Dr. Jenn Parker, PT, DPT

Your privacy and safety is on top of mind at Embody Wellness Physical Therapy. We are located inside of a private treatment room inside of the gorgeous Conscious Core Pilates studio in downtown Livermore. We commonly treat individuals for: Urinary dysfunction GI distress symptoms... Pelvic/abdominal pain conditions Conditions during pregnancy Postpartum concerns including prolapse symptoms Pain with sex Male pelvic pain Other orthopedic concerns: SI dysfunction, hip pain, back pain We also offer wellness services include: Birth preparation Return to exercise postpartum Return to running/ Running assessments Coaching for advancing current exercise program We firmly believe that the body and mind is extraordinarily resilient & everyone has the ability to heal. We are here to support you on your journey whether it’s to: Get back to obstacle races symptom-free Being able to run after your kiddos Return to enjoyable sex with your partner Be able to sleep through the night or to simply become more aware of your body. Finding yourself checking off some of these symptoms? Click here to make an a FREE 15 minute phone consult: https://calendly.com/embodywellnesspt/consult

The Empowered Birth Program with Dr. Jenn Parker from @embodywellnesspt is now a virtual option! Click here to sign up: https://www.embodywellnesspt.com/virtual-birth-prep We put this program together out of necessity! We frequently hear I wish I would have know this information before when seeing our patients postpartum.... This program is great for: those not local to the Bay Area or are not quite ready for an in person workshop. it’s a go at your own pace program. Start when you are ready. & right from the comfort of your home. Program includes: evidence based birth prep information including the updated ACOG Guidelines how to connect with your pelvic floor for laboring & birth information for laboring including positioning, pain management strategies, and communication options with your birthing team early postpartum healing considerations & much more! The programs format includes: over 20 pre-recorded videos! handouts relating to each video for additional learning access to Dr. Jenn & options for additional perinatal programs at a discounted rate! For those who are local to the Bay Area and interested in the in-person Empowered Birth program, we are now offering dates into June- sign up here: https://www.embodywellnesspt.com/birth-prep-in-person

From tonight’s Empowered Birth Workshop. Join us for the next one! 90 minute birth prep workshop where we discuss updated evidence based research & practice guidelines including: perineal massage, push prep, pain management strategies, laboring positions, questions to ask your birth team & so much more! Future dates: ... - Thurs March 25th (**1 spot left!) - Thurs April 22nd - Thurs May 20th (from 5:30-7pm) Sign up here: https://calendly.com/embodywellne/empowered-birth-workshop

Defecation Dynamics! This video is very helpful in understanding the best positioning for a bowel movement. Let me know if you have any questions. Btw... did you know that Embody Wellness has a YouTube channel?? https://youtu.be/aOphqU1XsJc

The tools of pelvic health physical therapy! Pictured here are some of the tools that I work with on a daily basis with my patients: a pelvic model: for all the learning! ... massage balls from @tuneupfitness @yogatuneup - it’s tough to see in the photo, but the purple coregeous ball is one of my favorite tools ever to massage the abdominals and psoas muscle. handheld mirror: for self awareness of that pelvic floor, both how it moves and how it looks. dilators, pelvic wands, and vaginal weights from @intimaterose: these tools are used for various reasons- some for strengthening, others for massaging, stretching and desensitizing tissues. balloons: yep a fancy bag of balloons off amazon! Balloons are a great way to add resistance and challenge the core system. @posturalrestoration @drsarahduvall Resistance bands for all the glute strengthening! @trxtraining other tools for pelvic health not pictured: cupping, @hyperice percussion massage, meditation tracks, yoga blocks & mats, kettlebells & barbells, TRX suspension trainer, essential oils/diffusers, and a plethora of photos/handouts.

Check out the space and treatment options.

Dr. Jennifer Parker, physical therapist specializing in perinatal population and pelvic health concerns for rehabilitation, wellness, and performance.

You know that feeling you get when you’ve had a really good bowel movement? You have a big smile on your face and you feel like a whole new (wo)man! You can now take on the world! You remember that feeling when it’s been a few days since a good BM and now you are bloated... you’d give anything to feel completed! Constipation is an unfortunate experience that every person has experienced at some point or another. However, almost 20% of people suffer from chronic constipation &... 33% once > 60 years of age. Fun fact: Did you know that uncoordinated pelvic floor muscles can be the reason behind chronic constipation? If you suffer from constipation and your doctor hasn’t offered you pelvic floor PT yet, ask for a referral! How pelvic health PT can help with management of constipation: stretches with breathing: double knee to chest, happy baby, child’s pose and supported squat are my go-tos. They look like the squatty potty position, woohoo! abdominal/colonic massage to help to promote relaxation + activate the gastrocolic reflex education on the timing of foods for regulating the bowels + assessing possible food triggers education on timing of medications + supplements to provide to correct stool consistency (not to hard, not too loose... goal is a soft bulk) retraining the coordination of a bowel movement push out with pelvic floor relaxation vs. a paradoxical squeeze! We use balloons, sensors and our finger to provide feedback for this - this is the gold standard treatment in physical therapy! proper toileting posture for optimizing relaxation of the body and specifically the puborectalis muscle (this muscle causes a ‘kink’ in the rectum when sitting, and loosens when squatty- we want it loosened when we poo. A couple things you can do TODAY to start having better bowel movements: 1buy a squatty potty or a wide low stool (7 inches is ideal) 2don’t delay going to the bathroom when you feel the urge 3 relax when you sit on the toilet (straining is counterproductive + doesn’t work!!) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ready to take one step closer to better bowel movements? : DM @embodywellnesspt : jenniferparker@embo