Specialty Services
RUNNING GAIT ANALYSIS
As someone who started out crippled after running 3 miles (while biking 8+ hours without a problem), I had a sense that some people are just not built to run. Three years later I found myself training for the Mt Mitchell Challenge, and my perspective had changed just a bit. I left my custom orthotics and motion-control shoes behind (literally, I left them in a parking lot one day) and progressively got lighter, more flexible shoes as my body told me to.
Even after orthopedic surgery on my right leg (that’s a story for another day), I returned to running typical distances for 30-50 miles per week without issue. While in Chicago, I got so bored I started running in Vibram Five- Fingers and eventually barefoot (flat surfaces bore me). With the insight from other running specialists (physical therapists, coaches, professional runners, trainers) we have been able to combine the core of PT practicewith video gait analysis to build programs for injury PREVENTION and rehabilitation.
NOTE: Running / walking will be a core part of your recovery program, rather than something you do “once you are healed” as other health care providers might suggest.
PELVIC FLOOR PT
After years of working with all kinds of patients, it was clear to me - physical therapy is incredibly helpful for hip and back pain. But after years of treating clients, it was clear that some people just weren’t getting better, and I couldn’t figure out WHY.
It finally clicked after my own experience of bringing two amazing children into the world AND having hip surgery myself - that my experience couldn’t be unique. Why could I help all of these other clients - men and women - but not address my own issues in a comprehensive way?
It was clear that the way we approach the hip and back had a giant gap - the entire pelvic complex. And even in the world of medicine and physical therapy - PEOPLE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT. I knew that unless I filled in these gaps, there would always be clients I wouldn’t be able to help. I jumped in completely.
I decided to dedicate the time to learning evidence-based evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. I have gone on to complete the Pelvic Health Capstone course through Herman and Wallace, as well as the Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist program by Sarah Duvall. This coursework, along with my advanced skills in Orthopedic and Manual Physical Therapy have given me the ability to treat my patients in a truly holistic way.
My rare ability to combine these advanced skills into a whole-body approach allows my patients to achieve long-lasting improvement even when other approaches have failed. I’m passionate about helping my patients address those missing pieces and returning to truly living & enjoying the life they were meant to live.
-Annie
BIOMECHANICAL BIKE FITTING
Wes is a certified fitter through Bike PT , a program that applies his extensive knowledge of body mechanics and training to bike fit. He has also done work with Paul Swift and BikeFit, which focuses on the necessity to balance your cleat position, rotation, and lateral position to align to body for optimal comfort and performance.
Everything from road, cross, gravel, mountain, recumbent, Triathlon, time trial, E-bike - Wes has not only done the training to evaluate and dial in the fit, but has ridden it himself. Not only that, but we love to support the exceptional community of those fitters and coaches to get their clients to reach their potential. Here's a blurb from Bike PT director Erik Moen, PT:
“As healthy as bicycling is, riding a bicycle is ironically unnatural, at least from an on-the-bike perspective. The process of mating rider and bicycle in perfect harmony – called bike biomechanics – is a complex equation involving many factors, which can result in far-reaching performance enhancements for competitive cyclists and enjoyment benefits for recreational cyclists.
Bike biomechanics takes into account joint, muscle, load factors, angles, equipment, point-of-contact positioning, pedal force measurements, and biomechanical calculations to formulate the ideal position of every part of both bicycle and rider so that they fit together as one in the most efficient manner possible.
As every body is different, so too are the factors used to determine correct bike positioning. Since a rider’s position on the directly effects how their body moves, optimal positioning is critical to performance and comfort.
To make some sense of how biomechanics effects performance, consider your on-the-bike breathing. Changing your saddle height actually affects your air intake requirements by changing your body’s efficient use of the air you have. By lowering your oxygen requirements for the same physical effort output level, your body becomes more efficient.”
FOOTWEAR & ORTHOTIC EVALUATION
Until Wesley discovered barefoot running, he was a long-time user of orthotics to keep his feet healthy. Footwear and orthotics can mke a HUGE difference in performance, pain, and proper biomechanics.
Many providers fabricate orthotics, but at Anti-Fragile we always:
1- Look at how your entire body moves when you’re on your feet
2- Give you non-orthotic options to help improve your condition
3- Lay out why you should consider off the shelf orthotics, custom orthotics, or shoe changes
4- Discuss the pros and cons of making any or all of these choices
Referral to other practitioners for certain materials OR shoes are part of the primary issue and both need to be changed together. Asheville is lucky enough to have several great shoe stores that can help you out based on your needs and we will provide a footwear prescription for you to take to your shoe specialist.
