As the profession of physical therapy advances, clinicians are looking for creative ways to apply their skill sets. In recent years, wilderness medicine has been growing in popularity within the physical therapy realm. Wilderness medicine is characterized by remote and improvised care of patients with routine or exotic illnesses or trauma, limited resources and manpower, and delayed evacuation to definitive care (Sward and Bennett 2014).

More individuals are partaking in outdoor activities given easier access to austere environments and interest to challenge themselves. This has led to a significant number of safety and injury incidents in the backcountry setting leading to a higher need for rescues and requiring more trained medical teams for extractions.

Physical therapists (PTs) can add a valuable role to the wilderness rescue setting in many ways. They are skilled at forming therapeutic alliances with patients and communicating with other medical clinicians and in the backcountry, help may be hours away. It’s a priority to keep the patient as calm as possible, record medical findings and assist with procedures.

Second, PTs are highly trained to identify and treat musculoskeletal injuries that are very common in the wilderness. It’s rare that an individual in the backcountry to have sustained only one injury or experienced medical condition. PTs also have a strong background for body positioning and mechanics that can help keep the patient safe and comfortable and possibly reduce injuries for the medical team. By having clinicians on the rescue team with varying skillsets, triage is far more effective and the patient will receive better focused care.

Although wilderness medicine is exciting, there are other considerations clinicians must be mindful of before getting involved. The wilderness setting is unpredictable and thinking quickly in the moment is a foundational skill. It’s being mindful of your energy and thoughts and how to contribute safely and appropriately. It’s very much a team approach and practicing effective communication every second. Make sure you know how to minimize the chances of becoming a patient yourself or putting others at risk.

Clinicians should have prior experience with the backcountry in regards to survival or bushman skills, assessing the environment, understanding potential weather patterns and appreciating that things can change in milliseconds. Also, clinicians need to be aware of their own body fitness and abilities and what sort of environments they can withstand and for how long. Knowing how to prepare and take care of yourself in the backcountry is another much needed skill as a wilderness medical team member.