Proceeds from the event benefit Operation Comfort, a non-profit organization founded to support the needs of wounded service members recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center.
(San Antonio, Texas – February 02, 2011)
On Saturday January 22, 2011 over 300 runners and walkers participated in the first annual Selma-Schertz Salute to Service Members 5K Run/Walk presented by Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS). Proceeds from the event benefit Operation Comfort, a non-profit organization founded to support the needs of wounded service members recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center. Operation Comfort provides adaptive sports programs including hand cycling, sled hockey, adaptive skiing and surfing, Automotivation (a program where wounded service members can work on cars), and emergency family financial assistance for wounded service members.
“Overall, the first annual Selma-Schertz Salute to Service Members 5K Run/Walk was a success,” states Michael Keresztes, physical therapist and Clinic Director of TexPTS’ Selma location. “We had slightly more than 300 folks register for the event. The cities of Selma and Schertz, along with Texas Physical Therapy Specialists, had a vision to promote both health and wellness and support a great cause, Operation Comfort.”
The event started at 8:00 AM in front of the Blue Bonnet Palace on Lookout Road in Selma. Participants then ran, walked or rolled into Schertz and returned to finish the event at the Blue Bonnet Palace. Post-race awards, a raffle, live music, refreshments, and free Functional Movement Screens by TexPTS physical therapists took place.
A Functional Movement Screen is a test to determine “how well you move” and is used to find weaknesses before they affect sports performance or turn into injuries. The screen identifies limitations and allows physical therapists to prescribe the most effective exercises to restore proper function and build strength. Research in the February 2010 Journal of Strength and Conditioning suggests that Functional Movement Screens can be “confidently used to assess the movement patterns of athletes and to make decision related to interventions for performance enhancement…and assist in identifying athletes at risk for injury.”
TexPTS is able to use the Functional Movement Screen to help patients avoid extensive and invasive testing by quickly identifying dangerous movement patterns and customizing a treatment plan.
“Functional Movement Screens are not just for top-athletes. These screens are great to help adults recover from an injury that occurred in the past so that they can live their life without pain and enjoy the hobbies they love,” explains Andrew Bennett, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, and Texas Physical Therapy Specialists owner and clinic director. “Young athletes that participate in school sports can also benefit by gaining strength and balance that they didn’t even know they were lacking before the screen. We don’t just tell patients where they need help, but also tell them how to make these areas better.”
The Selma-Schertz Salute to Service Members 5K Run/Walk presented by TexPTS benefited Operation Comfort, while also promoting health and wellness for Texans in Selma and Schertz. “Great event!” states a race participant. “Really looking forward to next year! It was an honor running with our wounded warriors. Those guys and gals are truly inspirational! Great job putting this event together.”
About Texas Physical Therapy Specialists:
Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS) is a private physical therapy practice with locations throughout San Antonio, Austin, and Tyler. Known for teaching and training physical therapists all over the U.S., TexPTS physical therapists pride themselves in being spine experts. They deliver hands-on physical therapy based on the newest research to achieve the best results for patients with bad backs, achy joints, wounded hands, and work injuries. Along the way, the TexPTS family has fun and makes friends with their patients (and their pets, their kids, their in-laws, and neighbors….). Perhaps this is why they were voted the Best Private Physical Therapy Practice in the U.S. in 2009 by their peers in the American Physical Therapy Association. For more information visit TexPTS.com or find TexPTS on Facebook.com.
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