Sandpoint physical therapist provides personalized care for your health and well-being
By Jillian Chandler
Chris Vanderford was born and raised in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho. He would move away to pursue an education and start his career, opening a physical therapy clinic in Boise, but Sandpoint was calling him back. He heeded the call and made his way back to North Idaho in the fall of 2019, where he could once again enjoy the beauty of the area and be closer to his family. The following year, in October of 2020, he would open Action Point Physical Therapy.
An athlete throughout his college years, Chris experienced his fair share of injuries, followed by weeks, if not months, of rehabilitation. He came to understand the importance of having an educated guide assist with the healing process and found himself drawn to the idea of being able to do the same for others. Prior to attending physical therapy school, Chris worked as a physical therapy tech at his uncle’s physical therapy clinic, which solidified the path he wanted to pursue. “That experience really gave me a good idea of what being a physical therapist was like on a daily basis, and it was something that I really enjoyed,” he recalls. He would earn his degree as a doctor of physical therapy (DPT).
You can find Action Point Physical Therapy located inside 7B Fitness on 5th Avenue. Chris is grateful for the 7B Fitness ownership, staff, instructors and personal trainers who have come together to create a location that promotes health and wellness—an ideal fit for his clinic. “I also give a lot of credit to Melissa Midstokke, who runs the entire front and back office. She really keeps everything running smoothly so I can focus on my job of getting people better.”
At Action Point Physical Therapy, all treatments are performed one on one with a licensed physical therapist to ensure the appropriate amount of attention is provided to the patient by a skilled provider for optimal outcomes.
They provide outpatient physical therapy services to include treatment and rehabilitation for pain, injuries and post-surgical rehabilitation. Chris and his team assist their patients in correcting abnormal movement patterns that are contributing to pain and difficulty with their normal daily activities, whether work related, sports or recreational. They also provide analysis of alignment and posture, running and walking gait analysis, dry needling, blood flow restriction training, treatment of vertigo associated with the vestibular system (inner ear), and other general balance training.
Treatments include hands-on manual therapy (soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilizations) as necessary to complement other treatments for optimal outcomes.
“Promoting body alignment and symmetry, as well as training correct muscle recruitment and movement patterns, are included, to a degree, in all treatment plans we employ, as this allows for improvement for the long term,” Chris says.
He finds fulfillment in the process of helping people and building relationships with them; witnessing the progress made physically with decreased pain and improved mobility while observing changes in patients’ attitude and mood as they start to improve. “It’s a great thing to see and an enjoyable process,” he says. “The work we do is really a team effort between the therapist and the patient. I love showing people what they can do and seeing them make progress.”
On a case-by-case basis, Chris will even provide house calls to those patients in need of his services, who are unable to come into the clinic.
As a business owner, Chris enjoys supporting the other privately owned companies in the area and meeting the many owners. He takes advantage of all the local opportunities that are available here in Sandpoint, whether it’s shopping the seasonal weekly farmers market, attending the annual Festival at Sandpoint, or taking in a performance at The Panida. “It’s great to be back in town!” he smiles.
Chris also finds it important to give back, donating a portion of his business’ proceeds to the Idaho Special Olympics and UNICEF.
If you're in need of personalized physical therapy services to get back to doing what you love without pain or discomfort, contact Chris today at Action Point Physical Therapy.
Action Point Physical Therapy
606 North 5th Avenue
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864