32 | Doc Jen's Journey: Scoliosis, Hip Flexor Strains, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and more!

Sep 14, 2020

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Ever feel like your body is trying to tell you something? Listen as Doc Jen dives into her own movement journeys as a gymnast and her experiences with pain and injury. Tune in as she explains what it was like being injured as a gymnast and how those injuries have impacted her body through today. She also demonstrates from her own body why structure and diagnoses, although good to have at times, should not become a crutch for your everyday life; why it shouldn’t cause you to avoid certain movement patterns. Doc Jen explains her scoliosis diagnosis and how she learned to take control of her body through her breath. Lastly, hear how Doc Jen’s body talked to her, or gave her signs, and how you, too, can gain confidence within your own body.

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What You Will Learn in this PT Pearl:

00:56 – What movement meant to Doc Jen as a child - Her experience with injury

03:44 – Why Doc Jen is grateful for the injuries she experienced - How coaches responded to injury

05:38 – Why it’s important to see a physical therapist as an athlete

06:57 – What types of injuries would pop up for Doc Jen after she retired from gymnastics

08:47 – When Doc Jen started to figure out her own limitations

10:57 – What “squinting patella” means and its role in Doc Jen’s life - Why body awareness is important

13:46 – Doc Jen’s journey with her scoliosis diagnosis - Why a diagnosis shouldn’t become an excuse

17:04 – How Doc Jen responds to her pain with breath and mobility

21:16 – What Doc Jen continues working on daily - What movement brings Doc Jen back to peace

23:08 – How important internal support is vs needing external support like with orthotics

24:31 – Doc Jen’s take home message

To Watch the PT Pearl on YouTube, click here: https://youtu.be/U8cvH4AtwtQ

About Doc Jen:

Jen Esquer, PT, DPT, is an internationally-renown physical therapist who specializes in helping people overcome chronic pain and maximize physical performance. As the founder of two transformative programs, “The Mobility Method” and “The Optimal Body,” she brings a unique, whole body approach to strength, mobility and pain-free living. In 2019, Jen was named one of the top 50 most influential healthcare professionals. Jen’s easily accessible approach has garnered her more than half a million followers on social media and more than more than 5+ million views of her health and fitness videos. Jen has been featured in Shape Magazine, Self Magazine, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness and recently graced the cover of Oxygen Magazine. She was recently featured on Good Morning America, and has made other appearances on CBS, the RISE podcast with Rachel Hollis and much more. She is co-host of one of the Top New Shows in Health called “The Optimal Body Podcast” with her fiancé who is also a doctor of physical therapy. When they’re not busy, they’re doing breath work and AcroYoga together in sunny Los Angeles, California.

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To see this episode's full show notes and check out the rest of Doc Jen's website, click here: https://jen.health/podcast/32

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