Symposium Course Objectives

LGBTQ+ Healthcare Disparities, Athletes Needs, and Best Practices in Sports Medicine

Kristine Ensign, PhD, AT 

Objectives: 

  • Understand how social determinants of health relates to sports medicine.
  • Identify social determinants of health of patients.
  • Identify LGBTQ+ health disparities.
  • Identify sport considerations for transgender athletes.
  • Implement LGBTQ+ healthcare policies in the sports medicine setting.

Myths and Misconceptions about Exercises Associated Muscle Cramping

Kevin Miller, PhD, AT, ATC 

Objectives: 

  • Describe methods to identify athletes most at risk of developing EAMC. 
  • Describe how stress and psychology may predispose athletes to EAMC. 
  • Detail the reasons why dehydration is unlikely to be a causative factor in EAMC genesis. 
  • Describe why certain treatment and preventative strategies for muscle cramping are unlikely to work (e.g., sport drink, banana, mustard, pickle juice ingestion).

Effective Communication as a Missionary to the Gen Z Culture

Kurt Wilson, MA, AT, CSCS 

Objectives: 

  • Understand the generations – “Who are the players in the game?” 
  • Analyze and understand the communication differences among generations.
  • Evaluate communication preferences discussed among generations.
  • Apply and remember the communication techniques to bridge the Generational Communication “gap”.
  • Evaluating and applying your communication style as a missionary message of AT, rehab, or strength and conditioning. 
  • Apply communication styles – using them to positively affect leadership. 

Integrating Reactive Agility and Plyometrics into your Training

Alec Heffner, AT, CSCS, TSAC-F

Brett Hoffman, MS, AT, CSCS, CISSN, PNI, TSAC-F, ACSM-CET

Josh Garner, Exercise Physiologist 

Objectives: 

  • Will be able to identify different stimuli that can be used for reactive agility training.
  • Will be able to demonstrate correct protocol for the BlazePod T Drill.
  • Will be able to select reactionary drills that improve patient outcome. 
  • Will be able to create reactive plyometric and agility drills.

Neuroplasticity Following ACL Injury & Rehabilitation: Considerations for the Sports Medicine Professional

Amber Schnittjer, MS, ATC

Dustin Grooms, PhD, AT, CSCS 

Objectives: 

  • Identify the mechanisms in which neuroplasticity occurs after ACL injury. 
  • Identify the neural compensatory strategies used following ACL injury and reconstruction. 
  • Reframe rehabilitation to comprehensively address nervous system deficits following musculoskeletal injury.

Simplifying the SI Joint: A Practical Manual Therapy Approach

Angie Strong, PT, DPT, MTC 

Objectives: 

  • Compare terminology as it relates to the SI joint and positional faults. 
  • Identify anatomical landmarks for palpation for alignment. 
  • Discuss the role of the piriformis on sacral position and mobility. 
  • Describe and demonstrate mobility tests for the SI joint. 
  • Explain and demonstrate various manual treatment techniques to correct SI joint dysfunction. 
  • Describe specific exercises and self-mobilization techniques for the patient to incorporate into his or her HEP.  
  • Explain the importance and rationale of treatment sequencing. 
  • Discuss special considerations for particular patient populations. 
  • Review current literature for the latest updates in SI joint dysfunction diagnosis and treatment. 

Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Shoulder Labral Repair

Jacqueline Boyed, PT, DPT, OCS

Joseph Dudics, PT, DPT, OCS, CLT

Michael Duncan, PT, DPT, OCS

Kevin Sheehan, PT, DPT, OCS 

Objectives: 

  • Review the anatomy of the shoulder joints and the labrum complex. 
  • Explore upper extremity mechanics and how various ranges of motion and tissue tensioning can impact the healing labrum. 
  • Discuss force couple activation and its role in optimizing shoulder stability.  
  • Educate on various surgical interventions based on location of labral injury and how these techniques may impact rehabilitation. 
  • Roll-out updated organization protocol to use for the patient with a labral repair including special considerations, safe exercise progression, and expected time-based and criterion-based milestones.  
  • Share critical thinking processes and problem-solving techniques for the patient not meeting expected rehabilitation milestones.

EDS and the Athlete – Impact and Management

Sheila Roush, PT

Objectives: 

  • Participants will better understand EDS and the systemic impact it can have, identify common symptoms EDS athletes might experience to make referral and/or prevent injuries. 
  • Participants will be able to screen/assess for systemic hypermobility using the Beighton scale and targeted subjective history interviews to make appropriate referrals and/or prevent injuries. 
  • Participants will understand the potential injury risks to athletes with hypermobility and EDS and develop appropriate interventions.

Everyone Should Cook

Brett Hoffman, MS, AT, CSCS, CISSN, PN1, TSAC-F, ACSM-CET

Mitchell Simmons, AT, CSCS, TSAC-F 

Objectives: 

  • The participant will be able to identify the six major foodborne illness pathogens: Shigella spp., Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS), Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) [E. coli.], Hepatitis, and Norovirus.  
  • The participant will understand the two major vectors of foodborne illness in the home; cross contamination and time temperature abuse.
  • The participant will be able to execute the proper organization of a refrigerator to prevent cross contamination.
  • The participant will examine the application of the types of heat transfer; conduction convection and radiation. 
  • The participant will recognize the effect heat and time has on the nutritional value of food.
  • The participant will understand the proper handling of kitchen equipment to prevent unnecessary injuries.
  • The participant will be able to appraise the proper level of heat necessary to properly and safely cook food.

Patellar Instability and Cartilage Defects in the Knee

Eric Fester, MD 

Objectives: 

  • Describe patella anatomy.
  • Describe non-surgical treatment of patella instability. 
  • Describe surgical treatment of patella instability.
  • Describe surgical treatment of cartilage disorders of the knee.

Introduction to Running Evaluation and Treatment

Kevin Sheehan, PT, DPT, OCS 

Objectives: 

  • Provide examples of important subjective questions in a running evaluation.
  • Correlate subjective information with injury development and risk.
  • Highlight static examination techniques to assist in evaluation of the runner.
  • Provide examples of functional movement test to assist in evaluation of the runner. 
  • Articulate important key factors in running mechanics.
  • Compare and contrast various running styles and common running faults. 
  • Summarize current research on running analysis and implications for clinical reasoning.
  • Explore the causes and effects of particular alterations in running form.
  • Provide the elements of a quick running gait screen.

Nutrition and Inflammation

Ashley Wolf, BS, DI

Haley Beeler, BS, DI

Rebecca Gonter-Dray, MSEd, RDN, LDN

Karyn Catrine, MS, RDN, LD

Dawn Weatherwax, RDN, ATC

Objectives: 

  • To understand the different types of inflammation and the different responses in the body.
  • To understand how food can reduce inflammation.
  • To understand how an anti-inflammatory diet can improve training performance.

Forming Habits for Better Health: Creating an Environment to Improve Success for You and Your Athletes

Brian Wheeler, AT, CSCS, TSAC-F

Matt Stroud, AT, ATC, CSCS

Objectives: 

  • Define what a habit is/ good or bad?  
  • Demonstrate breathing techniques to help with stress management. 
  • Understand how to build and maintain healthy habits.  
  • Understand how to reduce or stop habits you no longer think are healthy.  
  • Recognize the effects of getting good sleep vs poor sleep.