many options to choose from. In my next post- some shopping tips for you as you look for that perfect fit!!

Work It Out!!

Did you know that the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of moderately intense cardiovascular activity 5x/week or 20 minutes of vigorously intense exercise 3x/week?

In addition to cardiovascular training, strength-training is recommended 2x/week for at least 8-10 different muscle groups. Sounds like a lot, well it's not. There simple things that you can do and you can look up the guidelines at: www.acsm.org for more details.

Thanks to Jeanene Cannon of Physique Complete for helping us start/continue on that plan with a nice small group Boot Camp tonight. If you are not sure how to start your program, she can be of great assistance to you. Check out her website at: www.physiquecomplete.com to see all of her offerings which include: 1-on-1 Personal Training, Boot Camp Classes, Nutrition Consults, Mommy/Baby Training Classes and much more.

At ESPT, we also offer personal training, with the goal of improving sports performance or postural conditioning. Two of our physical therapists are certified by the NSCA as Strength and Conditioning Specialists. This is the gold-standard of personal training certifications and is required by anyone wanting to work with Intercollegiate or Professional athletes.

Feel free to contact us at 510-656-3777 or jchun@espt-ca.com for more details about our personal training packages.