Who We Are
We might be new to Corvallis, but we’re no rookies when it comes to solving your body problems!
Sweetgrass Physical Therapy & Wellness was founded in 2011 by Physical Therapist Dana Hughes and her family, husband Jimi Hughes and mother Ann Nankervis. The initial office was located at the Gateway to Glacier National Park in Cut Bank, Montana, overlooking the Rocky Mountains and Sweetgrass Hills at the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation. Sweetgrass is one of the main herbs used by Native people to bring cleansing, positivity and strength during healing rituals. We retain the original Sweetgrass name in honor of our roots.
The family enjoyed 7 years of providing relief to a wide range of folks from all walks of life including farmers and ranchers, Native Americans, US Border Patrol and Customs agents, wind-farm, oil and gas workers, park rangers and outdoor enthusiasts, teachers and high- school athletes. In 2018, the family decided to relocate to the warmer climes of the Willamette Valley.
Our Mission:
- Health, Healing & Wellness Done Right.
Our Vision:
Sweetgrass Physical Therapy & Wellness will be your premier provider of physical rehabilitation and wellness services in the Willamette Valley, for your current and future needs. The practice will provide both effective and expedient orthopedic physical therapy personalized for the individual recovering from illness or injury, with acute or chronic pain or neuromuscular dysfunction. An atmosphere of diversity and inclusion will be maintained.
A variety of wellness services such as massage, post-therapy exercise memberships and lifestyle medicine consultations will be available on-site to genuinely and positively affect your life. The atmosphere will be professional yet relaxed, friendly and fun. Therapy services will be available on a cash pay basis or maybe billed through a health insurance plan when applicable.
We will establish your trust so you can feel comfortable coming to us with your next problem or refer your family and friends for us to help. With the referral of a veterinarian, physical therapy will be offered to our equine friends in their home environment.
Our Team:
Each family member brings a special gift to Sweetgrass Physical Therapy & Wellness. A bit about the individuals...
Dana Hughes PT, MPT, OCS Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Certified Specialist
Dana became interested in the field of physical therapy when she was a young horseback rider, competing in English Junior Equitation. A herniated disc nearly sidelined her riding career, but with the help of a great physical therapist, Dana was able to return to riding and compete in the national finals.
Graduating from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science in 1995, Dana has over 25 years experience helping people like you in a variety of settings including hospitals, home health, and outpatient orthopedic practice. She became a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist in 2007 and was re-certified in 2017. She served a 3 year term on the Montana State Board of Physical Therapy and has been a Legal Compliance Officer.
Dana’s treatment approach is to get to know you first. She will listen thoroughly to your story and your expectations and goals for treatment. She will then perform the following:
- A through physical exam, looking at how you move your body,
- Testing of your muscle strength,
- Assessment of your joint range of motion, and
- Flexibility, and muscle tension tests as well.
She then provides you with a clear explanation of the problem in terms you can understand and relate to. She’ll outline all the different options for treatment and you can then decide how the program can be best tailored to your personal situation.
In addition to the traditional and conventional treatment options such as exercise Dana utilizes a number of specialized techniques like:
- Joint mobilization,
- Soft tissue mobilization, and
- Counterstrain.
Counterstrain is a treatment is a gentle, non invasive way to relieve your painful trigger points and muscle tension by comfortably positioning your body part for a prescribed length of time. Her patients often refer to this treatment as “magic”. It is a highly effective method of re-setting the nervous system back toward homeostasis.
Dana also specializes in helping you to analyze your movement patterns and habits, teaching one how to establish better body mechanics to prevent recurrence of problems.
She is working toward a certification in Lifestyle Medicine, which is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic intervention including a whole food plant predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep. stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection as a primary modality, delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty to prevent, treat and often reverse chronic disease. Dana is looking forward to helping you further improve your life with this new information.
Outside of the office, Dana is a vocalist and musician, playing bass and acoustic guitar in a rock band with her husband Jimi. She is an accomplished songwriter with numerous copyrighted works. She enjoys horseback riding, cool cars, motorcycling, baking and gardening.
Jimi Hughes, IT and Security Specialist, The Boss
When you call in to the office, you will likely speak with Jimi who will get you set up for your care. He is a computer systems analyst by trade, but will delight you with his wit and charm. Jimi has a unique sense of humor and may make you laugh or intrigue you with his interesting fact of the day. Outside the office Jimi plays electric and acoustic guitar, and manages all the technical aspects of his rock band.
Ann Nankervis, Billing Manager
Insurance billing and claims will be handled by Ann, who has 30 years of experience in healthcare billing on both the provider and insurance side. She has an investigative side, and takes pride in ensuring your insurance claims are properly processed and paid. Outside the office, Ann enjoys hiking, gardening, helping Dana with her horses, and volunteers at HART therapeutic riding program.
