Jennifer is so knowledgeable and efficient at assessing and addressing my problematic areas of concern. Although my problems have caused me a lot of grief in the past, she gave me strategies that were easy to follow and keep me moving forward. Her Neurokinetic Therapy approach makes her the go to therapist in the East Bay and from all around.
—Thomas F
Chronic back issues post-pregnancy and surgeries have been plaguing me for the last 9 years. I have been in and out of PT but really had difficulty getting my health under control until I started working with Jennifer.
It was a relief to finally work with someone who listens and understands the value if gentleness. I was referred to Jennifer by another PT, and I am glad she did.
I have been able to sustain a physically active life for the last year that I worked with
Jennifer. I am happy to have the ability to try new and demanding things like dance. It has added immeasurably to my quality of life.
—Rohini
My training in so-called Western (allopathic) medicine leads me to a natural skepticism of “alternative” modes of treatment. However, after nearly two months of pain that made it at times almost impossible to walk, I tried some alternative techniques. No luck with the first two, but then I received a referral to Jennifer Benton of Being in Balance Physical Therapy.
She gave me one of the best physical assessments I have ever seen let alone experienced, and I know what I’m talking about. She had an excellent and cogent explanation of the delicate interactions of nerve and muscle, and the effects of losing or strengthening that connection.
She also linked my problem to recent abdominal surgery and the resultant scars. OK, about that I am still skeptical. On the other hand, I like to think of myself as results oriented. So, after nearly three months of daily pain, I have a one hour session with her and get a simple set of easy and quick exercises – and 4 days later I was pain free. And I’ve stayed that way for a month now. I have my life back!
Jennifer really enjoys working with people who have lingering problems and have tried other methods of care without success. Also people who are just not feeling 100% after any kind of surgery. She does not take insurance but will give you detailed instructions on how to try to get reimbursed by your insurance company.
For those of you that are curious, she employs something called Neurokinetic Therapy for the assessment and myofascial release techniques for treatment. I was not able to find much on neurokinetics online. But again, the results speak for themselves.
—Shaun P
Thank you for your support and allowing me a safe place to process and feel myself think. It is so needed in this fast paced world. Healing for the mind, body, and spirit. You are a healer and speak the language of my body. Your professional expertise as a PT is masterful, and you are a highly skilled practitioner of the whole body. Our time together allows me to self-reflect. You engage with me and connect at a level that is truly sincere and meaningful to me. I am grateful to you for your willingness to be with me on my journey.
—Leilani
I highly recommend Jennifer. I had a relapse of radiating nerve pain from an old neck injury and I was better within just a few sessions. She is attentive, warm and highly skilled. Check her out!
—John L.
Recently, I suffered a fracture of my right hip. I received care at home from Jennifer Benton. Her professional expertise, bedside manner and most important to me, the results, are remarkable. Without reservation and with pleasure, I highly recommend Jenifer Benton.
—Dr. J. G Poppingo
I’ve had excellent results with Jennifer Benton. She’s a gifted physical therapist. She has golden hands. As part of the treatment, she also gives the patient a clear set of exercises to facilitate movement and healing.
—Isabel T.
I have known Jennifer both as a coworker and as a family member of a patient.
I can say without hesitation that Jennifer is a kind, skilled, and caring professional who provides excellent care and individualized treatment plans for her patients. She is both unassuming and thoughtful.
She provides skillful and appropriate interventions that result in multiple functional outcomes and gains for her patients. In short, she is wonderful.
—Nora, Occupational Therapist
Jennifer has helped guide my body into a better state of balance. I have a greater understanding of how my body resists certain movements and why it does this. She has allowed me to go deeper into my own emotional states that I was not aware were part of creating the tension that was being produced in my body.
Sessions with Jennifer have been both informative and therapeutic. She has taught me a lot about the anatomy of the body and other aspects of health and healing. I have felt very comfortable in her presence as she has held space for me during each session.
I am looking forward to more sessions with Jennifer so that I can get my body, mind, and spirit to reach its highest potential.
—Ryan F
Jennifer is very sweet and caring. She is a wonderful collaborator with everyone in the healthcare team including nurses, occupational and speech therapists, and social workers. Clients benefit greatly from her thorough assessment and dynamic pain management skills. She is reliable and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend her!
—Miyuki RN
Jennifer demonstrated an exceptional ability to assess my particular needs and then tailor treatment accordingly. I had unusual difficulty with recovering range of motion after knee surgery, but made notably better progress with this therapist compared to others.
She has command of many techniques and constantly adjusts her methods in response to what your body is telling her. Very professional, cares about the job and making the process work for the patient.
A skill I wouldn’t have associated with physical therapy is her awareness of my psychological ups and downs during the often daunting course of rehab. Even before I knew it myself, she would sense the beginning of discouragement and could turn it around with just the right word. By always being cheerful, positive, and encouraging, she motivates you not to shirk your assigned exercises — an important component to successful recovery.
Jennifer has a combination of perceptiveness, superb competence, and genuine kindness. And that’s hard to beat!
—R.D.
Jennifer Benton is an excellent physical therapist who I can’t recommend highly enough.
Before I got around to doing this Yelp review, I had already done the old-school version of Yelp by telling multiple friends that a) they would benefit from physical therapy and b) that they should go to Jennifer Benton at Being in Balance PT for their physical therapy.
I found her because I had a neck and shoulder injury from a car accident that she was astute and holistic in addressing and that has led to sustained recovery (I’m writing this a few months after my treatment ended).
After my successful recuperation on that front, I then realized that she could probably also be useful in addressing an old running injury that had been off and on for several years, and it only took her three sessions to solve it completely and sustainably (it’s now been about a month and a half since that treatment ended).
PS: on a logistical note, she provides thorough documentation that makes it easy to get reimbursed by your insurance provider.
—Ali C.
She’s superb! She knows how to do the ‘right thing’ to get your body working again and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone! Her attitude is a great asset in the healing process but her knowledge is, as well. A gifted physical therapist of the variety, too rare, that we need more of.
—Barbara J.
Three years after knee surgery my quad is finally firing again. After telling multiple medical professionals that the problem started in the back of my knee…Jennifer was the first to know immediately what the problem was. So thankful.
—LeeAnna H.
I received my first Myofascial Release session from Jennifer two days ago and it was a wonderful experience!
The gentle session helped me gain deeper awareness into holding patterns in my body that have contributed to pain, tension, and less-efficient-than-I’d-like-them-to-be movement patterns (esp. concerning my neck, shoulder and hips/core).
Jennifer started with a comprehensive intake, including a postural assessment, where she quickly keyed in on my typical alignment patterns. The hands-on work was super gentle yet deep, and slow enough that I could easily track how my body was responding and shifting. This helped enhance the benefits of the session.
She also suggested a simple home-care practice to build on the discoveries we made, which I appreciated.
The next day, I noticed that I brought more ease and vitality to my work with my own massage/bodywork clients (yay!) and felt freer in my neck, shoulders and lower back.
I’m definitely curious to continue MFR sessions with Jennifer and would recommend her to anyone who wants to address chronic pain or movement issues with a kind, compassionate, well-versed and experienced professional. Thank you, Jennifer!
—Helena T.
For over a decade after experiencing “frozen” shoulder, I had problems with pain, weakness, and limited range of motion in both of my arms.
I sought help from practitioners of a variety of modalities including chiropractic, acupuncture, Feldenkrais, Qi Gong, and Physiotherapy. Most seemed to help with pain somewhat in the short term, but none actually restored my strength and range of motion until I went to see Jennifer Benton of Being In Balance.
I did four sessions of Myofascial Release therapy with Jennifer over the course of one month. In each session she guided me into and through a self-contained, painless but intense journey of gentle, powerful physical and emotional release.
Between sessions I consulted with her via email whenever I had questions about the exercises she gave me, or details of my process. In responding, she was generous with her time and encouragement. I felt she cared as much as I did about my progress.
Throughout my treatment, she consistently inspired trust and confidence in me with her knowledge, compassion, patience, and sensitivity to my individual body mechanics and the psycho-spiritual issues that kept me so stuck for so long in dysfunctional energy patterns.
This is the first yelp review I have ever been moved to write. After waiting two full months since my last Myofascial Release session to be sure that the changes I experienced on the table at Being In Balance were real, and their effect lasting, I am ready to make this recommendation:
Jennifer Benton is a gifted natural healer and a creative problem solver, as well as an adept, well-trained professional Physical Therapist. As a result of my work with her, I continue to enjoy a full and pain-free range of motion in both arms and shoulders – a condition I’d lost hope of ever experiencing again. So no matter what you’ve tried that didn’t work in the past, before you resign yourself to lifelong pain or give up on ever getting “unstuck”, consider making an appointment with Jennifer.
She is a wonder-worker!
—Claire W.
I am very impressed by Jennifer’s calm professional manner. She is skillful as well as intuitive in her work.
I had injured my calf hiking, and she was able to identify the subsequent muscle imbalance my injury had caused. During a single session, her work helped ease my discomfort, and begin my return to normal pain free hiking.
Her explanations are complete and she answered all my questions. She did not overwhelm me with exercises, but gave me a short specific program that targeted my needs. I will definitely go see her again.
—Jamie S.
I also would recommend Jennifer Benton. At different times, over a period of three years, she has worked with me to relieve the pains in my upper and lower back, she also helped with body strength and balance, and issues with surgery scars She uses Myofacial and traditional therapies . Jennifer is hands on, gentle and listens to your concerns. Her office is conveniently located but also makes house calls.
—Alice D.
Jennifer Benton is a wonderful physical therapist who has really helped me with some pain issues. Her work is different than what they offer in a traditional PT clinic. I would highly recommend her for anyone needing a PT who will work to effectively release tight painful areas and get the muscles strengthened and working correctly.
—Doug G.
Like many people “of a certain age,” I had chronic lower back problems. My chiropractor could relieve my back pain, but didn’t give me any ways to prevent it. When my back issues got worse and interfered with my horseback riding, I knew I had to find a better way to deal with them.
My riding instructor suggested that I make an appointment with Jennifer, who was also taking riding lessons at our barn. I am so glad I did!
Jennifer’s technique of myofascial release was unlike any physical therapy I’d ever had. She gently manipulated my body to find hidden places where the muscles were tight & painful, and relieved them, both through sessions at her office and by giving me exercises to do at home. She also taught me ways to support my spine while doing daily activities.
I enjoyed my sessions with her very much! She is incredibly knowledgeable about the human body, and I learned many fascinating things. Best of all, I am now able to ride with NO pain, either while riding or afterwards. My flexibility while in the saddle has improved as well.
I would recommend Jennifer to anyone without reservation, but if you are a horseback rider you MUST check her out! Whatever your level, she can help you improve and ride pain free. Also, I found her price to be reasonable, and she is always on time.
—Heidi T.