About
Health Empowerment Starts Here.
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Rehab Fitness & Wellness is designed to empower women with the knowledge and know-how to meet their rehab & fitness goals.
As a pelvic health and orthopedic physical therapist, I uniquely and effectively unite these areas to treat the whole patient- not just symptoms.
I believe in working collectively with my patient's team of healthcare providers, birth professionals, and personal trainers to assist in a comprehensive and long-lasting recovery.
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Birth of Rehab Fitness & Wellness
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Working as an orthopedic physical therapist I noticed a trend- patients come to the end of their rehab stint, are provided a plan of action for re-entry into sport (etc.), yet they would return 6 months/1 year later with a similar, or related injury. Perplexed with this outcome, and the standard structure of physical therapy in the current healthcare environment, I began using my rehab expertise and background as an exercise physiologist to provide wellness offerings: to help patients bridge the gap between rehab and fitness. I identified this transitional zone (from rehab to gym) - often referred to as the "maintenance" or "wellness" phase - as a critical step in achieving and sustaining full recovery.
While earning my Doctorate in Physical Therapy Science, I developed and led physical therapy wellness programs for adults and children as well as ran research studies focused on Wellness physical therapy - at that time, Wellness Physical Therapy was un-chartered territory. The outcomes were phenomenal. By providing fitness assessments, exercise prescriptions, and rehab treatments, patients were able to re-connect to their bodies and achieve their full potential.
As an orthopedic physical therapist I treated patients who had discomfort/pain associated with pregnancy and the postpartum periods. It wasn't until I was pregnant myself, I realized the lack of- and inaccurate- information regarding changes the body undergoes during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Fueled with a passion, this led to a mission and calling to change the care for prenatal and postpartum women; Rehab Fitness & Wellness was born.
Every birth carries a story.
My physical therapy practice is based on the premise that patients deserve to be heard and re-connected to their bodies. Our birth experiences, stories, and journeys make us who we our - they are literally the emotional and physical roots of our body.
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Several years ago I was treating a women 80 years of age who came to me with back pain. Reaching back into her past medical history, we were able to uncover that her back pain started while she had been pregnant... over 50 years prior! Birth experiences shape who we are and affect our health- no matter how many years postpartum we are. She was able to tell me every detail about her pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum period. It was like it had happened yesterday. This ability to recall the specifics of pregnancy/childbirth seems to be the norm.
My pregnancies, labors, deliveries, and postpartum periods have shaped my life. I look forward to meeting you, hearing your story, and helping you…
re-connect to your body.
Sincerely,
Jen PT
Jen is a licensed physical therapist, ACSM certified exercise physiologist, an associate professor of kinesiology, and a member of the Women's Health Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. She earned her Masters of Science and Doctorate of Physical Therapy Science from UCSF/SFSU physical therapy program. To read more about Jennifer's professional affiliations see her linkedin profile.
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