Snow Atrium sparkled with a room full of exhibitors and sponsors, thanks to Sponsors Chair Emily Marshall-Reaves. Physical therapy pictures and announcements were scrolling on the huge digital screen, thanks to conference chair and Education Director Gina Medifindt. The room buzzed with excitement and networking of old friends and new-found colleagues over catered coffee, snacks, and lunches.

In addition to exhibitors, attendees learned information at tables representing the Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (DEI) committee, the Neurological Special Interest Group (SIG), the Student SIG, and competed to win gorgeous baskets at the Student Scholarship Committee raffle.

Marcus Roll, assistant professor at Duke University and chair of the education classes, arranged an outstanding program of evidence-based, cutting-edge and clinically useful presentations. With topics ranging from physical therapy for people with heart and lung transplantations to non-sports-related concussions to rehab for patients with amputation to multiple presentations on various pelvic floor topics.

With four tracks of courses across five timeframes over two days, this APTA NC Annual Conference offered something for everyone. Programming included 23 platform presentations across five sessions, vetted and managed by Jack Magill.  Ten-minute platform presentations not only provide a brief highlight of research hot off the presses, but also gives budding researchers and students a chance to present.

In addition to managing platform presentations, Jack Magill, assistant professor of physical therapy education at 51������, headed the extensive display of sixty research posters that highlighted physical therapy research across topics from pediatrics to geriatrics, from orthopedics to neurology, from bench science to surveys, and from case reports to randomized controlled trials. The Poster Research Committee recognized three posters as 2023 Distinguished Abstracts.

Mary Kay Hannah, associate professor of physical therapy education at 51������ and president of APTA NC, led the Annual Membership meeting on Friday, highlighting the standardized operations of the state Association. In addition to passing motions to update the Chapter ByLaws and announcing the upcoming slate of elections, two students presented this year’s winning Community Impact Challenge projects hosted by the DEI committee. Sheldon Smith from Winston-Salem State University wowed the members in the audience with a three-day mentorship program with middle-school African-American boys to expose them to the profession of physical therapy. Atkinson Pilsch from East Carolina University impressed with a presentation of an education and exercise class for people with Parkinson’s Disease in rural eastern North Carolina.

Jackie Polk, assistant professor at Wingate University and Awards Committee chair, prepared a celebratory Awards Ceremony on Saturday, presented by the chapter president. After announcing North Carolina physical therapists who won national APTA awards, Hannah announced the winners of the Falls Prevention Challenge, an annual community service event hosted by the Falls Prevention SIG, chaired by Jerri Shephard, Acute Rehab Manager in Kernersville.

Stephanie Milosovic and Erin Jacobson of the Student Scholarship Committee stood in for the Chair, Moyo Tillery, who could not be there, to joyfully announce the six renewed student scholarships, handing out extra-large-sized checks to the winners.  One scholarship is kindly funded annually by the Keskula Family, sponsored by Doug Keskula, full professor at Western Carolina University. This year, Keskula’s wife, assistant professor at Western Carolina University, presented the Keskula Family Scholarship during the awards ceremony, coincidentally won by a WCU student.

The Awards Ceremony concluded with the coveted APTA NC annual awards and an exciting raffle drawing for scholarship fundraising.

Of special Elon DPT note:  Third-year Elon student Deanna DeMarco won the Outstanding PT Student Award and the Ben F. Massey, Jr Scholarship.

McKinley Pollack, chair of the Early Professionals SIG, presented on this year’s new APTA NC mentorship program in a session titled, “More to Mentors: Coaching, Creating, Collaborating, and Other Keys to Successful Mentorship.” Late last year, registration opened for the first iteration of this successful program.  Approximately 40 members signed up to serve as mentors and the same number signed up to be mentored. The program matched mentors and mentees, provided guidelines to meet once a month, and provided professional webinars along the way. Registration is now open for the mentorship program for 2024.

The APTA NC president thanks a veritable village of people without which this amazing conference could not have happened. First and foremost, APTA NC Executive Director Pauline Flesch with administrative assistance from Dawn LeBlanc and Jenna Owens and Education Director, Gina Medifindt. Next, Gina’s Conference Committee — Marcus Roll, Jack Magill, Emily Marshall-Reaves and Crystal Burnett. Thanks to APTA NC Communications Director, Rosie Carnizares, for pre-conference advertising and during conference social media. Thanks to the APTA NC Board of Directors and other leaders in the Association for support of the biggest event of the year. Thanks to Kenn Gaither, dean of the School of Communications, for use of Schar Hall. And finally, last but not least, special thanks to Alyssa Donahue, administrator to the School of Communications, without whom the conference could not have proceeded, much less succeeded.

2023 APTA NC Annual Awards Winners

·      Outstanding PT Student – Deanna DeMarco, Elon Univ

·      Outstanding PT Assistant – Tiffany Needham

·      Outstanding PT – Jason Harloff

·      Olive V. Wortman Service Award – Dora Gosselin

·      Founder’s Lecturer Award – Michelle Green

2023 APTA NC Student Scholarship Winners

·      Ben F. Massey Jr Scholarship – Deanna DeMarco, Elon

·      Advocacy Student Scholarship – Emma Kosbab, Duke

·      Diversity Student Scholarship – Cipryana Mack, Wingate

·      Keskula Family Scholarship – Kali Beck, WCU

·      Leadership Excellence Student Scholarship – Morria Heilman, Duke

·      Student Delegate Scholarship – Melissa Escudero, HPU

2023 Distinguished Research Abstracts (Research Poster Winner)

·      Impacts of real-world haptic gait retraining on patient reported outcomes by  Weiandt, Migel, Lederle, Reavis, and Wikstrom (UNC)

·      Joint contact force reliability and minimal detectable change by Stutton, Willson, and Meardon (ECU)

·      Effects of hand arm bimanual intensive therapy (HABIT) on the perception of hand use in real-world bimanual performance in children with unilateral cerebral palsy by McBryde, Lysaght, Holland, Gardas, Kirkman, Burroughs, Willson, and Surkar (ECU)

2023 Community Impact Challenge presenters

·      Project PT: Reconstructing Physical Therapy, a mentorship program to introduce African-American boys to physical therapy – Sheldon Smith, WSSU

·      Pirates Keeping it Physical for Parkinson’s- an exercise and education program for people with Parkinson’s Disease in rural NC – Atkinson Pilsch, ECU

2023 Falls Prevention Challenge Winners

·      Falls Prevention Video Submission, ECU

·      Falls Prevention Activity Submission,  Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

2023 Educational Programming

What’s up down there? Opening the door to bladder, bowel and sexual health

·      Jaclyn Polk, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, Barbara Green, PT, MSPT, Ana Karim, PT, PYT

Heel Pain, No Gain: Navigating the Latest Concepts in Mid-Portion Achilles Tendinopathy Evaluation and Treatment

·      Stephanie Palacios, PT, DPT, Shane Mathew, PT, DPT

·      Jamal Edwards, PT, DPT

·      Kyle Stapleton, PT, DPT

Cardiopulmonary Transplant Across the Continuum: Physical Therapy Implications of Heart and Lung Transplantation

·      Hannah McHugh, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy, Jennifer Aronson, PT, DPT

High-Intensity Gait Training: Clinical Implementation for Neuro Patients

·      Michelle Green PT, DPT

How Much is Enough? Dosing Balance Exercise to Achieve Reduced Fall Risk

·      Leslie Allison, PT, PhD, Lori Schrodt, PT, PhD

Functional Neurologic Disorder: Advances and Retreats in the Battle for Control

·      Kimberly Lemmons, PT, DPT, Jill Nappi-Kaehler, PT, DPT

Translating Research to Practice: Postpartum Return to Running from Sports and Pelvic Health Perspectives

·      Stacey Head, PT, WCS, CLT, ATC,   Yana I. Ginzburg, PT, DPT, SCS

Diversity Dialogues: Unconscious Bias Impact on Professional Experiences

·      Calvin Hung, PT, FACHE,        Deidra Charity, PT, DPT

Therapy Considerations for Older Adults Across the Continuum of Cancer Care

·      Brittany Jones PT, DPT, GCS, Laura Schwark PT, MPT, GCS

It’s More Than Just a Game: Non-Sports-Related Concussion

·      Ben Ramger, PT, DPT, Elizabeth Nixon, PT, DPT

Implementing Results of Cardiopulmonary Diagnostic Tests into PT Practice

·      Claire Fanto, PT, DPT; Board-Certified Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Clinical Specialist

Maximizing Performance in the Competitive Older Athlete with Chronic ACL-deficiency

·      Wendy Viviers, PT, DPT, MPhil. Board-certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist. South African Sports Clinical Specialist

Amputation Pathway: A Journey from Acute Care to the Community

·      Meredith Merchant, PT, DPT, Jennifer Brown, MS, OTR/L

Biopsychosocial Care: Clinical Implementation of Psychological Phenotypes in Patients with Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

·      Ashley Kinsey, PT, DPT Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy, Olivia DeSena Fleming, PT, DPT Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy

Setting the Foundation for Rehabilitation in the Acute Setting Post Stroke

·      Tiffany Love PT, DPT, CBIS, Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy, Alysha Fuller PT, DPT, CBIS, Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy

Post-Prostatectomy: Leaking the Evidence

·      Matt Harville, PT, DPT

More to Mentors: Coaching, Creating, Collaborating, and Other Keys to Successful Mentorship

·      McKinley Pollock, PT, DPT, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Lisa Grant, PT, DPT, ATC, Board-Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Calvin Hung, PT, FACHE

Managing Burnout in the PT Profession

·      Jodi Miller PT, DPT, Timothy Miller PT, DPT, EdD, Geriatric Clinical Specialist Emeritus

Captain Jeff and The Winter Shoulder: Evidenced-Based Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies for Adhesive Capsulitis

·      Bart Satterfield, PT, DPT

Saturday 10/14/23

The Shoulder Symptom Modification Procedure

·      Jonathan Washatka, PT, DPT, Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

When Your Patient is Expecting: Pregnancy and Postpartum Training for the Outpatient MSK Therapist

·      Amanda Heath, PT, DPT   Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Women’s Health Physical Therapy/Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy    Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Valerie Adams, PT, DPT   Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Women’s Health Physical Therapy/ Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Jennifer ThorntonJones, PT, Board-Certified Specialist in Women’s Health Physical Therapy and Oncologic Physical Therapy

Exercise to Support Fontan Circulation: An Area for Increased PT Services

·      Nora Guge, PT, DPT,    Ilana Osten, PT, DPT

Pathokinesiologists, HealthCare’s Movement Experts

·      Brent Anderson PT, PhD, OCS

Collaborative Practice in Physical Therapy Education: How to Effectively Design Interprofessional Experiences in Didactic and Clinical Education

·      Debbie Prouty, MPT, EdD, GCS, Jaclyn Polk, PT, DPT, OCS

Sexual Health in Cancer Survivors

·      Amanda Heath, PT, DPT, Justine Wiltsie, PT, DPT, Zachary Tally, PT, DPT, board-certified clinical specialist in oncologic physical therapy

Case-Based Implementation Strategies for the Clinical Practice Guideline for People with Parkinson Disease

·      Christina Criminger-Morris PT, PhD, CEEAA, Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist, Cherie Grunenberg, PT, DPT, CBIS, Chelsie Miller, PT, DPT

They are a 5/5, now what? Applying Motor Learning to Advance Functional Performance

·      Michelle Green PT, DPT

Trauma-Informed Care: Special Considerations for the Pediatric and Pelvic Health Physical Therapist

·      Mary Swiggum, PT, PhD, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy, Jaclyn Polk, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy

Mitigating Fall Risk and Fall Related Injuries: The Role of Cognition and Pharmacology

·      Michael McGregor PT, DPT Certified Health Coach and Emma Williams, PharmD, CPP Geriatric Clinical Pharmacist

Ultrasound Imaging in Contemporary Orthopedic Physical Therapy Practice

·      Nathan J. Savage, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, ECS, RMSK

Aging In Place: Fad or Fantastic? A primer on Aging in Place Principles and solutions for Physical Therapy Professionals

·      Alison Starkey PT MBA MHA

How to Thrive on Your Clinical Education Experiences

·      Jodi Miller PT, DPT,      Timothy Miller PT, DPT, EdD, Geriatric Clinical Specialist Emeritus

Considerations of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for populations with Autoimmune/Rheumatic co-Morbidities

·      Joel Robert Thompson, PT DPT MA CLT

Unraveling the Magic Hands: An In-Depth Look at the Mechanisms Behind Manual Therapy

·      Kyle Stapleton, PT, DPT Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, Nicholas LeBlond, PT, DPT Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, Matt Hillsinger PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy

Are the Quadriceps ACL Agonists?

·      Phil Caraher PT, DPT, MS, OCS, CSCS

Utilization of pain science education in pelvic health

·      Nicole Hodges, PT, DPT, ATC Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Women’s Health Physical Therapy

2023 Research Platform Presentations

Last week, the Dance SIG hosted a dance class for community members with Parkinson’s disease at the Francis Center, the home for Elon’s School of Health Sciences. A large body of research evidence supports the benefits of dance for people with Parkinson’s disease. DPT students Kelly O’Daniel, Tristan Norton, Tatum Benesh, Breanna Lanouette, Amy Smelko, Katherine Jones and Harwell Beach used the evidence for movement with music and choreographed and lead six three-minute dance routines. A final Tai Chi cool down lead by Alex Japit followed.

The five attendees expressed great enthusiasm by participating in the dancing and with expressions of excitement and gratitude.

“The dance leaders were clear and helpful. I never felt lost,” said Jim Bissett, one of the attendees.

Other participants agreed that the class was fun, modifiable, and helpful with incorporating therapeutic movements.

Along with the community attendees, other DPT students and professors attended the class with smiles all around.  Fun, movement and physical therapy – nothing could be better.

Third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student, Shani Lewis, designed an infographic entitled, “The Image Is Clear,” which was selected as one of two winners from a robust submission pool from physical therapists across the country.

The contest was held by the Imaging Special interest Group of the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), to provide educational materials for patients and state legislators across the country. The Chair of the Imaging Special Interest Group, Chuck Hazel, noted the group’s excitement that a student had won their blinded selection process.

Lewis, who will graduate from the DPT program next month, was proud to represent Elon and the profession of physical therapy, saying that it is thrilling to “make an impact on the profession as a whole as a student.”  She was a graphic illustrator before physical therapy school and was happily able to combine her skills to win the prize.

At Elon’s DPT education program, and all DPT programs across the country, students learn about clinical radiologic imaging – including when an X-ray or MRI needs to be ordered – which provides for the best care in an orthopedic outpatient physical therapy setting.

Physical therapists have ordered images for patients directly in the Army since 1972, and now all physical therapists in all military services and the U.S. Public Health Service have that authorization. Physical therapists in six states and the District of Columbia have direct-image-ordering privileges, along with several large healthcare systems around the country.

When a patient requires a radiologic imaging exam, a direct referral by a physical therapist can save the patient and the health care system time and money. The award-winning infographic was published in the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Practice journal and as a part of the APTA Government Affairs office’s “Imaging Advocacy Tool Kit” for all fifty state chapters of the Association.

The Yokohama competition was a chance for athletes to earn valuable points toward Paralympic ranking that determines qualification for the 2021 US Paralympic Triathlon team.  Those rankings in turn can earn country-quota slots for the Paralympic Games to be held later this year in Tokyo.

The main event consisted of completing a sprint-distance triathlon with a 750-meter swim in the port of Yokohama, followed by a 20-kilometer bike, and 5-kilometer run. Elite paratriathletes competed in the first World Paratriathlon Series race to be held since February 2020.

Christopher was able to work with several athletes during her time to make sure they were ready to compete. “It was a very different trip compared to previous paratriathlon team travel and unfortunately, I was unable to explore Yokohama,” Christopher said. “However as a physical therapist, I love treating athletes so the restrictions were worth the service.”

The event was held inside a strict COVID-19 bubble with many safety protocols.  Christopher was required to be COVID-tested within 72 hours of traveling, a requirement that had to be certified and signed by a medical doctor on Japanese-government documentation. This was made difficult by a Sunday evening departure but was made possible by members of Elon’s Ready & Resilient team, with Jeff Stein, Dr. Ginette Archinal and Madelyn Pastrana helping her obtain the required nasopharageal PCR test and documentation. As the Japanese government is not currently allowing visitors, a special visa was also required.

Christopher carried a variety of other related documentation that was checked upon arrival, and she had to check into several location tracking apps during her week in Yokohama which informed the government of her whereabouts. The team could only use private transport as public transport was not allowed.

Once they arrived at the hotel, the team was not allowed to leave their rooms unless they were receiving treatment from Christopher or traveling to training. Meals were hung from the doorknob three times a day. Teams from each country were given a training slot and athletes, staff, and coaches were escorted by race staff from the hotel elevators to the bus. The only time the team was allowed to be outside was on race day.

Several PCR tests were performed during the six-day trip to Japan to make sure all race participants, staff, and coaches were COVID free. Although navigating training before the race was difficult, the Japanese government and race organizers did a wonderful job keeping everyone safe.

The team physical therapist assists getting the athletes ready for race day. Christopher spent time between training sessions treating the team whether it was a nagging old injury or flight-related aches and pains.

Christopher has been a contract physical therapist with the US paratriathlon team since 2018 and traveled to a variety of races, including the championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2019. She uses lessons from her trips to inform her teaching with rich case studies of patient encounters. She has included several projects on working with adaptive athletes into her classes as she is very passionate about equitable sports participation opportunities for all.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still heavily influencing everyday life on a global scale, this year’s Student Conclave theme was focused on the future of physical therapy (PT) in a constantly changing healthcare world. The presentations highlighted developing advances of PT. Karlyn Jackson, Grant Bitzer, and Sabrina Fogleman presented anecdotal and research experience with, “Physical Therapy Management of COVID-19 Patients.”. Dr. Lance Mabry presented his research interest and passion,“Diagnostic Imaging in Physical Therapy: Past, Present, and Future”. APTA NC President Mary Kay Hannah of Elon, along with Ginger Garner and N.C. lobbyist Alex Miller presented on advocacy in the physical therapy profession. During this presentation, there was an interactive activity that provided students the opportunity to contact local state representatives of PT and PTA students across North Carolina by emailing them to advocate for the profession.

This year’s Student Conclave would not have been possible without Jimmy McKay and his team running the “behind the scenes” on Streamyard, a new cutting-edge streaming service. In addition, McKay shared his own personal experience and atypical journey within the field of PT, including his experience as a radio host turned PT and how he combined the two experiences to carve his own unique place in the profession. Students thoroughly enjoyed hearing from McKay, the host of the popular podcast, “PT Pintcast.”

One benefit of hosting the Student Conclave virtually this year was being able to include presenters from across the country. A student stated, “I honestly liked it being online and felt it was more convenient, but also so that speakers from around the country could speak.” Carol Ann Nelson did just that with her presentation “Destination Rehab: Taking Physical Therapy Outdoors,” speaking from her home in Central Oregon. Nelson’s presentation gave the students an inside look into ways to apply neurologic PT sessions in outdoor parks, the snow, on hiking trails, or even on paddleboards.
In addition, John Seip, Peter Drinkwine and Sarah Jackson presented, “Physical Therapy Practice in the Emergency Department”. Students especially were grateful for this opportunity to hear from this group as PT is becoming prominent in the emergency room setting.

In addition, the APTA NC SSIG’s Community Service Project Committee planned two service events for the week leading up to Student Conclave. Students donated to a food drive benefiting multiple local food pantries in close proximity to PT and PTA programs across the state, as well as a virtual 5K benefiting the Special Olympics of North Carolina. One attendee stated, “The Special Olympics is such a great organization and one that I would love to see in future service events, especially if we can volunteer with them in person in addition to raising money.”

Last, the night prior to the conclave, the SSIG hosted a Virtual Pub Night including trivia and bingo events, where the SSIG was able to raffle off gift cards as prizes thanks to the sponsors Pivot Physical Therapy, Novant Health, and Confluent Health. This event was an opportunity for students to meet other students from various the 9 PT assistant programs and ten doctoral PT programs in NC.

Next year’s APTA NC SSIG 5th Annual Student Conclave is scheduled to be held at Campbell University and we all hope it will be in-person!

Christopher received the Excellence in Education award from the Academy of Sports Physical Therapy during the APTA’s annual event in Denver, Colorado. This prestigious award recognized Christopher for the outstanding preparation, patient care for athletes, research and service that contribute to her exceptional teaching in the sports physical therapy field.

Christopher is a board-certified sports clinical specialist and a licensed athletic trainer who currently teaches evaluation and treatment of lower extremities in the Elon Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. She wrote the chapter on the lower leg and ankle in the Reiman 2016 “Orthopedic Clinical Evaluation” textbook that is used in classes at Elon. Christopher also teaches a six-week sports and orthopedic elective, a highly desirable course where students practice PT with sports patients, with one-on-one mentorship, and participate in sports PT experiences that range from working in the dugout of the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team to the wings of the Carolina Ballet stage.

Christopher is the founding director of Elon’s new post-graduate residency program, ElonRuns, a running-focused sports residency in collaboration with Division I athletics department physicians, coaches, athletic trainers and athletes. The ElonRuns residency encompasses an entire network of activities that support the residency – community running club, resources for runners, research on running-related topics, and a running PT faculty clinic that includes specialty tests, such as running analysis done by Christopher herself. Christopher and the sports resident see athletes at the Elon athletic training rooms where DPT students are welcome to observe and participate to their education level.

Christopher’s excellence in the classroom and in the ElonRuns program dovetails with her ongoing doctoral research. She has published two research manuscripts on post-partum running and is in the data collection phase of the final two studies that will start to fill an egregious gap in the literature regarding women runners. Above and beyond her required departmental duties, Christopher has supervised student research in baseball, softball, cross country, track and field, basketball and lacrosse – many of which resulted in platform or poster presentations at national conferences and, more importantly, provided valuable information to coaches and athletes.

Christopher’s leadership and participation in the AASPT show her commitment as a mentor and role model who inspires DPT students to get involved with their professional association. She serves on the running special interest group leadership committee as an item writer for the sports specialist exam, an abstract reviewer for the AASPT and the Team Concept Conference, and has been a speaker for running symposia.

Christopher’s selection to travel with the U.S. Paralympic Team to the World Games and other events also speaks volumes about her excellence in sports PT. It’s no wonder she was recognized by the AASPT with this year’s Excellence in Education award.

The Department of Physical Therapy Education is hosting visiting scholar Jerneja “Neja” Uhan for the next nine months.

​Uhan has a degree in podiatry and is a doctor of philosophy candidate at Oxford University in England, studying foot posture during running gait. She is collaborating with Shefali Christopher, assistant professor of physical therapy education, and the ElonRUNS program to develop a better understanding of arch height and foot posture with running. Her data will be collected in the Elon biomechanics lab using the 3D motion capture system and via ground force plates to analyze kinematics (joint motion) and kinetics (joint force) at the feet when running.  

During her time at Elon, she will be collaborating with a variety of faculty and students on projects and mentoring current students during their research curriculum.

The research coordinator for Department of Physical Therapy Education, Associate Professor Srikant Vallabhajosula, has been her host at Elon and notes, “Having Neja here is both exciting and mutually beneficial.  Not only does she bring her knowledge and expertise in podiatry to apply to  on-going research here at Elon, but she also brings rich research skills that are unique to doctoral training at a non-US institution.”

Christopher’s doctoral research on runners who are postpartum dovetails nicely with Uhan’s research. Pregnant women often have changes in foot posture and arch due to increased laxity and weight gain during that time.

“We are excited to have Ms. Uhan explore foot posture during running gait in postpartum women,” Christopher said. “This will be an important variable to measure in postpartum runners as foot posture can affect knee and hip mechanics. This will be a unique and much-needed clinically applicable feature to the extant running literature.”

Important partnerships at Elon have supported this research collaboration with Oxford University. “We are so grateful to Dean Ann Bullock of the School of Education who helped us create this connection and who is hosting Neja in her home,” said School of Health Sciences Dean Becky Neiduski. 

Furthermore, Uhan’s work at the Francis Center provides great opportunities for cultural exchange with Elon DPT students, faculty and staff.  “Learning and working with professionals from different backgrounds allows for organic sharing of cultural differences and aides in the development of cultural sensitivity and humility.  The development of these skills are critical for healthcare providers,” said Paula DiBiasio, global learning opportunities chair at the School of Health Sciences,.

Uhan said she chose Elon to host her data collection because of its excellent reputation in the field of running.  “For high-quality research, expertise from both the research and clinical aspects is essential,” she said. “The multidisciplinary team here at Elon is flourishing with their expertise in both fields from their highly established community running clinic, the ElonRUNS club, and their state of the art running lab. I am looking forward to being a part of this amazing team, albeit my stay is for a short period of time.”

Christopher's keynote presentation highlighted three types of pelvic floor dysfunction that can affect runners' pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain and urinary incontinence. Up to 80 percent of females and up to 25 percent of males have urinary incontinence in the general population. In addition to the keynote address, Christopher taught a lab class covering such topics as the impact of breathing patterns on decreasing pelvic floor pressure while running.

Christopher pointed out that with runners, the concern is an increase in intraabdominal pressure that leads to stress incontinence — often a missed diagnosis due to embarrassment; thus providers must ask about this condition. If the diaphragm and pelvic floor don’t work in unison or if the runner holds the breath, the pressure can be too much for the pelvic floor to withstand. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and must have both endurance and quick reflex properties and thus need to be rehabilitated as such.

A common misconception is that the pelvic floor muscles are too weak. However, over time they could be too tight (just like the hamstrings) and lead to incontinence or pain. The address also included topics such as the connection between outer hip muscles contractions and pelvic floor activation, along with how that translates to running drills and to running.

Other speakers included physical therapists Jay Dicharry and Eric Magrum, Dr. Robert Wildner, Dr. John Post, Dr. David Hryvniak, Dr. Siobhan Statuta, Dr. Frank Gwathmey and B. Kent Diduch. Conference attendees offered Christopher such comments as "Engaging and informative!" and "I feel more confident in my ability to screen for pelvic floor dysfunction in athletes and my ability to treat them after hearing this talk!"

“The UVA running conference is one of the nation’s top running conferences," Christopher said. "Every year they put on a great event. It was such an honor to keynote this prestigious conference and speak amongst world-famous running physical therapy specialists like Jay Dicharry."

Christopher has been treating runners in the Raleigh-Durham-Elon community for the past 10 years, focusing on not only improving strength, flexibility, and range of motion, but also providing running analysis and gait retraining. She is the primary instructor in the Elon Doctor of Physical Therapy education program for evaluation and treatment of the lower extremity and the Sports/Orthopedic elective course.

Students from 13 of North Carolina’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) programs participated in the 2019 North Carolina Student Conclave held March 23 at Elon. 51������'s DPT program hosted the 2nd Annual Conclave, an event that was a huge hit and was attended by 200 students from across the state.

The night prior to the conclave, the Student Special Interest Group hosted Pub Night at Magerks with a PT Pintcast hosted by former rock radio DJ and current physical therapist and director of communications for Fox Rehabilitation, Jimmy McKay.  Twenty-five students were asked three questions: 1) Before you go to clinic, what's ONE thing you'll do to prepare?  2)  What's ONE thing you're most AFRAID of?  3) What's ONE thing you're EXCITED about? According to McKay, "The answers were as varied as the students' fingerprints."  Listen to the podcast episode here – .

The students packed plenty of school spirit for the conclave, which really showed during the introduction of the NCPTA Board of Directors and later during a live show recording of another episode of PT Pintcast recorded during the conclave. The episode of the conclave PT Pintcast episode will be available by April 29 here – .

The day concluded with a “speed networking” event during which students chatted with and learned from local clinicians, recruiters and residents about their experiences in their respective roles and available opportunities for students.  

Finally, Conclave attendees headed to a fun-filled afternoon at the HOPE 5K, a fundraiser for the Elon pro bono clinic where Hannah Stapleton, a PTA student from Guilford Technical Community College, won a $50 Target gift card sponsored by Drayer PT and Benchmark PT.  Community member Jonathan Draper won the 5K race and third-year DPT student David Guthrie came in second. 

As part of the conclave, students from around the state donated items such as clothing, shoes, blankets, coloring books, books, magazines, and toiletries to benefit a local skilled nursing facility in Burlington, Alamance Healthcare Center.

All-in-all, a fun time for students and their mentors. We are looking forward to #NCSC2020, to be hosted by High Point University!

OPAF offers a variety of introductory-level adaptive sports to those with mobility challenges. The students participated in the First Swim Clinic, an adaptive swim clinic which works to make amputees and those with physical challenges more comfortable in and around the water. The students took part in a three-hour educational session in the morning followed by a two-hour afternoon swim session with community participants. Participants included those with spinal cord injuries, bilateral and triple amputations.

Seven students helped with the workshop: Raina Stevens, Zach Collins, Michelle Jamin, Ryan Molinaro, Connor Vice, Ashely Etherton and Corrie Haynes. Michelle Jamin, a third-year DPT student and student intern with OPAF, said, “I was so excited to share my involvement with the adaptive sports community with my classmates. I hope to inspire others to get involved with this population.”

Third year-student Ryan Molinaro and first-year student Ashley Etherton reintroduced swimming to a community participant with a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed below the waist. This was the first time he had tried swimming since his injury.

Second-year student Connor Vice worked with a community participant eager to get back to fishing who was nervous about getting his prosthesis wet. With the right coaching, he and Connor jumped right into the water, whichwas the first time he had ever submerged his prosthesis.

OPAF is sponsoring the first Carolinas Adaptive Standing Tennis Tournament April 26-28. Elon DPT students will be in attendance. Other volunteers are needed.