Author: Tyler Smith, PTA, SPT

Hoopfest: Spokane, WA. The best basketball weekend on earth. The event spans 45 city blocks, includes 450+ courts, 3,000+ volunteers, 6,000+ teams, and 225,000+ fans. Hoopfest holds a special place in the heart for many in Spokane and many outsiders. There are so many factors that go into the preparation for volunteers, athletes, fans, and the community. Apex Physical Therapy loves to give back to the community and doing so be a part of this amazing event. Most years, we have volunteers from Apex assist at the first aid booths. We also try to bring some awareness to the community about how to prepare for this mind-blowing event.

Injury prevention is a phrase we use to place emphasis on athletes preparing their bodies for the rigors of sport play. Although some injuries happen due to the nature of the sport on the streets, intense physical play, and unlucky circumstances injuries can be prevented! For those athletes that play basketball regularly throughout the year, they stay conditioned with sport specific play. It is recommended that participants in Hoopfest use the coming weeks to improve muscle memory, strength, agility, running, stretching, balance, jumping, and sport specific training towards basketball as injury prevention. In most instances, there is no better way to prepare the body for a weekend like Hoopfest than playing the game of basketball with the idea of simulating game play. Organizing multiple indoor or outdoor 2 on 2, or 3 on 3, pick-up games with similar rules to Hoopfest is an outstanding way to allow the body to develop similar movement patterns you will encounter at Hoopfest. Regardless, if you are a recreational or a competitive basketball player it is best to get comfortable moving side to side, jumping, and simulating basketball movements in your basketball shoes with moderate to high intensity.

Beneficial exercises like cardiovascular endurance, strengthening, mobility exercises, and balance training are all usual components of an athlete’s rehabilitation program to prepare for sporting events. The key to preparation is through dynamic warm ups, stretching, and active cool downs, as well as finding ways to consistently challenge yourself. Some ways of challenging yourself are to add resistance, time, repetitions, and frequency of exercising. The most important part is being consistent so the body has time to adapt to the stress you are applying to it. Hoopfest has outstanding volunteers during the event if you happen to encounter injuries prior, during, or after games. Please make sure you are seeking help from medical professionals at their designated stations before attempting to play through injury. Ankles, knees, wrists, and other joints can be assessed, taped, and prepared for play.

Athletes and competitors are recommended to not only physically prepare their bodies for injury prevention, but to control the importance of nutrition, hydration, and adequate sleep leading up to the big weekend. Again, the key with preparation in these areas is consistency. Apex supports community health and wellness, and we recommend practicing good habits year around. We also recommend spending the crucial month of June to prepare the body to its best ability. Above all remember to have fun, practice good sportsmanship, and enjoy a truly unique basketball experience in our wonderful city.

Poor running mechanics can lead to a domino effect of pain and injury which can sideline a runner. Here in the Inland Northwest we have many running clinics, groups, and scheduled runs/races in the near future and Apex Physical Therapy wants you to be in your tip-top running shape and decrease your risk of injury this running season.

Physical Therapists can advise runners on proper form, strategies for preventing injuries, proper shoe selection, as well as proper training methods to help decrease risk of injuries and have a successful running season.

All Apex Physical Therapists treat and manage conditions often associated with running such as, but not limited to:

• Achilles tendon injuries
• Groin strain
• Hamstring strain
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome
• Knee pain
• Patellofemoral Pain
• Plantar Fasciitis
• “Sleeping” glutes
• Female athlete triad
• Stress Induced Urinary Incontinence (We have specialists for this condition)

Apex PT in Cheney specifically has Physical Therapists trained in a program called Dartfish. Dartfish is a computer program that allows us to take digital video and slow it down to analyze small aspects of an individual’s unique run pattern. It can identify areas of weakness, imbalance, or dysfunction that can either be the cause of pain or can be used to identify issues BEFORE pain/injury occurs.

A running gait analysis is a scientifically based, individualized evaluation of the running form. It includes an evaluation of the whole body to identify areas of poor movement patterns and their underlying causes. These areas can lead to an inefficient running form, and if left uncorrected/untreated can often lead to a high risk of injury.

A licensed Physical Therapist is uniquely qualified to perform a gait analysis due to their extensive education in biomechanics as well as their knowledge in identifying, correcting, and preventing a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries.

The human eye simply cannot catch everything that happens in the few milliseconds of time the foot is in contact with the ground during the running cycle, therefore we use video analysis downloaded onto a computer using the same Dartfish software used by many Olympic training programs. This allows us to view the running form in super slow motion or even frame by frame speed, thus catching problems that otherwise would easily be missed.

A Dartfish Gait and Running Analysis can be scheduled at our Cheney office location. The Analysis is generally a self-payed visit however; it may also be used in conjunction with physical therapy as the patient returns to running after injury or surgery.

Give Apex a call today to get you to your full running potential as soon as possible!

It is that time of the year again, where basketball teams and athletes representing colleges from across the country compete against one another to try and make history. The madness of the tournament will keep your eyes glued to the T.V., while sitting at the edge of your seat, hoping that the teams you picked will advance through your bracket and survive to the next round. Being fans of the excitement and watching all of the competitors, we sometimes do not realize how much work has been done behind the scenes. Many of the athletes have been training for the better part of a year, if not their whole lives. All trying to make it to the tournament and be part of the last team standing. From the countless number of shots made before and after practice to the grueling challenges in the weight room, all the way to the time spent receiving treatment and rehabilitation to ensure that when the athlete is on the court that they will be able to compete at their highest potential.

If an athlete is unable to be on the court in practice, or the game, the athlete will have a hard time contributing to the team on the journey to the national tournament. Throughout a season, most athletes will likely have some kind of injury.  Some injuries may require time away from the court, while others can be managed and treated throughout the season with consistent rehabilitation. A common injury that many basketball players endure over their career is an ankle sprain. If an ankle sprain is not managed correctly it can become a recurring injury that may lead to challenges with activity once the playing days are over. While rehabilitating, they will often be prescribed exercises in order to manage and treat the ankle sprain. Once the ankle is feeling better, the season is over, or playing days are over, we may forget about the exercises that were used to improve the ankle or forget about exercising in general. However, it is always a possibility for pain or ankle limitations or even knee and back issues to rear their ugly head.

Creating a healthy lifestyle during or after a playing career rather than forgetting about the exercises, can lead to better overall health. These exercises can range from riding a bicycle, to squatting, to performing a single-leg stance on a half Bosu ball while blind folded, counting backwards from 51 by threes, all while oscillating a body blade. All of these exercises can be incorporated into a routine to make for a healthy lifestyle. Beneficial exercises like cardiovascular endurance, strengthening, mobility exercises, and balance training are all usually components of an athlete’s rehabilitation program. The key to the exercises are to find ways to consistently challenge yourself. A few ways of challenging yourself are to add resistance, time, repetitions, and frequency of exercising. The most important part is being consistent. Some athletes will make their exercise a ritual done almost every day. With the same consistency, you too can train like an athlete and reduce the risk of injury all while maintaining a healthy lifestyle that allows you to do what you like to do.

Skiing Knee Injury Prevention

Our Inland Northwest weather has given us a little more ski play time this year, (just when we thought it was over) so Apex just wanted to give you skiers some information and tips about preventing skiing-related knee injuries (since it is Knee month and all at Apex Physical Therapy).

Did you know?

• MCL (medial collateral ligament) and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) sprains/tears are the most common knee injuries in skiing. Accounting for upwards of 30% of the lower leg injuries.
• It used to be fractures but since the introduction of releasable bindings this has decreased by 90% in the last 30 years!

Mechanisms of knee sprains:

• MCL (medial collateral ligament): most commonly injured when a skier is in the snowplow position (pizza) and the skier falls down the hill
  • How to Avoid? Make sure your weight is balanced when you are in the snowplow position and stick to terrain that is a comfortable challenge for you but not overwhelming.
• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament): most commonly injured when a skier is landing a jump in poor form or what is called a “phantom foot” phenomenon which happens when a skier is falling and they attempt to stand up to stop the fall.
  • How to Avoid? Learn to land correctly (good form) with your weight forward and start with simple jumps eventually advancing as your skill, confidence, and movement patterns improve. To decrease “phantom foot” just accept the unavoidable fall and don’t try to stop the momentum of a fall.

Preventing Injury

• Effective skiing technique: hands and weight forward, legs parallel (French fries), hips/knees/ankles flexing equally
• Stay on groomed and marked trails, off road territory increases your risk of injury greatly
• Getting your body properly ready to ski (can start now but best to do this leading up to the season in the Fall)

Getting Ski Ready

• • • Exercise: a few simple but deliberate exercises (see video) can prepare your core and legs appropriately for the slopes. 3-4 weeks of some aerobic training (walking, treadmill, elliptical, or biking) can help your endurance to spend all day on the slopes. **Exercises given are just some ideas, seeking a professional to make sure you are doing these correctly and that they are appropriate for your body is always the best way to go. Evidence suggests working on posterior chain muscles and some lateral plyometrics can aid in preventing these kinds of injuries.
  • • Proper Equipment: making sure your ski boots and bindings are an appropriate fit for your height and skill level (ask a ski professional). A helmet and wrist guards aren’t a bad idea especially for those snowboarders!
    • Proper Ski Technique: the mountains offer classes of varying levels which is always a good idea when starting skiing or wanting to improve your skills.
    • Rest: skiing is fatiguing and injuries occur most often when your body is tired.

At Apex Physical Therapy, all of our four locations are proud contributing members within our national professional organization, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). We understand the cornerstone of movement is essential to a healthy life and well being staying injury free. We proudly treat people of all ages and abilities with every ailment and goal. We commonly get asked the question by patients and the community, ” What does physical therapy do?” We would like to dispel the myth that many Americans have when determining whether or not physical therapy is a good option for you.

Physical Therapy Can…

Maximize Your Movement
Every individual wants to live pain-free. Pain-free movement is crucial to your quality of life, your ability to earn a living, and your independence. Physical therapists are body mechanics and experts who can identify, diagnose, and treat all movement problems.

Participate In Your Recovery
Physical therapist are part of your healthcare team. We actively collaborate with your physicians and communicate any findings within our evaluation as well throughout your course of care. Physical therapists work collaboratively with their patients and clients. Treatment plans are customized for each person’s individual goals, challenges, and needs.

Avoid Opioids
We live in a time where public health officials have called the current opioid epidemic the worst drug crisis in American history. Overdose deaths were nearly equal to the number of deaths from car crashes in 2017. There are a lot of risks with the abuse of Opioids ,  risks include depression, overdose, and addiction, plus withdrawal symptoms when stopping use. In some situations, dosed appropriately, prescription opioids are an appropriate part of medical treatment. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging health care providers to reduce the use of opioids in favor of safe alternatives like physical therapy for most long-term pain.

Avoid Surgery
In many cases surgery is mandatory, but for some people you may not need to go under the knife. Before you undergo expensive or invasive surgery, try physical therapy. For some conditions, including meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tears, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disk disease, treatment by a physical therapist has been found to be as effective as surgery. We use our knowledge, expertise, experience and education to evaluate whether or not you would be a good candidate. An individual evaluation is necessary to determine whether or not you can avoid surgery.

Finding The Right Physical Therapist
Apex Physical Therapy has been serving the Spokane, West Plains, Cheney and Fairways areas for over twenty years. Our specialties vary yet we abide by the same core values within each location: putting the patient first. We treat our patients like family and are so thankful you have chosen us as part of your healthcare team. Get moving, stay active and always let us know if we can assist you in reaching your goals for recovery. We are passionate about our community and all of the people we serve.

It is often times difficult staying active during the winter months. We find ourselves staying indoors as the climate can be unpredictable. Despite the challenges we face to keep active, if you are an avid runner, getting back into running or looking to begin your first running program now is as good of time to start as any. As your physical therapy experts, we encourage all of our patients and non-patients to be mindful when getting beginning an exercise program and staying active. We recommend you take into consideration your body may take some time getting back into that ideal running shape. Please see the tips that will help you stay injury free this late winter season.

Proper Warm Up & Stretching
It is always good idea to get a proper warm up in before you head out into the cool air. This will get your muscles prepared for work. You should be stretching your legs, back, shoulders and neck. In addition your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles are also extremely important to stretch out as you may need to get your muscles warm in preparation for your workout. It may be helpful for you to use a chair for balance if necessary to balance yourself.

Look For Even Firm Ground
Running on a flat surface is important when you are trying to recover or prevent injury. Uneven surfaces can cause your ankles and feet to over-pronate on one foot and supinate on the other. The sidewalks in our area can be unpredictable in terms of a clear pathway. Our weather is just as unpredictable. One day we have snow, the next sun. It is important to be aware of the surfaces you run on to best prevent falling or slipping. If you can’t make it out, don’t forget you always have a gym or treadmill option.

Stay Hydrated While Running: Even If You Do Not Feel Thirsty
It’s easy to drink less water in the winter because of the cooler temperatures. Hydration is important for injury prevention regardless of the season. Not to mention the increase of water consumption is good for digestion and your muscle repair. It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day pre and post workout.

Dress Accordingly
Be sure to keep your body covered, as well wearing a had and gloves in these colder temperatures, winter hats, socks and gloves may all be necessary even if you feel warm. You also may feel like you don’t need the extra layer, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. You will chill down very quickly upon completion of your run.

Winter running can be a lot of fun, but be sure to take the proper precautions in order to prevent injury while being active. Contact any one of our locations for any further tips in staying active and keeping injury free during these winter months. Knowledge. Passion. Results. We are here for you!