“We wanted to be closer to Grand Rapids proper because our other facilities are in outlying areas, and we saw a need in the Comstock Park area,” she said. “It’s a growing area, and this location, near the expressway, is easy to get to from Grand Rapids.”
Additionally, one of the regional directors, Gina Otterbein, is originally from the Comstock Park area, so there’s a hometown connection. The clinic offers physical therapy services for back and shoulder pain, knee and foot pain, post-surgery recovery, arthritis, and chronic pain. Otterbein-Bolek specializes in spine and worker’s comp cases, as well as treating vertigo. Patients can also get treated for things like balance problems, and TMJ, a jaw disorder.
The 1400 square foot clinic has a private treatment room and a gym with cardio vascular equipment, a weight pulley system, and parallel bars. Besides Otterbein-Bolek and two part-time physical therapists, there is a full-time exercise physiologist who treats sports-related injuries, and offers personal training services. The clinic accepts most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and patients don’t need a referral from their doctor to make an appointment. The clinic is open until 7 p.m. most evenings making it convenient for people who can’t come during the day.
The first Northern Physical Therapy clinic opened twenty-five years ago in Sparta. When Gina Otterbein and Janis Kemper purchased the business in 2003 there were four clinics. There are now nine, with the most recent being Comstock Park. A location in Allendale will open in April. Northern Physical Therapy is part of the Ivy Rehab Network which has facilities throughout the eastern United States.
Otterbein-Bolek has a masters degree in physical therapy from Grand Valley State University, and has worked in the physical therapy field for sixteen years, fourteen of them at Northern PT. She is a McKenzie certified spine therapist. She observed that as our population ages, seniors are more active and being more pro-active about their health. She says Northern PT’s mission is to create healthier communities. She is looking forward to doing outreach programs about health and well-being in the community.