Sports Performance and Rehab Certificate Series

The approximate incidence of ankle sprains in the general US population is 2% per 1,000 at risk persons. The incidence of foot and ankle injuries is much greater for sports participants. Foot and ankle injuries account for 27% of allinjuries that result in at least one day of missed sports participation in Division 1 collegiate athletes. Most of these injuries effect the lateral ligamentous structures due to inversion trauma. Inappropriate diagnosis and management of these injuries can lead to chronic pain and dysfunction that may limit sports participation as well as recreational activities. It is imperative that clinicians possess strategies to recognize,manage, and prevent complications related to inversion anklesprains.

This course will assist clinicians with prioritizingexamination tests and measures by presenting a tissue specific approach to clinical examination of the foot and ankle. Clinicians will be provided with a systematic examination approach that will allow them to categorize the multiple complications that can present as a result of inversion ankle sprains. A case-based clinical reasoning approach to treatment will provide participants with the ability to clearly communicate findings with patients and colleagues.

• Immediately provide a 15-minute systematic examination that includes differential diagnosis for the ankle
• Learn a rapid examination process for assigning patients to effective treatment-basedcategories
• Acquire the most reliable and relevant clinical information with minimal tests and measures as well as special tests
• Use a valid systematic approach to interpreting complex clinical problems
• Communication tools to effectively collaborate with all treatment team members, including referralsources

Too often, a patient is seen after sustaining a concussion and given little to no guidance regarding how to return to school, work, activities, and sport effectively and safely without excessive symptom provocation. These patients frequently show symptoms well beyond the typical timeline, as they have missed out on proper rehabilitation opportunities. In addition, they potentially have developed secondary signs and symptoms related to prolonged removal and avoidance behavior from activities, such as psychosocial dysfunction and deconditioning. Rehabilitative clinicians have become critical components in the management of these patients, from diagnosis to full recovery.

This course will focus on the multi-system involvement, not limited to oculomotor, vestibular, orthopedic, and cardiovascular, in the assessment and rehabilitation of the concussed patient. The complexity of how each of these systems contributes to impairments and functional limitations will be defined. Assessment techniques for each of the abovesystems will be taught and practiced. The most up-to-date research on evidence-based assessment tools and evidence-informed guidelines will be presented as well as best practice tools for rehabilitation. Additionally, the course will illuminate gaps in knowledge and where more research isneeded. It will discuss opportunities to collaborate with providers in other disciplines for the more inclusive management of the concussed athlete and how communication with schools, families, and workplaces isintegral to the overall success of their recovery. Examples of how to participate in meaningful community outreach programs to aid in decision-making around safe return to play will be provided.

• Gain confidence in how to assess a concussion/mild TBI patient and create aneffective rehabilitation treatment plan
• Immediately improve your ability to identify red flags of more severe TBI and referral protocols
• Practice and review more than 15 examination techniques, including BPPV, visual, vestibular, and cervicalspine tests and measures.
• Learn evidence-based exercise prescriptions and evidence-informed return to sport protocols that are safe, effective, and efficient
• Identify various system contributions to symptoms that may be limiting participation in school or work-related activities
• Confidently differentiate concussion-based symptoms from other vestibular, cervical, and other system dysfunctions
• Emerge with a comprehensive framework from which to build your referral network; including specific providers, degrees, and specialty certification examples

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries represent more than 50% of knee injuries and affects more than 200,000 people in the United States each year. The vast majority of patients who suffer an ACL injury will undergo surgical reconstruction with annual costs associated with treatment and rehabilitation estimated at $3 billion. Expectations for rehab professionals who treat ACL injuries are to utilize anevidence-based approach when determining appropriate exercises and progressions. This innovative 3-hour course will help attendees expand their clinical skills and knowledge of evidence-based training and testing to optimize their non- operative and post-operative rehab programs when taking their patients from injury to recovery to full return to sport.

• Develop a thorough understanding of the anatomy and biomechanics of the anterior cruciate ligament, the major differences between various ACL graft types, and the healing timeline after surgery
• Strengthen your clinical decision making when determining which activities (running, plyometrics, speed and agility training, sports specific drills, etc.) are appropriate at each stage of post-operative or non-operative ACL rehab
• Obtain practical exercise tools utilizing the various concepts of periodization, neuromuscular re- education, open and closed kinetic chain exercises, andneuroplasticity to enhance your treatment approach the next day
• Immediately apply effective, evidence-based testing and training todetermine if your patient is ready to return tosport

Research shows that up to 40 million people run regularly in the United States alone with more than 10 million people running at least 100 days a year. Running is one of the world’s most popular exercises because of its low cost, easy accessibility, and its effectiveness in providing multiple health benefits. Despite these many advantages, it comes with a high risk of injury with as much as two thirds of runners sustaining at least one injury during a year. The expectations for rehab professionals who treat running injuries is to utilize an evidence-based approach for evaluating and determining appropriate exercises and progressions for treatment. This innovative 1-hour course will help participants expand theirclinical skills and knowledge of basic running biomechanics.Participants will be able to provide appropriate treatment strategies that not only help their patients return to running, but also optimize their running performance.

• Develop a thorough understanding of running biomechanics to help you identify major impairments during the gait cycle and its implications for treatment
• Strengthen your clinical decision making when determining appropriate exercise progressions based on your run analysis
• Obtain alternative treatment tools such as a return to run algorithm, run/walk interval program, and cadence modification training to help your patient safely and effectivelyreturn to running after an injury
• Immediately apply effective treatment and training techniques to help optimize your patient’s running performance

Now more than ever, people are more active and are participating in athletic and recreational activities ranging from running to extreme sports resulting in a number of orthopedic injuries. Expectations in the rehabilitation of these injuries are to utilize an evidence-based approach to develop appropriate exercise programs. Therefore, it is imperative that the orthopedic rehab professional have a strong understanding ofall aspects of evidence-based research on exercise and sports science to create the link from injury to recovery to fullreturn to sport.

This innovative course combines basic concepts of physics, biomechanics, and physiology with movement analysis to help participants develop sport specific training programs. Participants will learn how to systematically break down fundamental athletic movements using current research, in depth discussions, and video analysis. Evidence-based protocols for upper and lower extremity return to sport will be introduced as well as the concept of periodization. Participants will return to their practice with multiple tools to maximize recovery from injury for every patient from the weekend warrior to the professional athlete.

• Develop sound clinical reasoning strategies utilizing a combination of exercise physiology, biomechanics, and evidence based research to develop more comprehensive strength and endurance exercises for rehabilitation
• Become a movement expert! Enhance your clinical skills to systematically break down common athletic movements (running, sprinting, and throwing) to identify limitations or compensations that may lead to injury or pain
• Improve your abilities to establish proper exercise progressions for post-operative rehab or in preparation for returning from injury to an active lifestyle (i.e. marathons, annual competition, club and seasonal sports, etc.)
• Review important research findings on evidence-based return to sport testing for common sports related surgeries (such as ACL reconstruction or shoulder labral repairs) to establish appropriate rehab timelines and immediately determine if your patient is ready to return to play
• Obtain practical assessment tools and references to helpyou easily implement these concepts into clinical practice the next day for your active patients