701 Regent Avenue West, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 1S3, Canada
For inquiries related to health recovery, heart rate variability, or stress management, call (204) 560-4455.
Performance Therapy
Athlete Care
I attended the ALTIS Performance Therapy Program in December 2016 at EXOS in Phoenix, Arizona. Performance therapy can be described as an effort to normalize function by integrating therapeutic intervention into the athlete’s sporting movement. This means that the intervention is applied during their warm-up or training sessions, enhancing athlete care through targeted support.
By incorporating mobility and stability interventions (the treatment) into the training environment, we positively affect motor control, giving athletes the best chance to make meaningful improvements and ultimately increase performance.
Performance therapy ensures an optimal training environment and recovery for athletes.
**The Importance of Movement Efficiency**
Movement is a primary foundation for enhancing an athlete’s ability to attain greater strength and power while keeping them safe from injury. While I do not advocate for efficiency at the expense of optimal athletic conditioning, movement efficiency is essential—it is the structure upon which strength and cardiovascular fitness are built. I have spent countless hours learning and sharing expertise on creating the best environments for athletes, aimed solely at helping them achieve their peak abilities.
The sports world is filled with individuals possessing impressive physical attributes, such as vast anaerobic capacity or significant strength. While some become world champions, others struggle to reach stardom because poor posture and ineffective movement strategies limit their ability to apply force efficiently and repeatedly. Essentially, they waste energy, resulting in higher metabolic costs during high-intensity efforts or prolonged performances. Athletes need to be strong, but they also must exhibit movement efficiency, a concept that applies to all athletes and the general public alike.
Inefficient movement incurs a metabolic cost, leading to quicker fatigue onset and greater performance decay.
Of course, other significant variables, such as technical, tactical, mental factors, and equipment play a role, but the focus here is on the impact of human movement efficiency on performance.
My goal is to balance movement control and movement freedom. While creating stiffness around joints is necessary, excessive rigidity can hinder performance. Movement efficiency is about exploring movement throughout a stable and strong range of motion. I've acquired various clinical and training paradigms, including Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) as a method to achieve this. My treatment protocol includes drills that encourage athletes to explore unfamiliar movements, allowing them to adapt to a broader range of motion demands in training or competition. Incorporating novel drills into a warm-up or dedicated movement efficiency sessions helps athletes dissociate components of movement more effectively.
Dr. Capitano subscribes to a movement-based approach popularized by experts such as Dr. Vladimir Janda, Dr. Craig Liebenson, Dr. Stuart McGill, Dr. Charlie Weingroff, and Gray Cook. He employs principles from the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS), along with sound rehabilitation and training science. Dr. Capitano is formally trained and certified in various paradigms including DNS, Graston, Acupuncture, Functional Integrated Needling, TPI, FRC, FRR, FMS/SFMA, RPR, SFG, and HKC. Any identified movement inefficiencies lead to the incorporation of appropriate drills for correction.
Dr. Capitano is certified in a variety of soft tissue and joint manipulation techniques, enabling new ranges of motion in training, thereby enhancing athletes' efficiency and power. This not only boosts performance but also enhances durability, safeguarding athletes from injury and allowing them to play their sport longer than expected.
Movement Screen/Therapies
Dr. Capitano offers a variety of functional screen examinations to identify issues related to weakness, mobility, stability, or biomechanical performance. This process is essential for athlete care, as it emphasizes movement efficiency. Following the assessments, manual therapeutic techniques and corrective exercises are utilized to either rectify dysfunctions or effectively manage them through adaptive recovery strategies.