Welcome

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Welcome to Health and Fitness 101, a blog for people who enjoy the Montana lifestyle.
The aim of our blog is to interpret, distill, and then deliver to you the threads that bind physical medicine with applicable health and fitness ideas and principles.
It's all about helping to connect the dots that foster optimal human function and, ultimately, superior performance. Feel better. Perform better.

Missoula Area Events

Alpine PT Presents Ways to Keep you Running

On Sunday, March 28th, Angela Listug, DPT and Brace Hayden, DPT presented ideas and exercises to prevent low back pain to the Runner’s Edge Marathon Training Groups.

The presentation included: core exercises, proper stretching form, and balance exercises to improve strength and mobility in the spine and pelvis. This is particularly helpful as people ramp [...]

Runners’ Strength Assessment: Part 2 Know Your Core

You run, right? Then you absolutely need to know whether your core is strong. That’s what this segment is all about, measuring it so you know.

In Part 1 yesterday, I posted some stats on injury incidence in runners. I then outlined some traditional strength tests.

Today, I’ve got some cool “core” stuff for you [...]

Runners’ Strength Assessment: Part I

The annual incidence of injuries for runners varies in the literature. It’s estimated that between 24-55% of runners will experience an injury. The main factors leading to injury are having a previous injury, increasing speed, and being a less experienced runner.

Nearly 80% of all running injuries involve structures from the waist down. Sprinters tend [...]

New Rehab & Fitness Technology Greets Missoula

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Missoula, Montana – March 29, 2010 – A brand new form of exercise technology has just been released to the world of rehab and fitness. In the same fashion that Pilates exercise caught a massive wave of success in the 90s and beyond, so this new approach is on track to rise [...]

Alpine Stars Keep Shining, Meet Kristi Moore, MSPT

Alpine Physical Therapy started with one person in 2004 and now has 24 employees in 2010.

In a city like Missoula in which there are 35 other choices for physical therapy, why would Alpine leap frog to the front and center in Missoula?

According to Alpine’s owner, Brent Dodge, “It’s the people of Alpine that [...]

Breaking News: Missoula’s Newest Resource for Women’s Health

Welcome to Her Health, Missoula’s top choice for physical therapy services designed specifically for women.

People are often surprised when they learn what physical therapy has to offer in the area of women’s health. Certainly this isn’t an area that all therapists pursue with focus and passion.

Yet Her Health’s therapists at Alpine have [...]

Course Correction for Free Physical Therapy Class

I failed to mention in my last post that the free course I taught on Wednesday evening will also be presented again at 12:00 PM on Thursday, March 25th.

See my post below for the details of this free course.

Best,

Brent Dodge, PT, OCS, CMPT, CSCS

Physical Therapy Manipulation for Sport Performance

Get your game on. Get the kinks out.

You play hard. But something’s just not right. Maybe the throwing shoulder hurts when you play overhand sports.

You’ve dealt with elbow pain far too long. Massage, rest, and ice just don’t cut it.

Swinging a bat or a golf club used to be smooth and effortless. [...]

Missoula’s Newest Sports Medicine Resource

Comprehensive. That’s the word that best describes the Sports Medicine program at Alpine Physical Therapy.

Connected. Here’s how. We have connections to local orthopedist experts. The program is lead by our team of physical therapists and athletic trainers. And we’re housed in Missoula’s premiere 50,000 square foot fitness facility, the Peak Health [...]

Tennis Elbow Without a Racquet

In 20 years of practicing physical therapy, I’ve treated lots of people with tennis elbow. Ironically, few played tennis. Why is that?

Pain on the outside bump of the elbow is called lateral epicondylitis, which is more commonly known as tennis elbow. It has numerous causes, one of which is playing tennis. In these instances, [...]