When the tests are clear but something still isn't right.
Most care chases pain and symptoms. We help you identify, problem solve, and restore your structural and functional health.
Jennifer C. Shepherd, PT, CFMT, FFMT, FAAOMPT, FMCP
Orthopedics – Post Concussion – Complex Cases
Imaging, injections, surgery, rehab, diets, lab work all may have an important place. However, when you’ve tried them and something still isn’t right, we ask different questions:
What is everything that has happened to your body over your lifetime?
How has your body tried to compensate to keep you moving and safe?
How can we help you unburden your body and optimize its function?
Chasing Symptoms Alone Isn’t Working
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Pain and symptoms are the alarm, not the primary problem. It shows up where your body finally runs out of room to compensate, often far from where the trouble started. Treat only the spot that hurts, and the real problem stays. That’s why so many people collect diagnoses, try one treatment after another, and still don’t feel right
Your Life Story Matters
Any past or present injury, surgery, trauma-physical or emotional, stressful event, unhealthy diet, and a sitting lifestyle ALL negatively impacts the body’s ability to do all of its jobs. These strains on the body and the need for the body to try to adapt to continue functioning.
The more stress and strains one has accumulated, the greater burden and the need for compensations.
Over time those compensations add up, and your structure pays the price.
Our Philosophy
LISTEN
Your story matters. Understanding your history helps us understand your body and why you are currently struggling.
IDENTIFY
Through your intake, movement, and hands-on assessment. We quickly pinpoint which structures and systems aren’t functioning at their best.
PROBLEM SOLVE
We connect those findings to your history to understand the deeper relationships of your symptoms.
RESTORE
We restore mobility and function of your structures and pathways, integrating them into your whole body.
EQUIP & EMPOWER
We teach you the most effective and efficient self-care skills to keep your body healthy for a lifetime.
Functional Medicine meets Integrative Manual Physical Therapy
Functional Medicine is more that just expensive tests and supplements. It is looking at the body as a whole, identifying and supporting the systems that are overburdened.
Again, asking the question…”what has happened?”
Inflammation, stress, poor sleep, hidden food sensitivities, leaky gut, lack of good exercise, and genetic vulnerabilities ALL complicate the healing process of your body.
Our signature programs teach you awareness and skills to support the work we do in the clinic and support your body for a lifetime.
Meet JENNIFER SHEPHERD
Most physical therapists treat one joint, one muscle, one diagnosis at a time. Most functional medicine providers focus on labs and supplements. Doctors offer medications, surgery, injections.
My education, skillset, experience, and gifts equip me to assess and treat the whole body as one integrated system: musculoskeletal, visceral, neural, vascular — through the lens of functional medicine — together, in one visit.
There are fewer than 40 recognized Fellows of the Institute of Physical Art in the country. I’m the only one who also holds both certification in Functional Medicine and advanced training in Visceral Manipulation through the Barral Institute..
That means I can find connections between your symptoms, history, lifestyle, and structure that other providers miss entirely.
Jennifer Shepherd, PT, CFMT, FFMT, FAAOMPT, FMCP
Fellowship-trained in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy · Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner · 26 years in practice
REAL RESULTS
“Without the therapy administered by Jen Shepherd and her team, my son would not be on National Honor Society, would not be an excellent student athlete and especially would never have been able to become a collegiate student athlete. He went from an extremely angry soul that was not able to form a sentence to this successful and happy college student. I’ve never seen him so happy and there are no words to remotely express the gratitude we have for our amazing fortune of having this therapy less than an hour from our home.”
-Barb Bouy, mother to Jake, 18
For years I felt sluggish and exhausted despite eating well and exercising, and another functional medicine group kept testing me for everything without ever explaining why. Jennifer looked at my whole history, including past physical and emotional traumas, to understand how I got here. She then worked on my systems in the right order, starting with my gut, where we found gluten and dairy were driving my inflammation. Once my gut was healing, we moved on to detoxification and supporting my sluggish liver, adding sauna and movement as we went. Five years later, at 48, I sleep better, have steady energy, and feel sharper and lighter than ever, because Jennifer finally helped me understand the why.
-Dan C., Graphic Designer, 48
“Jen offers a uniquely comprehensive approach to movement, recovery, and function, pinpointing how multiple body systems contribute to inefficiencies in movement and stability. After just one session, I could sleep and move in the morning without the back pain I’d had for years, despite previous PT, self-treatment, and exercise. She finally found and treated “that spot” and its surrounding connections, and the change in my posture and walking was visible right away. Because she brings together the orthopedic, nervous, and vascular systems, she clears what’s actually driving the dysfunction instead of just treating the symptoms. It feels like I can finally drive my body without the brake stuck down.”
-Sally Kappan, 46, PT, CFMT
Ready to find out what is contributing to your symptoms?
Every patient starts with a Discovery Call. 15 minutes, online or phone call.
For Clinicians: I mentor Physical Therapists in systems-based clinical reasoning and precise Manual Therapy technique.
Learn about the mentorship → For Clinicians