 Headaches are a very common problem people face today. Migraine headaches are extremely debilitating and can cause significant limitations in what you can do. Migraines are often treated with various medicines.
Sometimes headaches do not respond to migraine treatment and doctors may consider the possibility of another cause. One of these originates with problems in the upper cervical spine which refers pain up into the head. According to the website migraines.com, these cervico-genic headaches (CGH) oftentimes start with pain at the base of your head and can radiate to the lower jaw or over the top of the head and possibly into the eye. People often experience tightness in the muscles of their back, neck, shoulder, and upper chest. Physical therapy can be used to address posture, tightness, and strengthening of the muscles of your neck. The therapist will also instruct the person in a customized home exercise program to complement the physical therapy. This can often be a successful treatment in reducing the influence of the neck on the headaches. If successful, the individual can continue with their exercises and reduce dependency on medicine, therapists, and physicians. Call us today if you would like to be evaluated to see if we can help you with your headaches: 616-662-0990. Steve Bartz, PT
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 There are not many things in the world that are free, especially that will benefit your health, so let us help you with a FREE 15 minute consultation. The purpose of a consultation is to help you decide what you need; do you need to start physical therapy or do you just need to know exercises to do? Our physical therapists will guide you at your consultation appointment on what is the best option to help you get feeling better! If you and the therapists decide you will need physical therapy, then we at HPT check your insurance benefits and set you up with an initial evaluation. If you and the therapists decide not to do physical therapy, then you are sent on your way typically with exercises or some knowledge of what is going on with your body to help you get moving and feeling better again, or a recommendation on seeing your doctor or a specialist if needed. Call us to schedule your free consultation!
By: Rebecca Popma  Everyone has their own unique style of movement, with mild variations from person to person. The next time you attend a sporting event, observe the variations in how people run, or jump, or swing a bat or golf club. You will seldom see people that move exactly the same way. Yet there is an optimal way to move in everything that we do. As athletes become more elite, you will notice that they move similarly, and that is because they have learned the best and most efficient ways of moving, so that they can perform at an elite level.
Unfortunately, most of us are nowhere near that type of athlete. However, we can actually train our bodies to move differently; to “move better”. In doing so, we can improve our performance as well as reduce the frequency of injuries by learning how to move in the way our bodies were biomechanically designed to. Did you know that we can help you to move better? Physical therapists are trained to watch you move, identify movement abnormalities that you may have, and offer tips and exercises to improve your movement. Taking that a step further, we have developed a performance training program for athletes! Utilizing the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) as a baseline, we develop personalized training programs to improve physical performance and reduce the incidence of non-contact injuries. We do these programs on an individual basis, as well as in small group classes. If you are interested in “moving better” and “performing better”, Hudsonville PT is the place for you! Contact us and let us know that you are interested in our FMS based training programs. Mason Riegel, PT, FMS Level 1&2 Don’t let winter get the best of you! When you’re trapped inside during these cold, snowy, winter months stay active. Her are five easy exercises to keep you going during the winter months without leaving home.
 2. Up and down a step: Find any step in your home and go up and down, alternating legs 20 x. 3. Cane raises: Use a cane, golf club or anything straight. Grab with hands shoulder width apart and lift overhead 20 x.  4. Arm curls: Grab any small wt. or object around the house and perform an arm curls 20x. 5. Overhead press: Again grab a small weight and press straight up overhead 20 x.  These five easy exercises won’t take longer than 5 minutes. If there too easy increase the number of repetitions or weight. Remember, spending a few minutes exercising each day keeps you going during these cold winter months.
Brian Colvin, PT  It is the time of the year where deductibles have been met or insurances are renewing, and you may not have the time to get into your primary care doctor.
Did you know that you can come to Hudsonville Physical Therapy without a referral/prescription from your doctor? With many insurances you can do what is called “Direct Access”- in Michigan, that means you can come in for up to 10 visits within 21 days without a doctor’s referral. After the 21 days are up, you will need a referral from your doctor and then you may continue coming to physical therapy. Reasons to do Direct Access: • If you can’t get into your doctor right away • A “quick fix” • Will save you time and money to come directly to PT and skip a doctor appointment If you are unsure if your specific insurance requires a referral please call us at 616-662-0990 and we can check on that for you! Becca Popma |
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