November Newsletter€¦ · Brody, Lori T., Hall, Carrie H. Therapeutic Exercise: Moving toward function. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2011. Staying Safe on Snow and

November Newsletter

November 10, 2015 Volume 3, Number 11

In This Issue: Improve Balance for a Safe Winter

Staying Safe on Snow and Ice

Fall in the Mission Mountains

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Improve Balance for a Safe Winter Holly Warner, DPT

The approaching winter season of snow packed and icy sidewalks,

roads, and trails warrants a discussion regarding the importance of

balance. Our ability to respond to our environment to keep us upright

and injury free during the winter months can be positively influenced

by training and improving our balance reactions.

Balance is the body’s ability to maintain equilibrium and stability in

the presence of adversity and unpredictable surfaces. Balance reactions

protect us from falling, stabilize us during dynamic activities, and help

us react to external perturbations such as slipping on the ice or running

on uneven ground.

Our ability to react, stabilize, and

continuing moving forward safely and

efficiently depends on joint range of

motion, muscular strength, and

sensory input regardless of the

surfaces we encounter. For example,

impaired ankle range of motion limits

the ability for the ankle joint to react

and stabilize the body during the gait

cycle. This affects the joints above

and below the ankle (foot, knee, hip),

requiring them to compensate and

work harder to keep one balanced and

upright. Compensation may place

increased stress on the foot, knee and hip joints and the surrounding

musculature. By addressing range of motion and strength deficits one

can improve overall stability during dynamic activities such as walking

and running.

The sensory system includes vision, proprioception, and vestibular

input. Reliance on vision for balance is obvious. For example,

balancing on one leg with eyes closed causes one to begin to sway and

reach out his/her arms to increase the base of support to prevent

falling. But, if you work full-time and still want to keep walking or

running during a Missoula winter it is necessary to up-train additional

sensory systems, as walking or running in the dark is inevitable.

www.momentumat.com

Missoula’s choice for core strengthening and ski conditioning. From beginners to elite athletes, Momentum classes will increase your strength and reduce your injury risk.

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Email Us: John Fiore, PT: [email protected]

Rachael Herynk, DPT: [email protected]

Jesse Dupre, DPT: [email protected]

Holly Warner, DPT: [email protected]

Jennifer Dreiling: [email protected] Find Us:

Sapphire Physical Therapy 1705 Bow Street * Missoula, MT 59801

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Proprioceptive input from our muscles, joint capsules, and other soft

tissue provides us with information on movement and joint position.

With reduced winter daylight hours and decreased proprioception, we

are forced to rely on the vestibular system (within our inner ear) to

keep us upright. The vestibular system provides information about our

body’s orientation in space. This system needs to be trained and ready

to keep us rubber side down while walking or running in the dark

winter environment.

The human body

has many

trainable

mechanisms

which collectively

impact our

balance under the

challenging

conditions of the

Montana winter.

Whether you are a runner looking to improve running efficiency and

decrease risk of injury this winter or simply aiming to decrease your

risk of falls this winter, a physical therapist can help determine

strength, range of motion, and sensory impairments that may impact

your balance. Your physical therapist will provide you with an

individualized home program to improve your balance in order to

make this winter season safe and enjoyable.

References:

Brody, Lori T., Hall, Carrie H. Therapeutic Exercise: Moving toward

function. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2011.

Staying Safe on Snow and Ice Jesse Dupre, DPT

It’s November in Montana, which means winter is just around the

corner. While ice and snow give us some great recreational

opportunities, it also makes things a little more hazardous when getting

around outside in everyday life. During the winter, falls from slipping

on the ice are a common source of injury and can cause broken bones,

head or back injuries that take time to heal. Taking a little extra care

can help lower your risk of injury. Here are some recommendations to

stay safe when walking in the ice and snow.

Choose good footwear. Try to avoid shoes or boots with flat

soles. Choose shoes or boots with deeper tread to give more

traction. If you are planning on walking any distance on ice or

snow, consider using some kind of ice and snow cleat.

Walk slowly and avoid abrupt changes in direction. When

walking quickly the body has more momentum, which means it

will take more effort to slow down, safely turn, or stop.

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Take small steps. By keeping your steps small you will be able

to keep your center of gravity more securely above your feet

and avoid exaggerated heel striking or forceful push off where

falls are more likely to happen.

Keep your knees bent to keep your center of gravity low. This

will also make it easier to react in the event that your foot does

start to slide.

Avoid carrying heavy loads. Carrying heavy objects can make

it harder to stay balanced, even when walking in good

conditions. On the ice, the extra weight will make it more

difficult to stay in control if your foot starts to slide.

Be careful getting into and out of vehicles. Use the doorframe

to stabilize yourself when possible.

Fall in the Mission Mountains

John Fiore, PT

On an October Saturday which was arguably the most spectacular fall

day in western Montana, I returned to the Mission Mountains. I have

spent many hours exploring the unique alpine terrain of this rugged

range in 2015. On each outing, the impressive bulk and majesty of

McDonald Peak (9,800 feet) was evident but just out of reach.

McDonald Peak is located in the Mission Mountains Tribal

Wilderness. It lies within the grizzly bear closure zone which means it

is off limits to humans in an effort to preserve wildlife habitat and

reduce human-bear encounters. The grizzly bear closure area allows

the bears to feast on ladybugs and army cutworm moths without

human disturbance from July 15th-September 30th each summer.

Mission Valley residents have described viewing the bears through

telescopes glissading on snow fields and feasting on ladybugs and

army cutworm moths. With clear skies forecasted and the grizzly bear

closure period passed, our window to climb the peak was now.

I met Justin Angle and Jeremy Wolf at 5:30 am at the Eastgate parking

lot for the drive to the Swan Valley. We chose the eastern approach to

climb McDonald Peak due to the early runnable terrain and beauty of

the Cliff Lake basin. We arrived at the deserted Glacier Lake trailhead

at before daybreak and were running by 7:20 am. The round trip

distance for the day would be 24 miles which made daylight hours

precious.

The first 4 miles passed quickly beneath our feet until we reached

Heart Lake. The summit of McDonald Peak appeared framed in the

notch of Sunday Pass. From Heart Lake the trail deteriorated to a

hiker’s trail followed by a game trail.

From Sunday Pass, McDonald Peak was reflected in the waters of Cliff

Lake below us. We descended steeply to the shoreline and weaved our

way up to Iceflow Lake. From here the terrain changed. Grassy,

boggy meadows and aromatic hemlock and fir forests gave way to bus-

sized glacier-strewn boulders. When we reached 8,600 feet in

elevation, both the summit ridge of McDonald Peak and the Ashley

Lake drainage on the western side of the Missions were visible. Justin,

Jeremy, and I plotted our final ascent up the loose, rocky bowl and

continued climbing.

The view from the summit ridge was magnificent. The Mission Valley

was 7,000 feet below us and the ridge from West McDonald Peak to

the true summit was pure as any ridge I have traveled. Once on the

summit, a light breeze kept us comfortable in shorts and T-shirts. To

the south, Glacier Peak, Mountaineer Peak, Lowary Peak, East St.

Mary’s Peak, and Grey Wolf Peak formed an imposing spine. To the

north, Mount Calowahcan and multiple unnamed peaks blended into

the horizon. After imagining how spectacular it would be to descend

McDonald Peak’s the south face on skis, we began our return journey.

Two aged boot prints were the only sign of human presence we

encountered during our brief visit through the Mission Mountain Tribal

Wilderness. I have never experienced a feeling of alpine isolation and

purity as strong as I did that October. When we returned to the

trailhead 8 hours later, cars were in abundance, but the experience and

contentment associated

with physical effort

endured. Preserving wild,

uninhabited areas such as

the Mission Mountains

puts our role as humans in

perspective. We too are

visitors on this planet.

The mountains endure

and they warrant our

respect.

The Mission Mountains

Wilderness was officially designated as such in 1975, the boundaries for the Tribal

Wilderness were set in 1979, and made official in 1982. Prior to the official

designation of the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness, the tribes had fought the

designation of the area as a national park, and after much discussion voted against

timber harvesting in the lushly forested area. Both circumstances would have led to

increased tribal profits, but it was decided such was not to be the priority.

In 1982... No legal definition for tribal wilderness existed then, but much of the

language for the tribes’ definition of wilderness matches the language found in the

1964 Wilderness Act, with one significant difference: the primary purpose of the

Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness is the preservation of tribal culture. In

contrast, in the federal wilderness on the other side of the Mission Divide, visitor use

and private interests play leading roles in management objectives.

Source: PJ DelHomme, Forest Magazine, Fall 2006 – Summit Post

John Fiore, PT

[email protected]

www.sapphirept.com