Emergency Response for PTs: Bridging Rehab and Wilderness Medical Society Principles

Wilderness environments create unique challenges for physical therapists because common musculoskeletal injuries must often be evaluated and managed with limited equipment, uncertain terrain, environmental stressors, and delayed access to definitive medical care. Trail and wilderness athletes commonly experience injuries involving the foot, ankle, knee, lower leg, and other musculoskeletal regions, while environmental conditions such as heat, cold, altitude, and prolonged exposure can complicate assessment and treatment. This course will equip learners with the clinical reasoning skills needed toassess atypical patient scenarios, respond efficiently toevolving needs, and develop appropriate, patient- centered interventions incomplex clinical situations. Through case- based scenarios and clinical decision-making exercises, participants will learn how toadapt familiar physical therapy skills to austere environments while recognizing red flags, treatment limitations, and situations requiring evacuation orreferral. The goal is toequip clinicians with strategies they can apply when working with hikers, runners, climbers, and other outdoor athletes in settings where traditional clinical resources are not immediately available.

Target Audience: Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants

Delivery Format: Synchronous, Live interactive webinar to be attended online on a specific date/time

Highlights

• Learn applicable strategies for assessing and managingcommon musculoskeletal injuries when access to imaging,medical equipment, and definitive care is delayed or unavailable.
• Develop a framework for determining when an injury canbe safely managed in the field, when activity modification is appropriate, and when evacuation or higher-level medical evaluation should be prioritized.