CLINIC
The Shepherd Center for Integrative Health was created by Jennifer Shepherd, MSPT, CFMT, FFMT, FAAOMPT, IFMCP in 2018 to fill a void for people in the Cleveland area and beyond, still struggling with health issues despite multiple workups, medications, surgeries, rounds of traditional physical therapy, massage and chiropractic.
Located in Westlake, Ohio, the clinic serves patients locally and throughout the country through in-person evaluation and treatment sessions and online training in personal health optimization.
The clinic prides itself on providing 1:1, direct patient access to master clinicians trained in Integrative Manual Physical Therapy and Functional Medicine to collaborate both with patients other providers to offer problem solving, treatment planning and organization, the restoration of lost structure and function of the body, and guiding patients in being proactive in their health and healing.
Our therapists are equipped to support patients of all ages and all health issues: including but not limited to Chronic neck and back pain,Orthopedic problems, Migraine headaches, chronic head pain, Neurodegenerative disorders, Autoimmune disorders, Neuroendocrine disorders, Scoliosis, TMJ, Central, autonomic, and enteric nervous system disorders, Coccyx Pain, Stress and tension related problems, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Birth trauma, pediatric disorders, Digestive related disorders, Injury rehabilitation, Lymphatic dysfunction, Women’s health issues, Neurovascular related disorders, Concussion recovery, Other medical concerns for which you seek additional answers.
We are proud to be a national leader in Whole Person, Restorative Health.
NEW PATIENTS
For many of you, your health issues started a LONG time ago…those old falls, car accidents, minor bumps to the head and other injuries, lots of antibiotics use, stressful events, the Standard American Diet of refined carbohydrates, sugar and chemicals, exposure to medications and other toxins have ALL affected the structure and function of your body. Over time, your body finally gets to a place where it has run out of options to accommodate or tolerate any new stress or strain.
Even repetitive use injuries such as tendonitis, pain, stress fractures, all have their origins in other old trauma or surgeries which have changed the structural health of your body creating additional strain patterns in areas that were not designed to tolerate excess strain.
That said, our work is in problem solving the deep whys your body is struggling. It takes time for us to restore and improve the structures throughout your body and for your cells and tissues to heal with the changes you implement in your life.
The more trauma and strain you body has experience and is exposed to, the more work you and your therapist have to do…over time.
THIS IS NOT A QUICK FIX.
But the great news is, many patients start noticing improvements within the first 3 sessions, and most experience improvement after the first session.
New Patients All prospective patients must begin with a complementary phone consultation in which a therapist will discuss your case with you to see if and how we can best serve you and to help you understand in more specific detail of what working with us may look like in your specific case. Please use this website to schedule a consult. While we often have a long wait list our office manager will touch base with you within 1-2 weeks of scheduling your consult. There is a brief intake for us to get to know you a little better prior to your call.
OUT-OF-TOWN PATIENTS
We offer multi-day intensive sessions for out of town patients. We spend significant time in assessment and treatment planning and dive right into treatment and recommendations. We may recommend our online courses to support the work we do in the clinic. We will attempt to find a practitioner local to you to continue the work, but most out of town patients schedule multiple intensives to continue the work. Please call our office to request information on our intensive program.
FAQs
Do you take insurance?
We are not contracted with any insurance companies. By NOT participating in 3rd party health care plans we are able to spend the time we need and treat you as you need to be treated. Insurance companies limit us into treating single body parts and limit us to time. They do not reimburse us adequately for the expert level of training we have or the expert level of service we give.
Do you take Medicare?
We are not contracted with Medicare. Government regulations restrict providers not contracted with Medicare from provide care to patients who have Medicare. We do believe people of Medicare age should be able to choose their provider and self pay if they wish.If you wish to pursue care with us, you may NOT send receipts to Medicare for reimbursement. This is further explained in our consent forms.
Do you order labs?
While we recommend having labs done annually or biannually to monitor important markers, we do not directly order labs as we are Licensed Physical Therapists.
If you do not have a PCP to order labs for you, we have resources for you to obtain the labs you need.
Often, many health concerns can be addressed through working on basic lifestyle, self care such as modifying your diet to decrease inflammation, supporting your detoxification pathways, addressing stress and past trauma, and Integrative Manual Therapy to support structural health, both internal and external and neurological pathways.
If we feel you need additional lab work or imaging that supports your care, we will refer you to the appropriate lab or provider and stay in close contact with said lab or provider.
Do you prescribe medication?
We do not prescribe medication but will refer you out to an appropriate provider if we feel medication would be helpful in your case.
How many visits will I need?
For most patients, current health issues have evolved over time, therefore require more work. A simple ankle sprain can get cleared up in 4-6 visits, while more complicated issues takes work over time. With each patient, we work intensively, initially to get the body in a better place structurally, then we taper off visits to continue the work. Patients who complete self-care instruction through our online educational platform, The Foundations for Functional Health tend to experience results faster, requiring fewer visits. Click here to view courses through The Foundations for Functional Health.