Every spring more than 200 smokejumpers come to Missoula, Montana, from all over the nation to train for the upcoming firefighting season. This also happens to be a super important time of year because rookie camp gets underway wherein these brave, fit, mentally tough, and highly skilled young women and men get introduced to the world of smokejumping. 

Rookie camp is certainly not fun and games. Rather, there are a number of challenges these rookies must face including  an 85 pound pack test, a 24 hour line dig, and many other difficult hurdles.  

Alpine Physical Therapy is honored to be a part of this event. Like any professional athlete, these wildland firefighters must make sure their bodies hold up during preseason, that they get pushed enough to produce change, and ultimately that they are fully prepared to be 110% for their first season as smokejumpers with the United States Forest Service.  Leah Verstegeen, MS, DPT, and Sam Schmidt, MPT, were on site to provide education on injury prevention, safety performance, and proper warm ups and cool downs last week and the for the next three weeks.  

​Sam Schmidt, PT of Alpine PT presented a "Love your Spine" exercise class last month at the regional office of the United States Forest Service (USFS) here in Missoula.  Participants learned exercises and tips on how to best care for their spine and to prevent injuries. Some lucky participants also won fun and useful gifts such as a foam roller! 

I received that the Schmidt family is doing well. Sam wanted me to pass the following information along to you.
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Hi All,
Robin is a growing. ..barely 10 wks and pushing 16 pounds (his sister was barely 19 pounds at a year!)…..needless to say we are keeping out of trouble and really looking forward to the holiday party! Brent started the official count down to the bash by kicking it off with a warm group hug! Yeah!!!
Check out the expressions on Robin’s face. Without a doubt, the first is the expression on the face of people before being treated by Alpine. The second is their face after they receive treatment by Alpine!

The Core Studio at Alpine and Alpine physical therapist, Sam Schmidt, MPT, offered the Balance Body University Pilates Mat II workshop recently.
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Of the five students attending, all five plan on continuing through the Comprehensive Pilates Training, which includes nine weekends of trainings, over 500 hours of practical training, several written and practical tests, and Pilates work from mat to Cadillac to chair to Reformer.

Some students prefer to take only the Mat Certification, allowing them to teach mat classes in a group or private setting other students are health care professionals like many of Alpine’s PTs who will take the Reformer 1 course to learn the most effective ways to use the reformer in their practice.

Currently, Sam has four students who are pursuing their full comprehensive training.  Stay posted on their progress, and perhaps you can even attend a class they are offering in our community!
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To learn more about the BBU Pilates Certification please go to www.Pilates.com.

What does China,Turkey, Singapore, England, Tunisia, Brazil, Cananda, and Alpine Physical Therapy have in common? Balanced Body University (BBU) Faculty!  Yes, Alpine PT’s Sam Schmidt MPT, is in Sacramento, California, completing her BBU Faculty Training for Pilates. 

Sam has been faculty for CoreAlign for the last four years, so it was a natural fit and need for her to step up for the leadership in Pilates education in the mountain west region.  Sam is working with the industry’s top Pilates company and world’s top Pilates instructor this week to ensure the highest level of Pilates education to her instructor training program for Pilates.

Notably, Sam was fortunate to be able to room with Tatiana Trivellato of Brazil who happens to be the only other PT at this training.  Tatiana is currently living in Baltimore where her PT husband is studying at John Hopkins University.  This delightful couple may be leaving for Africa and a PhD program in the next year, unless Sam can convince them to instead head to Sam’s environs in Missoula, Montana!
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For Sam it has been a great couple of first days, learning from Education Program Director, Nora St. John,  of Balanced Body University as well as other experts in the field who are attending the course.  Sam exclaims, “We even did a factory tour and saw new cutting edge equipment to one of Joseph Pilates’ original reformers!”

Samantha “Sam” Schmidt, PT, CPI of Alpine Physical Therapy announces the first course toward comprehensive Pilates certification with Balance Body starting with Mat 1. Sam’s overriding goal is “to bring Pilates on an organized, systematic front to western Montana in the most affordable way possible.”

When: Course dates are Saturday and Sunday, February 8th and 9th.  

Where: The course will be held at The Core Studio in Alpine’s north facility at 2965 Stockyard Rd. on north Reserve, just east of Johnny Carino’s on Stockyard Rd.

Sam recommends mat certification for those who are not currently mat certified. She states, “You will benefit from understanding the principles of the mat work; plus you don’t need equipment for this so you can do it anywhere!”

Details on the BBU Pilates Certification
Balanced Body® offers a full range of Pilates instructor training programs. Whether you are interested in teaching Mat classes, Reformer classes or Pilates personal training sessions on the Reformer, Trapeze Table, Chair and Barrels, we have the resources you need to succeed. Our program, like those of other leaders in the Pilates industry, offers an assessment-based certificate of completion, not a “Pilates Certification”, based on the recommendations of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA).

The Balanced Body Pilates instructor training program is designed to create thoughtful, creative and successful Pilates teachers. Our curriculum emphasizes the principles underlying each exercise. Our faculty members have a wide variety of Pilates backgrounds from classical to contemporary to fitness and bring their exceptional depth of experience to the training. Our manuals are considered to be some of the best in the industry and for more in depth study, we have produced an accompanying DVD for each Mat, Reformer and Apparatus module.

Our program is designed in modules so you can take your first course now and continue your training next week, next month or next year. Each module is self contained so you can take them as quickly or as slowly as your schedule and budget allow. In addition to our instructor certification program, we offer a number of additional modules as well as workshops.

For more information on Mat 1, click here.

Samantha Schmidt, PT, CPI
Alpine Physical Therapy, Downtown
150 E. Spruce St. Ste. A
Missoula, MT 59802
(406) 549-0064
www.AlpinePTmissoula.com

Success Story: Alpine Physical Therapy, Missoula, MT

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Since its introduction nearly three years ago, the CoreAlign has been making a serious splash in the rehabilitation field. Nowhere is that more evident than at Alpine Physical Therapy  in Missoula, MT.

Samantha Schmidt, PT, a long-time Pilates-based rehab practitioner at Alpine PT, first tried the CoreAlign at Balanced Body’s Pilates on Tour Rehab Summit in April 2009. “As soon as I got on it I immediately felt in my own body the potential this could have on my patient’s body. I knew it could be a great tool to teach proper movement to those stuck in compensatory, dysfunctional patterns.”

As soon as she got back to Missoula she met with Brent Dodge, PT the owner of Alpine. They immediately began making plans for Sam to start working toward Master Instructor certification. After that was accomplished they then turned their sights on the rest of the Alpine PT staff. Dodge also began his CoreAlign training. “We both knew this was going to change the landscape of our business,” said Dodge. “It’s such a phenomenally effective tool for functional movement, gait training, strength training and balance.”
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For the rest of this informative article, click here to visit Balanced Body University’s COREterly newsletter, Summer 2012.

Having worked as a physical therapist for 10 years, I know how new activities can tax the body.  I know the importance of good body mechanics and keeping a spine in the best neutral position.  I know that fatigue and not feeling well can create poor posture.

However, as a new mom, my PT mind shut down as I focused on getting my daughter, Charlise, off to the very best start in life – which meant mastering breastfeeding, sleeping in 1-2 hour stints, holding her for long periods of time until she calmed – and when I did get time to focus on my body it was about caring for my healing pelvic floor, preventing engorgement in my breasts, or getting a quick shower or meal in.

Into the second week of Charlie’s life, I was experiencing severe headaches, shoulder pain and weakness, jaw pain, light sensitivity, and full body diffuse joint pains.  The headaches were getting so bad I had trouble concentrating and would nearly become nauseous from the pain.  As a breastfeeding mom, I was afraid to take any medication besides ibuprofen. I was taking nearly the maximum medically recommended dose, and it wasn’t even touching my pain.

Oddly, it was my doctor who recommended (yes to this 10 yr PT) that I seek out the help of a physical therapist.  DUH?  Why I did not come across this idea, I am not sure, but I immediately called my coworkers at Alpine PT to get scheduled.  By that afternoon, they had an opening come up and got me in.

As soon as Angela (aka Alpine’s spine ninja) started working on my upper neck (C1 and C2) I knew I was in the right place.  She performed an extensive examination, then started with some manual joint mobilization of my upper neck followed by some muscle energy techniques and stretching. She then addressed poor scapular control of my left shoulder.  She finished by reminding me of proper positioning and some very basic yet super effective home exercises.  Needless to say, I went to Alpine PT with a high 8/10 headache, neck pain, and left shoulder issues. After just after an hour with Angela, I left with close to a 2/10 pain level and felt SO MUCH better!

I was so happy to return to my house where my daughter was meeting many of our good friends. I felt renewed and reset. Moreover, I could now be there for Charlise 100% now, and I could enjoy my visitors and this very special time in our lives.

I will be working on a handout for those new moms out there, a handout that will include exercises and recommendations to prevent this type of injury and also to remind them that even one PT visit can help dramatically!  Someone told me I would learn more than I thought possible as a parent. This is only the beginning, I’m sure!
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For more information, visit our clinic website by clicking here, or call our clinic at 251-2323.