The sports medicine professional must be trained and have practiced the management of the athlete with suspected spinal or visceral injuries. These practice sessions should take place prior to the season and incorporate all individuals associated with the care of the athlete. This includes those individuals on the sidelines (including physicians), emergency care personnel, coaches and other individuals identified by the emergency care team. In some instances, spinal and visceral injuries can be life threatening. Coordination of this team for on the field and off the field treatment ensures effective treatment of these athletes. Knowing how to treat, diagnose, and manage return to play for spinal and visceral injuries is essential for protecting the athlete. This course provides an in depth discussion of visceral and spinal injuries, including potential mechanisms, signs and symptoms, and management of these conditions.

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This course is designed to give the physical therapist a fundamental understanding of strength and conditioning. Susan Falsone will review basic muscle physiology and energy systems and apply metabolic and structural adaptations to both aerobic and anaerobic exercise training. Multiple demonstrations and lectures will thoroughly explore testing modalities for aerobic capacity, strength, power and agility. The participant will learn how to design and implement physiologically based aerobic and anaerobic training programs.

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Concussion is an ongoing public health initiative, due to high prevalence and potentially serious long-term consequences that may arise from incomplete recovery and improper management. Concussion often results in a multitude of symptoms, deficits in cognitive function and impairment in the vestibular and visual systems. Effective management employs a multidisciplinary team approach in which these various deficits areas can be assessed and treated. This course will review the pathophysiology, epidemiology and biomechanics of concussion, along with pertinent information regarding diagnosis and negative outcomes following this injury. Current guidelines with respect to return to play will also be discussed. The course will finish with a case study example.

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Lumbar pelvic control and power in the hips and lower legs are essential for improvement in performance and the reduction of injures in the Athlete. This course will review the anatomy and mechanics of knee that pertain to balance, stability, and power. An over view of dynamic visual acuity and perturbation training with emphasis on the athlete will be presented. Several different types of lower extremity dysfunction including ACL rehab will be discussed. Neuromuscular training and eccentric strengthening will be demonstrated in lab and developed into rehab protocols. Evidence based evaluation tools will be developed into and extensive assessment of muscle imbalance within the knee. Finally, implementation of rehabilitation programs individualized according to evaluative findings will be reviewed/discussed and demonstrated in case studies, utilizing the research based findings discovered through the course.

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