Patrick Chiu Physiotherapy

Vancouver Historic Half Marathon - 9th overall

Great experiencing running around Stanley Park on a cold foggy morning with buddies

This was my 2nd official half-marathon race and I learned a lot of valuable lessons. It was arguably a PB at 1:21:24 (this race ended 1km early, so if I continued at my 3:50/km pace at the end I would have ended ~1:25:14).

Race lessons learned:
1) Rookie mistake of going too fast early on
Every race I make this same mistake probably due to all the adrenaline (except the one time I decided to pace behind Gary Robbins, a good idea). A lesson is learned until repeated 😂 My plan was to run the first 5km at a steady 4:10/km pace, but instead I rushed out at 3:54/km. I think I burned too much energy trying to get ahead of the crowds which backfired. Run smarter not faster!

2) 80% of running training should be at low-to-moderate intensity, while 20% should be high-intensity
Running moderately hard, daily, for the Capra November challenge was not the best idea. Our bodies require rest to perform optimally and I learned the lesson the hard way. I had a game plan to run most of the race at 4:00/km but couldn’t execute it without fresh legs. Less training is better sometimes!

3) In-race nutrition
Despite carb loading before the race, I didn’t feel like my muscles could push as hard as I wanted to. When I ran with gels for my ultramarathons, despite running for 7+ hours, I could still feel the ability to push the pace when needed possibly due to frequent refueling. I’ll experiment on my training runs with gels and see how different I feel!

Hope some of these tips are useful for your next race 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️

One of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received from a patient - a beautiful painting of me running the mountains ⛰️🏃‍♂️

Being in nature for 30 minutes daily can have profound impact on our health. It allows you to unplug, meditate, slow down, relax, and decrease stress. The 30 day challenge taught me that 30 minutes daily is not too much to ask for.

Comment below on how you feel after 30 minutes of being in nature 🌳 🍁

Bucking Hell 2023 - 50km ultramarathon race with 2500m elevation

This is the race that completely broke me down. I’m smiling in the photos but I wasn’t for most of the race 😅 I trained so hard but didn’t get the time I wanted. But I used that as a building block to prepare me for the Fat Dog 40 miler which went really well.

Thanks for creating such amazing experiences for us all. I just signed up for the Squamish 50/50 and am stoked! If you’re on the fence about signing up for a race, just do it!! It will break you down and build you back up 😄

Sunday motivation for the week!

In every challenge lies an opportunity. Doing hard things builds resilience. It may not seem like it in the moment but things become clear in hindsight if we persevere. My patients loved this quote for the week. Thanks Heather for the recommendation! Any other motivational quotes please send them my way! 🙏🏼

My goal in each of my sessions is to help patients feel more empowered in their recovery process. I’ll admit, sometimes I get caught in focusing on short term relief treatments but I got into the habit of asking my patients at the end of the session - how do you feel about our treatment/rehab plan? If they stare at me with a blank face, then I may not have done a good job 😆

What are your thoughts about this quote?

Is our clinical reasoning clearly explained to patients?

While I agree that is helpful to have more treatment options under our belt, I think what is more important is our patient’s understanding of how it can help them. If they don’t understand how it can help them, I believe compliance or adherence to the rehab plan may not be best. I’m learning to take time to thoroughly explain my assessment findings then collaborate with them to understand the best treatment option. Oftentimes I’ll explain that while passive treatments provide temporary relief, it can create a window of opportunity to feel better, which is the best time to implement active treatment strategies.

How do you think clinical reasoning should be explained to patients?

Pain is multi factorial and influenced by more than just one “thing”.

Is our cup overflowing? Are we having poor sleep, diet, exercise, social interactions, and stress/anxiety? These are all aspects of life that can make us more sensitive to pain. But many things are outside our control. If we can’t control the water in our cup, or the stressors of life, why don’t we focus on building a bigger cup? Let’s improve our capacity to handle stress/pain by challenging our body, setting/achieving small goals, and building self-efficacy.

Comment below on how you think building a bigger “cup” can improve our tolerance to pain

Treat the person, not the body part.

The biopsychosocial approach calls for us to look more broad and holistic and seeing the bigger picture when treating injuries. Making sure patients feel heard, seen, and validated is more of a priority nowadays.

How do you like to implement the biopsychosocial aspect to your sessions?

Should we be facilitators over fixers?

Empowering patients to be the hero in their own journey gives them the self-efficacy needed for rehabilitation.

How do you foster self-efficacy in your patients?

Continual self-reflection allows room for growth and learning 🧠

I’ve changed the way I’ve practiced over the past 7+ years working as a physio. The more I practice, the more I realize there is a lot I don’t know. I’ve learned to embrace the uncertainty and blend that with active listening, empathy, collaboration, and non-judgment. To me these are more important skills than any manual therapy or exercise technique.

What are your thoughts?

Know pain, know gain. Movement is medicine. Fear can paralyze us. Instead of stopping activity, try modifying activity.

As David Butler says, we have a powerful and underused drug cabinet in our brain to release our own chemical pain killers (endorphins, serotonin, etc).

Video link in bio.

Finishing 3rd overall in the 40 miler race behind was one of the toughest but most rewarding experiences I ever had. 7 hours and 46 minutes! I started trail running this spring and I’m looking forward to all the incredible things this sport brings.

I’m grateful for the trail running community for creating opportunities like this to challenge and push our limits. Trail running has taught me to be more present and grateful for nature, my health, and all the amazing people around me.

Running long distances can seem overwhelming but with proper training and commitment, our bodies have the amazing ability to adapt and become resilient. If you’ve been on the fence about signing up for a race, just do it and I think you’ll surprise yourself!

                                                 

Also excited to work with undefeated 6-0 fighter . Bright future ahead!! 💪

Super stoked to work with pro fighter (former  Featherweight world champion)
Excited to support you in your rise to the top!! 💪

"I am more of an occupational therapist than I am a physio. Because I am focused on people's function primarily. In physio school we learn to focus on "fixing" people and fixing anatomical structures.

The origin of the PT profession was to focus on people's function. Feel for C5-6 not moving BS and strengthening these muscles that are weak and stiff. After WWI when people had an amputation our goal was to help them move again.

Our goal is not to cure them, our goal is to get them back to function. We need to move away from being the profession that "fixes" people and gets rid of their pain but a profession that helps people move and get them back to function."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz9v58im_cc

I am more of an OT than a physio. I am more of an occupational therapist or an OT than a physio, because I am focused on people’s function primarily.In physio school we learn to focus on “fix...

Facts 💪

 

Great post by !