How a specialization in lifestyle medicine helped Jen Uschold take her career and patient care to the Next Level.
Jen Uschold, PT, CFMT, FPS, NBC-HWC, developed a passion for health and wellness coaching in 2014. Not long after, she started to take a deep dive into pain science. After she completed a Fellowship in Pain Science with EIM, faculty members approached her about a new program they were developing called lifestyle medicine. “In all honesty, I had not heard of the term lifestyle medicine, but when I looked it up I thought, ‘this is a very good fit for me,’” Uschold says.
“Lifestyle medicine is not ‘anti-medicine’ or ‘anti-surgery.’ It is pro-appropriate use of those things and using what we have easy access to first, which doesn’t come with any side effects,” explains Uschold. Those easy access options include the six main elements of lifestyle medicine—exercise, nutrition, social connections, stress management, avoiding risky substances and sleep. Studies show that making positive changes in one or more of these areas can not only prevent, but also treat or even reverse, up to 80% of lifestyle related diseases including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity.
“So many of the strategies we have for pain science are quite similar to the strategies we have for lifestyle medicine,” Uschold says. “So, it’s a beautiful blend and I am really passionate about ‘helping people help themselves.’ That’s a phrase I’ve used since I was a new grad in 1991 and it continues to be true with both pain science and lifestyle medicine,” she adds.
Now an integral part of the EIM teaching team, Uschold serves as the program director for the Certification in Lifestyle Medicine at EIM, in addition to owning a small private physical therapy practice. Why does she feel advanced training in lifestyle medicine is important for healthcare providers? “We as allied professionals have got to take ownership for the entire human sitting in front of us. When we empower them with knowledge and strategies and tools, they are able to take ownership of their health and that creates a win for everyone,” she says.
To learn more about Uschold’s experience with lifestyle medicine and how it has enhanced her physical therapy practice, watch the full interview here.
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