This 1-Day, 8-hour evidence-based comprehensive Physical Therapy course was created to provide a thorough education on climbing injuries & the associated pathophysiology, as well as prepare the clinician to treat climbing athletes with confidence.
This Physical Therapy Course is an in-person didactic and lab course that teaches the skills and knowledge necessary for comprehensive evaluation and treatment of climbing athletes who have musculoskeletal dysfunction. A primary emphasis is given to the upper extremity (UE). Learn how to accurately assess and treat using differential diagnosis and movement system impairment (MSI) strategies to benefit acute and chronic injuries. Gain an understanding of current research on return to sport guidelines for UE athletes, including climbing athletes. Gain knowledge of injury risk profiles, interval sport programming, and how to adapt the common climbing training paradigms for specific injuries.
Labs cover assessment skills, treatment methods, and rehabilitation progression with in-person feedback. Grip strength assessment using a crane scale and hang boards will be covered as part of return to sport assessment and therapeutic applications. Gain an understanding of how to incorporate other modalities, such as blood flow restriction and dry needling into your plan of care. The course features a semi-systematic review of current research in the climbing field and uses case studies and group sessions to help you understand how to apply the research in the clinic confidently. Prevention of injury and community collaboration approaches will be discussed. Participants will have access to our return to climbing template to use in clinics and sample exercise progressions for movement and proprioceptive skills as well as strengthening.
Host Clinic:
Bodycentral Physical Therapy – Ajo Location
Tucson, Arizona, April 9, 2022
Elaina Stover, PT, DPT, RYT
Dr. Stover is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis physical therapy program and Exos Sports Performance program. She blends her knowledge of sports performance with the movement system impairment (MSI) system to meet the needs of climbing athletes. She has co-created climbing injury screens and educational lectures for youth and adult athletes in St. Louis, MO, and Tucson, AZ.
Furthermore, as an avid climber, she brings both her personal and clinical experience working with climbing athletes to help make the research easy to translate into clinical application. She is a Hueco Tanks climbing guide and provides PT advice to various levels of climbing athletes. She also treats pelvic health as a level 1 APTA pelvic health specialist which helps her provide unique education to female climbing athletes.
Climbing Medicine: Evaluation & Treatment of the Climbing Athlete
Examination/Evaluation:
Diagnosis/Prognosis:
Intervention: