Jen Parkinson helps people with complex health conditions rebuild their health by learning how to support their unique body.
Her approach focuses on looking at the body as a whole rather than treating symptoms in isolation. In many cases, the symptoms people experience are connected, and understanding those connections can be key to improving health in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Jen understands firsthand how frustrating it can feel when your body stops making sense. She knows what it feels like to feel invisible in the healthcare system — to have symptoms that don’t add up, to have doctors question what you’re experiencing, and to be told you may simply need to learn to live with the symptoms.
For many people with complex health conditions, that message becomes the norm. Jen believes it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Why This Work Matters to Jen
Jen’s path into this work is deeply personal.
As a teenager, she was a competitive swimmer, spending most of her days in the pool training, lifting weights, and pushing herself athletically. She was active, ambitious, and disciplined, and athletics were a big part of her life.
Then her health began to change in ways that didn’t make sense.
What started as shoulder pain gradually became severe enough that even simple tasks — like lifting a gallon of milk — became difficult. Physical therapy, rest, and medications didn’t improve the pain. At just 16 years old, Jen underwent her first shoulder surgery, followed by a second when the first procedure was unsuccessful.
Eventually she was pulled from the pool — a defining moment that completely changed the direction of her life.
Around that same time, new symptoms began appearing. Jen began experiencing severe digestive issues including gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and ongoing abdominal pain. She eventually required surgery to remove both her gallbladder and appendix.
Just days later, she was rushed back into emergency surgery due to an obstructed bowel that she nearly died from.
Over the following years, Jen continued searching for answers while her health challenges continued to grow. She underwent additional surgeries and struggled with chronic pain, digestive issues, dizziness, and fatigue that no one could fully explain.
It wasn’t until she was serving a mission for her church that things worsened again. Walking became extremely difficult, and she experienced severe dizziness, lightheadedness, and debilitating pain.
Eventually a physician began connecting some of the dots.
At the age of 22 — after years of unexplained symptoms and multiple surgeries — Jen was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
While the diagnosis gave a name to what she had been experiencing, it didn’t provide clear guidance on how to support her body or improve her health. Much of the advice she received centered around managing symptoms and limiting activity.
That realization led her to begin digging deeper.
Jen became determined to better understand what was happening in her body and why so many symptoms seemed connected. Through education, research, and years of working to support her own health, she began exploring how factors like digestion, mineral balance, stress response, and overall body function can influence complex health conditions.
