Gaslight Village Physical Therapy

05/11/2022

Great words of wisdom!

02/13/2022

The weather has been warming up over the past week and I've seen more and more runners out and about! While I know it's not quite spring time yet in Michigan, I would like to share some taping techniques for common running injuries that will hopefully help a few of you!

Achilles tendonitis is a common injury for runners this time of year. It is usually caused by increasing mileage too quickly, running on uneven surfaces or using improper footwear. Ways to prevent this from becoming an issue are performing single leg calf raises, jumping rope and performing 3-way double leg calf raises with weights in your hands. This way you will have strong calves and well adapted tendons that can more easily take the load of running before you get outside on the pavement.

The taping technique to alleviate tension in the Achilles starts with laying the tape under the pad of the heel without tension. You then pull the tape upwards at approximately 70% of the tape's stretch and lay the top 2 inches of the tape on the calf without tension to help it adhere well. You may repeat this with 2 strips of tape. Research shows this is a good treatment technique for 1 week but if pain persists then you will need to start other stretching/strengthening exercises. Please feel free to reach out so we can help you get back to pain free running! Thanks!

10/01/2021

If you're training for the Amway River Bank Run, consider joining us Saturday morning at the downtown YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids for a final community training run. For more information, visit https://amwayriverbankrun.com/.

09/22/2021

So thankful for our rehab clinicians and all they do to help people in the community get back to what they love doing!

06/26/2021

Great 9 minutes of running tips!
I appreciate the tips on spending time stretching after a run, calf strengthening (as we all lose elasticity in our calves/Achilles especially after the age of 40 which means we need to be stronger there to avoid calf strains) and the quick step drills to have less ground reaction forces going through our body.

Looking to level up your running ability? There are not many better to learn from the triathlon legend that is Tim Don! Here are his top 8 run tips, drills, ...

04/16/2021

Interesting commentary on whether or not an athlete returning from an ACL reconstruction should wear a function brace.

I’m on the side of wearing one for the first year post op as it provides some protection and gives the athlete some level of mental support as well as they return to competitive live action.

Real life example: I worked with a high school girl that returned to soccer as a goalie and had a forward slide into her braced knee and destroy the brace but her knee came out unscathed. In that case it probably saved her knee from some sort of damage.

Most athletes get used to it after a few weeks and can perform at a very high level in high school or college sport. They can be just as agile and quick and feel a sense of safety that first season back.

11/12/2020

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2020/11/spectrum-health-days-away-from-hitting-capacity-as-coronavirus-rages-in-west-michigan.html?fbclid=IwAR0CzngrkJYlqDemGI4LBMBtQAQumdGiPKV_6xT1bIC9RxdeDSgtnuhFnSE

Nearly 300 people were hospitalized for the virus Wednesday, continuing an upward trend that has alarmed hospital administrators

09/11/2020

May have to add this into our sports training/return to sport testing 😉

09/04/2020

https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/09/whitmer-reopens-gyms-giving-the-green-light-to-high-school-sports.html?utm_campaign=mlivedotcom_sf&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2-UmV3Ujj4oSxH0rcLDUygGDRfMXDPPLuUUfmPUQ5_qHHzChe4X9vR_Kg

She announced the move in a press release Thursday.

06/15/2020

What a beautiful start to the morning. Happy to serve such a great community! Hope everyone gets outside today and enjoys the end of spring here in Michigan!

05/25/2020

Thank you to all who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and to those who currently serve our country!

Today, we honor and remember those who have fallen while serving our country. From all of us at Spectrum Health, we hope you have a safe and happy Memorial Day.