Integrated Bodywork By Jennifer

03/05/2026

To My Loyal IBBJ Clients,
I am so incredibly grateful for your continued trust in my bodywork services. Watching my practice grow through your referrals, loyalty, and commitment to your health means more than I can say.

To continue offering the highest level of individualized care, experience - and to support my ongoing education and growth within my practice - session rates will be updated beginning May 1st, 2026.

New office rates will be:
* All 30 Min Massage Services - $60
-30 Min Reiki and Flowtrition - $40
-All 60 Miin Services - $100
-All 90 Min Services - $150
-All 2 Hour Services. - $200

-IN HOME *Client Table Required -3 Hours of massage time minimum (multiple clients).
-90 Minute Massage -$175
-2 Hour Massage - $225
*Travel Fee may apply for mileage outside KC Metro.

Appointments booked prior to May 1st, 2026 will be honored at the current rates.

Thank you for valuing professional bodywork and for investing in your long-term wellness. It's truly an honor that you choose ME to support your overall well-being, and I look forward to continuing to work together.

With appreciation,
Jennifer
& Rosie & Winston too!

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02/12/2026

🛑🚗⚠️ So big update! I apologize for this being last minute notice as I was just informed, but probably because I did not pay attention to all the details…😬

So there will be some road closures near my office starting Thursday, February 12th!
If you come from the 635 or the Riverside area ( NW Gateway Ave Exit or Waukomis Rd) you will NOT be able to travel down Vivion to my office during the daytime for the next month. This means you will need to either go around to Briarcliff Parkway >169 North and up to Vivion so you can exit and go West to my office or if you are coming from the north down 1-29 you can exit on Vivion West that way!

And… the double whammy is that they are also closing the ramp to 1-29 Northbound from Vivion till November so if you are heading back north from my office you will then need to go west and enter 1-29 from the Gateway Ave Exit.

And I’m sure there might be some other back way routes you can take depending on where you’re coming from but I just wanted to let you know about the main routes available.

Please call me in advance of your appointment if you have any questions! I apologize for this inconvenience!

12/18/2025

Excellent Article. Important for both my human and horse clients to understand and the general public!

Massage Therapy can down- regulate and up regulate muscle and fascial tone

The Nervous System Controls Muscle Tone — Not the Muscle Itself

Muscles don’t decide how tight or loose they are.
The brain and spinal cord constantly adjust tension based on incoming sensory information from:
• skin
• fascia
• muscle spindles
• Golgi tendon organs
• joint receptors

Massage and myofascial work change the information coming INTO the nervous system, so the brain changes the commands it sends OUT.

This is how you alter muscle tone.

HOW MASSAGE DOWN-REGULATES (RELAXES) MUSCLES

1. Activating slow, sustained mechanoreceptors

Slow compression, melting pressure, and long fascial holds activate:
• Ruffini endings (respond to stretch + sustained pressure)
• Golgi tendon organs (sense load and reduce contraction)

These receptors inhibit the sympathetic system and drop muscle tone.

2. Reducing protective guarding

When an area feels unsafe or unstable, the nervous system tightens muscles to protect it.
When you use slow, predictable touch, the body interprets this as safety → guarding drops.

3. Improving proprioceptive clarity

If the body has a “blurred map” of an area, it tightens muscles to stabilize it.
Touch improves sensory clarity → unnecessary tension melts.

4. Regulating breathing and vagal tone

Slow, rhythmic touch naturally shifts the horse (or human) into parasympathetic dominance, softening global tone.

HOW MASSAGE UP-REGULATES (ACTIVATES) MUSCLES

1. Using quicker, lighter, stimulating input

Techniques like:
• brisk strokes
• tapotement
• skin drag
• light vibration
• rapid fascial stretch

activate Pacinian corpuscles and muscle spindles, increasing tone and readiness.

2. Increasing proprioceptive awareness

If a muscle isn’t “online,” it often has poor sensory input.
Stimulation wakes up the neuromuscular connection, so the brain recruits it better.

3. Restoring reciprocal inhibition

Tight agonists shut down their antagonists.
If you release an overactive muscle, the underactive muscle naturally activates more easily.

Example:
Release the overworking brachiocephalicus → the thoracic sling activates more efficiently.

4. Improving movement organization

When fascial layers glide better, the nervous system allows more range and activation.

The Key Takeaway

Massage does not strengthen or weaken muscle fibers directly.

Massage changes what the nervous system allows the muscle to do.

You’re not altering the tissue —
✨ you are altering the sensory input so the brain changes motor output.

This is why massage therapists, bodyworkers, and skilled handlers can:
• switch off global tension
• “wake up” weak chains
• balance diagonal patterns
• restore proper neuromuscular sequencing

…and why the effects can be immediate and profound.

https://koperequine.com/25-of-the-most-important-and-interesting-properties-of-equine-muscle/

12/13/2025

For those of you that always take care of others.. take care of YOU! Molly is a 💎!

You don’t have to hold it all alone.

Therapy for helping professionals navigating overwhelm, chronic stress, and life transitions.

📍 Kansas (in-person)
💻 KS & MN (telehealth)
🔗 Link in bio

11/22/2025

So I get this question all the time from clients. And the first thing I ask them is do you believe you can?

Somehow, in our current world, we get stuck in beliefs that when something happens to us, it will always be that way. Perhaps it’s my positive outlook on life, but I am a firm believer that nothing has to stay the same because the fact is nothing does stay the same! In addition, it’s usually our body’s way of giving us information if we listen!

While there’s certainly limitations with certain severe injuries, illnesses and genetic factors… science has proven that our mind plays a big role in our healing. So the first step to getting better is believing that you can! After that, it’s up to you to continue to be an advocate for your own health and continue to seek out professionals until you start seeing improvements.

I also encourage all of my clients to pay attention to daily patterns in their life of how they use their bodies or more importantly how they do not use their bodies. For example: right handed people always think their tension will be on the right, but more often I find it on the left because that side has less mobility throughout the day.

Once you believe you can get better and you have become aware of your patterns, the key is finding the right professional to help you make the right changes in your daily routine. That can be through physical therapy., a personal trainer, a nutritionist, and obviously your team of healthcare professionals (doctor, chiropractor, mental health practitioner, acupuncturist, massage therapist…etc).

But ultimately, it’s up to you to take action and advocate for yourself, especially if nothing is changing . Don’t be afraid to use multiple practitioners even within the same field to get multiple opinions.

Most importantly, you have to be consistent! Things don’t always change overnight and while I have been called a magician the truth is that even if I help create change, you have to make the changes in your life to keep things from coming back. And that’s not just doing PT exercises til it goes away. That’s making lifestyle changes that will help keep your body in balance throughout your life. 🙌🏻💖💪🏻

10/27/2025

If you’ve ever wanted to try a Thai massage.. go see my friend and former colleague Liz!

She is incredible!

10/21/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ETqXfrK16/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Peripheral neuropathy is damage to peripheral nerves which causes localized pain and abnormal sensations (numbness, tingling, burning, coldness) or loss of sensations as well as muscle weakness, mo…

10/13/2025

Woke up and did this routine this morning and I don’t regret it! #3 was amazing for my neck!

These 3 basic Fascial Maneuvers can help reduce 70-80% of the stress in the body, it can be done once or twice a day. If done for 28 days most issues will be...

09/26/2025

It was no coincidence that the universe brought this special lady Ann Boone and her husband to Kansas City last week during the month that I am celebrating 20 years since graduating Massage school.

Not only was she one of my instructors for both humans and horses, but she was also designated as my mentor for the program. Little did we know that mentorship would turn into lasting friendship. Not only do we share the same passion for Massage and Healing, but we also share the same passion for horse racing and horses. It was so fun to finally meet her husband and get to hear his stories from the horse racing world as well.

While life has twists and turns that we never expect, I am so grateful for the people that come into our lives that help us navigate it all and act as a mentor long past the end of that official role. Ann has definitely filled that role in my life! I am so grateful for her endless knowledge, leadership, & boundless commitment to excellence and lifelong learning. She inspires me in all she does in life both professionally and personally 🙏🏻💖

09/19/2025

Happy Second Summer!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer! For all those heat/sweat people out there we certainly had plenty of the muggy summer weather! Personally I am excited for my favorite season....First Fall : )

This month I am celebrating 20 years since I graduated Massage School & 15 years in private practice! 🙌🏻 Quite the milestone for a massage therapist! KS>KY>CA>MO>FL>KY>NY>NJ>KY>MO>???

When I graduated massage school in Lexington, KY, I had no idea this career would take me all the places I have been. But more importantly, getting to meet so many people along the way that have been inspirations, mentors and close friends to me. I’m so grateful for them all. And I can’t even begin to start to thank all the clients that have molded and shaped me into the therapist I am today! 🙏🏻 Each client teaches me so much and I am blessed to have so many long-standing loyal ones that are essentially extended family to me!

Many of you also know that my passion for therapy and massage began from my love for horses🐴 . I’m also proud to celebrate 20 years since I completed my first Equine massage course as well. I can’t begin to explain how much working on horses helps my human practice and vice versa. Horses are such emotional, intelligent and energetic creatures. While they don’t speak our language, they have have so much information to share when you listen. I’ve been blessed with so many wonderful equine clients and thoroughly enjoyed my year working on the horse racing 🏇 circuit getting to live out one of my career goals!

But just like any career, the biggest key to longevity is self-care and taking care of yourself mentally and physically! I’m also very grateful for all the therapists that have taken care of me over the years to keep me doing what I love! 💖

I'm looking forward to many more years of service & helping people feel their best! 🙏🏻

New Booking Policy

After years of relying on the general common courtesy for my cancellation policy, I have finally decided to join my colleagues and the rest of the spa industry in requiring a credit card when booking your appointment online purely for late cancellations and no-shows. While these certainly are rare occurrences in my business, I hope everyone can understand I need to be able to protect my business. Not only does it directly impact my income, it also prevents others from being able to book during that time frame. As a reminder, I simply ask that you give me 24hr notice if you need to cancel or I will charge 50% of the service at my discretion and 100% for complete no-shows. Obviously for emergency situations I will make exceptions but I simply ask for the courtesy of giving me as much notice as possible.

Also, to clarify, this does not mean you have to pay with that credit card and it is only held for the one appointment. In fact, I still prefer if you can pay via Cash, Venmo or Check to avoid the credit card fees. However, I can and will accept credit cards, tap to pay, etc... if you prefer that form of payment.

I really hope everyone can understand this change but please contact me directly if you have any concerns or questions about this new policy.

Complimentary Add-Ons

As many of you know I strive to customize everyone's session by offering all the tools in my toolbag ( both literal tools... cupping, gua-sha, hot-stones, and different tools as in techniques...stretching, flowtrition, reiki, etc), but please be sure to say something at the beginning of the session if there is a specific tool or technique that you really like and would like me to include in your session. I am happy to accommodate. Hot-Stones are the only tools I need advance notice to include so I can make sure they are warmed up!

Arrival Reminders

Another housekeeping reminder...

Since I share my office space with Dr. Spencer, I want to remind everyone that his office is only open Monday- Thursday and is closed for a long lunch from 12 noon - 2:30pm. So it is very likely that at some point you may have a massage with me during a time when the front door is locked. If you ever arrive and find them closed, please contact me directly (text or phone call) as I am either in the back getting my room ready or possibly still in route to the office and will be there shortly.

If the office is open you are welcome to come inside and either have a seat upfront by the front desk or come down the hallway and either peak to see if my door is open and I am ready or have a seat in the chairs just around the corner.

In addition, I have been informed that the Apple GPS is sometimes directing people to the massage business at the other end of the business center so please be sure you are coming to Spencer Chiropractic. He is at the far left end of the strip mall.

Book In Advance

While I am certainly not booked out months/years in advance like some therapists in Kansas City, I am starting to fill my schedule a bit further out so I highly encourage you to plan ahead If you are needing an appointment. Lately, it is recommended that you try to book 1-2 weeks in advance and even earlier if you are wanting a high demand time slot such as a Saturday or late evening.

Seriously, massage is one of the best pro-health, pro-mental health, pro-longevity, pro-workplace productivity activities you can do for yourself! Don't save it just for when you are in pain!

I look forward to seeing you all on my table soon!

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Click here for an update from Integrated Bodywork By Jennifer!

09/02/2025

This month I am celebrating 20 years since I graduated Massage School & 15 years in private practice! 🙌🏻 Quite the milestone for a massage therapist! KS>KY>CA>MO>FL>KY>NY>NJ>KY>MO>???When I graduated massage school in Lexington, KY, I had no idea this career would take me all the places I have been. But more importantly, getting to meet so many people along the way that have been inspirations, mentors and close friends to me. I’m so grateful for them all. And I can’t even begin to start to thank all the clients that have molded and shaped me into the therapist I am today! 🙏🏻 Each client teaches me so much and I am blessed to have so many long-standing loyal ones that are essentially extended family to me! Many of you also know that my passion for Therapy and Massage began from my love for horses🐴 . I’m also proud to celebrate 20 years since I completed my first Equine massage course as well. I can’t begin to explain how much working on horses helps my human practice and vice versa. Horses are such emotional, intelligent and energetic creatures. While they don’t speak our language, they have have so much information to share when you listen. I’ve been blessed with so many wonderful equine clients and thoroughly enjoyed my year working on the horse racing 🏇 circuit getting to live out one of my career goals! But just like any career, the biggest key to longevity is self-care and taking care of yourself mentally and physically! I’m also very grateful for all the therapists that have taken care of me over the years to keep me doing what I love! 💖

Here’s a shout out to some of the people/places that have been a part of my journey…

Looking forward to many more years of service & helping people feel their best! 🙏🏻✨

06/06/2025

PEMF/Magnawave is a great tool not just for horses, but for people too, and especially athletes! And I concur with Brian and using it right before you go to bed. You will have the best sleep.!!
Contact me if you’d like to try it out during your next massage!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKkSPKNvp-M/?igsh=dWU5MDhicG82Z2t5