Two of Alpine’s physical therapists headed to Phoenix last month, not to work on their tans but to hone in their manual therapy skills for mobilizing and manipulating the spine.  Jamie Terry and Samantha Schmidt took a three-day intensive course from the Maitland Australian Physiotherapy Seminars.
Techniques were used to assess and improve mobility at different levels of the spine. When a particular spine segment is stiff or painful, it prevents other areas of the spine system to move correctly. Doing so leads to restrictions and limitations in normal activities and movements.
By understanding how to properly assess and change the segments that are stiff or painful, therapists with MAPS training have a greater advantage when helping patients get back to fun stuff like skiing, running, and living . . . again faster!
A core component of our approach at Alpine is to encourage all of our physical therapists to seek out these types of courses. Our vision is to continually take the manual skills of our therapists to the highest level in a way that synergizes with our approach toward training patients in corrective movement.

​For more information on our leadership in the area of spine care in Missoula, visit the “Spine Clinic” page of our website by clicking here.

As physical therapists we often hear our patients raise the question about choosing physical therapy or surgery. People are in pain, they learn that they have some level of tissue damage that could be repaired with surgery, but the surgery isn’t always absolutely necessary. Surgery is risky, expensive, and often leaves you unable to move functionally for awhile, perhaps even prevents you from working for a few weeks.  Physical therapy is time consuming, requires dedication and effort, and does it work in preventing the need for surgery?

A research study recently addressed this dilemma with regards to meniscus tears and osteoarthritis of the knee.  The study,  published March 19th, in the New England Journal of Medicine, included data on 351 subjects  from researchers at 7 universities and orthopedic surgery centers in different cities around the world. The results showed no significant differences in functional improvement after six months between patients who underwent surgery with postoperative physical therapy and those who received standardized physical therapy alone.

As recently reported by the APTA, this study demonstrates what physical therapists have long known,” explained APTA President Paul A. Rockar Jr, PT, DPT, MS. “Surgery may not always be the best first course of action. A physical therapist, in many cases, can help patients avoid the often unnecessary risks and expenses of surgery. This study should help change practice in the management of symptomatic meniscal tears in patients with knee osteoarthritis.”

Physical therapist and APTA member Mary Ann Wilmarth, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, MTC, Cert MDT, chief of physical therapy at Harvard University, said, “Physical therapists are experts in improving mobility and restoring motion. The individualized treatment approach is very important in the early phases of rehabilitation in order to achieve desired functional outcomes and avoid setbacks or complications.”
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Read the full APTA report by clicking here.

Journal article: Jeffrey N. Katz, Robert H. Brophy, Christine E. Chaisson, Leigh de Chaves, Brian J. Cole, Diane L. Dahm, Laurel A. Donnell-Fink, Ali Guermazi, Amanda K. Haas, Morgan H. Jones, Bruce A. Levy, Lisa A. Mandl, Scott D. Martin, Robert G. Marx, Anthony Miniaci, Matthew J. Matava, Joseph Palmisano, Emily K. Reinke, Brian E. Richardson, Benjamin N. Rome, Clare E. Safran-Norton, Debra J. Skoniecki, Daniel H. Solomon, Matthew V. Smith, Kurt P. Spindler, Michael J. Stuart, John Wright, Rick W. Wright, Elena Losina. Surgery versus Physical Therapy for a Meniscal Tear and Osteoarthritis. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; : 130318220107009 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1301408.

For more information on topics related to physical therapy, visit the Resources section of our clinic website by clicking here.

​Runners, it might be trendy to run out (literally) and buy a pair of minimalist “shoes” like Vibram’s FiveFinger Shoes. Yet it’s only fair that you go armed with new information published by American Journal of Sports Medicine, which compared before and after MRI scans of 19 runners who donned FiveFinger shoes and transitioned over 10 weeks from traditional to minimalist footwear.

Here’s the sole truth of what they found: Ten of the 19 runners showed either increased bone marrow edema or bone bruising, leading researchers to recommend taking it slowly as you transition to the minimalist approach. Another idea is to avoid bone injuries all together by opting for a pair of good old fashion running shoes. Barefoot running is not appropriate for every runner or every foot type.

Here’s a brief write up about the article from MSN.com’s Science & Technology section, written by Michelle McGuinness of MSN News.
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‘Barefoot’ runners should think about their bones instead of performanceA study found that runners using minimalist shoes like Vibram FiveFingers experienced more bone bruising than runners in traditional shoes.

Switching from traditional running shoes to increasingly popular minimalist ones? You may want to take it slow and give your bones a rest.

For the rest of this informative article, click here.

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Need some guidance on choosing footwear? Contact Kristi Moore, MSPT, Alpine Physical Therapy’s running specialist by calling 406-541-2606. And be sure to visit our Runner’s page by clicking here.

Special thanks for this blog post to our Tele team’s coach and spokesperson, Brace Hayden.

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Let’s Hit The Ice!

Alpine Physical Therapy has once again entered the Telemark Challenge, this year as “Team Glu-TELE -Maximus.” They quickly leaped from 11th place to 5th place in the ranks this week. Perhaps it was due to the shift of having our two prior weeks of ‘Team Glup-TELE-Minimus’.

We fielded a whole team of four telemark racers for one night. Two more heated races to go. The edges have been sharpened, the skis have been waxed and the Alpine’rs are ready to HIT THE ICE.
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We’re proud to be a part of the 30th consecutive year the Missoula Telemark Challenge has been in the Telemark races. The historically, superlative and awesome word is Missoula now has the longest running Telemark competition in the nation.

Alpine’s physical therapists will be offering the telemark racers free sports injury consults at the races on Thursday, March 7th.
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Stay tuned for updates on our standings and whether we’ve got the backside to keep “Maximus” in our name!

Step in to our third Alpine Physical Therapy clinic within the Peak Health and Wellness, Downtown, on 150 E. Spruce St. You’ll immediately feel the downtown vibe. The ambiance reminds me of the 4th stanza in Petula Clark’s “Downtown.”

The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown, where all the lights are bright
Downtown – waiting for you tonight
Downtown – you’re gonna be all right now

Yes you will. A few sessions with our therapists in our stunning new location, and “you’re gonna be all right now!”

Indeed you can forget all your cares, because we’ve gotcha covered: Free parking for Alpine clients, free childcare, expanded Pilates rehab area, and access to all that the Peak has to offer!
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Check out these photos of the new clinic. Seeing is believing! Gotta love the new digs!