Skip to main content

Allison Stowers, PT, DPT, sums up the value she offers her fellow rock climbers with an anecdote.

"I had an injured climber say to me, 'It was the second move from the top on Osiris — that gaston where you're pulling up to the top hold." Another PT might have asked the patient to kindly speak English. Stowers, however, not only fully understood the sentence, but also could envision the site and draw from her experience in treating the injury.

Osiris, she knew, is a boulder "problem" that's graded V10 on a scale that runs from V0 to V17. It's located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Stowers treats climbers at Peak Fitness & Physical Therapy. A gaston is a type of grip in which the climber uses one hand with the thumb down and the elbow out to maintain friction against a hold by pressing outward toward the elbow.

Log in or create a free account to keep reading.


Join APTA to get unlimited access to content.


You Might Also Like...

News

Final FY ’26 SNF and IRF Rules: Payment Increases and Removal of SDOH Measures

Aug 27, 2025

The Big Picture: Effective Oct. 1, 2025, skilled nursing facilities will see a payment increase of 3.2%, which is slightly higher than the 2.8% included

News

2025 Maley Lecturer: Movement Is 'Our Professional Lens'

Aug 25, 2025

For the second year in a row, the John H.P. Maley Lecture was all about the movement system. Nancy Bloom, PT, DPT, MSOT, gave the 2025 lecture with the

Members Only

Car Rental Discount Program for APTA Members

Aug 25, 2025

APTA members can save with Avis and Budget.