Mark Fadil is clinical director of the Sports Medicine Institute (SMI). SMI offers evaluation and treatment of sports related injuries and provides massage therapy geared towards injury prevention and performance enhancement for individuals and athletes of all abilities.
Sz: Mark what has been your professional path to becoming a certified massage therapist? What’s the training process?
MF: The training has changed as far as certification goes in the state of California. When I became certified right after I completed college I took a basic class at one of the massage therapy schools. At that time all that was required was a 100 hour certification class. I took the class and was fortunate to immediately begin working with Len Debenedictis, who had been my massage therapist when I was a competitive athlete. He took me under his wing and the training was arranged as an internship where he mentored me. Our arrangement was set up where we would both work with a client at the same time. Initially it was me watching him and then I began becoming more active in the sessions. As I learned more I did more of the work on my own. We did this for a year or so before I started working independently with clients.
Sz: Was Len working specifically with athletes?
MF: He was. He did a lot of work with athletes when I was on the Stanford track and field cross country team. That’s how I was introduced to him. He was working with a number of athletes on the Stanford swim team, track and field team and recreational athletes. He had really tapped into that community so it was a great way for me to become involved.
Sz: So you were a competitive collegiate athlete at Stanford.
MF: Yes, I ran the steeple chase and cross country.
Sz: Do you continue to be active in sports?
MF: I still run. I haven’t competed since college but I run and have been road cycling for about two years, for enjoyment, health and to stay in shape.
Sz: Did your experience as a competitive athlete bring you into the field of body work?
MF: Yes, I had an IT (lliotibial band) injury and was hurt for about nine months to the point I couldn’t run more than a mile without experiencing knee pain. I was participating in a lot of conventional therapies. This was back in the early 90’s. The therapies involved basic stretching, doing some strength exercises, and a couple of cortisone injections. My injury wasn’t improving and I ended up going to see Gerard Hartman, a physiotherapist in Gainesville, Florida. I went to Florida to spend ten days with Gerard. He worked out of his home and had his practice set up where clients, primarily runners, would stay with him for two or three weeks at a time. His clients were from around the country and around the world. His method was to work with a client everyday for 2-3 hours. It was deep, aggressive, painful work. The treatment helped and my injury healed. That experience really sparked my interest in body work.
Len whom, I had been working with in the bay area, had been doing more general sports massage on my injury. When I returned home I shared Gerard’s approach with Len and that sparked Len’s interest. He added dealing with injuries as well as general work, injury prevention, and maintenance to his practice.
After I graduated from Stanford I decided that this was the field I wanted to be involved in and started the courses to becoming a certified masseuse, then began working with Len.
Sz: Do you feel your experience as an athlete gives you a connection with the competitive athletes and better connection to what they are experiencing?
MF: Definitely. I think that competitive athletes approach things with a certain mentality. It’s hard to understand what that mentality is and how that plays a part of whom they are and how they approach an injury. Not only in regards to an injury but often times the sport or their activity defines who they are and that’s difficult to understand unless you’ve experienced it or been around these athletes a lot.
I had a good friend of mine who was a 1500 meter runner years ago. She was having some knee problems leading up to the Olympic trials a few years ago. She went to see an orthopedists and was working with him a few weeks and her knee wasn’t improving. At one point he said, “Well have you thought about picking up swimming.” Her response was, “Have you thought about picking up pediatrics?” A competitive athlete isn’t participating just for the fun of it. For many athletes competing in their sport defines who they are.
Sz: Describe what massage therapists at SMI do differently from traditional massage therapists.
MF: A vast amount of the body work that therapists do at SMI is to focus on one area. A client presents with a specific shoulder problem. The therapist will spend the appointment focusing on the clients shoulder. From my experience the majority of sport massage therapists will spend additional time on the shoulder area but within the context of a full body massage. Our niche is to focus on the problem area and as a result we see clients with specific injuries. The therapists here also work with the athlete on injury prevention and maintenance. But even there it is usually in the context of working on the specific trouble area. The sessions tend to be very focused and individualized. There’s not a set routine. Our therapists are trained to be in tune with the client needs and streamlining the session for their individual needs.
Sz: Baby boomers and health is a very popular topic in the media right now. Studies show that boomers are actively involved in sports later into their lives than any generation in the past. Has SMI experienced an increase in boomers utilizing the clinics services?
MF: We’ve always had a lot of clients in their 40’s and 50’s. The San Francisco bay area is a very athletically active community and it’s been an active athletic community for a very long time. I’ve been doing body work for fourteen years and ever since I’ve been involved in this work I’ve always seen a number of athletically active clients who are in middle age and beyond.
Sz: Is there a frequent injury the boomers seem to have in common?
MF: It really boils down to the sport they participate in. We see a lot of swimming, cycling, and running clients. The running population has a lot of IT band issues, hamstring problems and planter fasciitis. Cyclists tend to experience neck, and back issues. Swimmers deal with rotator cuffs, shoulder, neck and lower back injuries. The injuries seem to be sport oriented not age specific.
Sz: Sport medicine statistics report that younger athletes are experiencing serious over use injuries. Has the clinic noticed an increase in young athletes needing the clinics services?
MF: We have seen a pick up of clients in the junior high and high school age group. We do have a number of junior and high school athletes coming in on a pretty regular basis, not only for injuries but for injury prevention and maintenance. It probably is a shift to parents being more aware of the potential for injury in younger kids and parents are trying to stay ahead of the game.
Sz: Do you feel the increase in the youth population is because there are a greater number of youths participating on sport teams, or do you feel some of the younger athletes are being over trained and over played in their sports and not introduced to enough cross training and seasonal breaks?
MF: I do think there is over training and over structure of training. I reflect back to my youth and before I began running I played soccer. I played soccer all the time but it was less structured. I participated on a travel team and the season lasted about six weeks. We would take road trips maybe once or twice a season. The rest of my playing consisted of pick up games. I’d go to the field and players would show up and we’d split up the teams and play until we were tired. Now with all the drilling structure it’s seems as though it’s become more like work than play for youth. I think that when kids are just playing they are less likely to get hurt.
Sz: Because they are less stressed physically and mentally?
MF: Exactly.
Sz: As you see athletes going through the injury rehabilitation process and struggling with their psychological response how do you handle these situations?
MF: That can be a challenge. It’s not just dealing with the athlete it’s also working with the parents.
Sz: As a service provider you may see beyond the presenting problem, yet you’ve been hired to perform reparative massage.
MF: We remain respectful. We try to keep the athletes welfare in mind.
Sz: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote that has guided you on your professional path?
MF: I do. It’s a quote from Rudyard Kipling. In addition to being a writer he was also a runner. “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run yours is the earth and everything that’s in it and which is more you will be a man my son.”
Mark thank you for taking time out of your busy day to talk about the work at SMI.
Mark can be reached at: www.smiweb.org
*Featured guests are not former nor present clients of Susan Zaro
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
2011 Fitness Resolutions
Have you written down and begun acting on your New Year Resolutions? Becoming more fit is always one of the top New Year’s Resolutions and a recent online survey rated fitness as number two this year right behind spending more time with family and friends. It makes sense that this choice is a high priority for people as the benefits of exercise and fitness are heavily supported by research. The Mayo Clinic lists seven benefits of regular physical exercise as;
1) Improves mood.
2) Combats chronic disease.
3) Helps manage weight.
4) Boosts energy level.
5) Promotes better sleep.
6) Can put the spark back into your sex life.
7) A way to have fun.
Many people who wrote “better fitness” as a resolution for the New Year are probably already aware of the benefits of fitness and exercise. Heading into the second week of January there are a group of people hot in their pursuit of their commitment to succeed in becoming more fit. Another group may have already slipped back into their pre-resolution habits and routines, meaning they thought about beginning a fitness routine but haven’t begun. Another group may have begun and is now starting to feel the pull of life distractions that can hijack their efforts to integrate fitness into their daily lives.
Here are six ideas for supporting your New Years fitness resolutions.
1) Create variety in your routines. Frequently people join a gym and within a few weeks become bored with the routine. When you join a gym find one that compliments your schedule and interests. Most gyms offer a large array of fitness equipment and free classes ranging from, aerobic and step classes, cycling, kick boxing,Zumba, water exercises and more. A gym or work-out facility that offers both, variety in fitness programs and provide peer camaraderie is a good way to stay physically and mentally committed to your fitness routine.
2) Engage your friends. Find friends who will join you for a day of kayaking, hiking,bicycling, jogging or even dance lessons. A base cardio work out routine
is useful but unless you are training for a specific race or event in which you need
specific weight, speed or agility training, there is no need to go to the gym
for all your fitness work-outs. In the bay area there are ample opportunities to join social/recreational league teams. These league teams typically offer a selection of several skill level categories, beginner, intermediate, advanced. There are basketball leagues, tennis leagues, ultimate frisbee leagues, soccer leagues and
many other sports. If you prefer to keep your exercise noncompetitive there are social bicycling, hiking, walking and running clubs.
3) Join or begin a healthy cooking class or group. People often begin an exercise program and neglect to alter their diets. Fitness and diet are best in combination. Taking a health conscious cooking class can enlighten and empower your nutritional choices and creativity. If taking a class doesn’t fit your schedule think about starting a group with friends. One format could be each month pick whose home will host and what the recipe theme will be for that meeting.
4) Know your distractions. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the center of the page. On the left side of the page write down a list of past distractions that have drawn you away from your previous resolutions to become more fit. On the same side of the page continue your list of additional distractions that could emerge during the days, weeks ahead. Examples of this could be, couldn’t get to the gym because of work, family commitments, too tired etc. On the right side of the page write down solutions to the distractions that you wrote from the left side of the page. If you can’t think of a solution, ask friends or family for solutions to help you think of new ways to keep to your goals. The answers needn’t be perfect. The idea is to help you think of these problems in new ways.
5) There will be bumps in the road. Avoid minimizing your progress or giving up your goals on the days and weeks you fall short. For example if the plan is to exercise three times a week and for whatever reason you only exercise two times that week, move onto the next week with the same goal. Trying to make up for the lost day by adding an extra exercise day the following week may become a recipe for failure. If it works out great do it. But avoid the mentality of trying to catch up on lost days. Let it go and move on. When people begin to fall behind and the list of things they need to catch up keeps growing the goal becomes unobtainable and typically they quit.
6) Have fun! There is no reason a fitness program needs to be drudgery.
Understand that change occurs gradually and it is easy to become discouraged particularly in the early stages of beginning a new behavior. To improve your odds of succeeding stay proactive in combating the discouraging stages. Create variety in your routines, participate in activities that are fun, be flexible, engage in new activities, know your distractions, and build a support group of people to participate along with you as you to continue taking action towards achieving your New Year resolution of fitness.
1) Improves mood.
2) Combats chronic disease.
3) Helps manage weight.
4) Boosts energy level.
5) Promotes better sleep.
6) Can put the spark back into your sex life.
7) A way to have fun.
Many people who wrote “better fitness” as a resolution for the New Year are probably already aware of the benefits of fitness and exercise. Heading into the second week of January there are a group of people hot in their pursuit of their commitment to succeed in becoming more fit. Another group may have already slipped back into their pre-resolution habits and routines, meaning they thought about beginning a fitness routine but haven’t begun. Another group may have begun and is now starting to feel the pull of life distractions that can hijack their efforts to integrate fitness into their daily lives.
Here are six ideas for supporting your New Years fitness resolutions.
1) Create variety in your routines. Frequently people join a gym and within a few weeks become bored with the routine. When you join a gym find one that compliments your schedule and interests. Most gyms offer a large array of fitness equipment and free classes ranging from, aerobic and step classes, cycling, kick boxing,Zumba, water exercises and more. A gym or work-out facility that offers both, variety in fitness programs and provide peer camaraderie is a good way to stay physically and mentally committed to your fitness routine.
2) Engage your friends. Find friends who will join you for a day of kayaking, hiking,bicycling, jogging or even dance lessons. A base cardio work out routine
is useful but unless you are training for a specific race or event in which you need
specific weight, speed or agility training, there is no need to go to the gym
for all your fitness work-outs. In the bay area there are ample opportunities to join social/recreational league teams. These league teams typically offer a selection of several skill level categories, beginner, intermediate, advanced. There are basketball leagues, tennis leagues, ultimate frisbee leagues, soccer leagues and
many other sports. If you prefer to keep your exercise noncompetitive there are social bicycling, hiking, walking and running clubs.
3) Join or begin a healthy cooking class or group. People often begin an exercise program and neglect to alter their diets. Fitness and diet are best in combination. Taking a health conscious cooking class can enlighten and empower your nutritional choices and creativity. If taking a class doesn’t fit your schedule think about starting a group with friends. One format could be each month pick whose home will host and what the recipe theme will be for that meeting.
4) Know your distractions. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the center of the page. On the left side of the page write down a list of past distractions that have drawn you away from your previous resolutions to become more fit. On the same side of the page continue your list of additional distractions that could emerge during the days, weeks ahead. Examples of this could be, couldn’t get to the gym because of work, family commitments, too tired etc. On the right side of the page write down solutions to the distractions that you wrote from the left side of the page. If you can’t think of a solution, ask friends or family for solutions to help you think of new ways to keep to your goals. The answers needn’t be perfect. The idea is to help you think of these problems in new ways.
5) There will be bumps in the road. Avoid minimizing your progress or giving up your goals on the days and weeks you fall short. For example if the plan is to exercise three times a week and for whatever reason you only exercise two times that week, move onto the next week with the same goal. Trying to make up for the lost day by adding an extra exercise day the following week may become a recipe for failure. If it works out great do it. But avoid the mentality of trying to catch up on lost days. Let it go and move on. When people begin to fall behind and the list of things they need to catch up keeps growing the goal becomes unobtainable and typically they quit.
6) Have fun! There is no reason a fitness program needs to be drudgery.
Understand that change occurs gradually and it is easy to become discouraged particularly in the early stages of beginning a new behavior. To improve your odds of succeeding stay proactive in combating the discouraging stages. Create variety in your routines, participate in activities that are fun, be flexible, engage in new activities, know your distractions, and build a support group of people to participate along with you as you to continue taking action towards achieving your New Year resolution of fitness.
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