My Why
My Why: The Journey to Jewel Physical Therapy & Wellness
Our careers often follow winding paths, shaped by pivotal moments, unexpected turns, and deep personal experiences. For me, the evolution of my practice has been a reflection of my own journey—one rooted in resilience, transformation, and a relentless drive to help others.
Physical Therapy: Finding Purpose in Recovery
I grew up as an athlete—sports weren’t just a hobby; they were my identity, my family’s heartbeat, and the center of our world. When I tore my ACL twice in high school, everything I knew about myself felt like it was slipping away. I was disconnected from my body, lost in my own head, and uncertain about who I was without the game. My first experience with physical therapy left me feeling unseen and frustrated. It wasn’t until I met Dave Armet at Williamstown Physical Therapy that everything changed.
His guidance, expertise, and genuine care didn’t just help me heal physically; they gave me direction. I had always been fascinated by how things worked and once considered becoming an engineer. But after taking an anatomy class and experiencing PT through Dave’s mentorship, I realized I wanted to be an engineer of the human body. That’s when my love for physical therapy was born.
What once felt like a devastating detour became a stepping stone to my purpose. Even my high school classmates saw it before I did—our senior yearbook predicted: "Kristen Knightly will be a physical therapist helping other fallen athletes." They were right.
Fast forward to July 5, 2015—two days after my 30th birthday. I stood on the field in Vancouver, celebrating the U.S. Women’s National Team’s World Cup victory. I wasn’t just witnessing history; I was part of the team behind the team. At that moment, I realized that my journey had led me exactly where I was meant to be.
Massage Therapy: The Power of Healing Hands
Massage therapy has always been intuitive for me—my hands sense movement restrictions, tension, and dysfunction before my brain can fully articulate them. About a year into my career as a physical therapist, clients started requesting sessions focused solely on manual therapy. I had always valued the hands-on aspect of PT, but at the time, I saw it as just one component of a broader treatment plan. The demand, however, was undeniable.
With a full-time PT job and the reality of grad school debt, I enrolled in massage school. And I loved it. Returning to school as an adult, I was more engaged, more disciplined, and deeply invested in refining my craft. Every lesson enhanced my practice, giving me new tools to help people move and feel better.
Massage therapy became more than just a skill—it became a way of seeing and healing. There’s something incredibly empowering about using my hands to create real change in someone’s body, easing pain, improving movement, and helping people reconnect with themselves.
Pelvic Health: Answering the Call
Early in my career, I worked alongside Brittney, a pelvic health specialist, at Williamstown Physical Therapy. One day, she shared a letter from a patient who credited pelvic floor therapy with saving not only her marriage but her life. The impact was undeniable, and I was intrigued—but at the time, I was just beginning my journey and focused on learning a little of everything.
Over the years, I built my career in orthopedic PT, expanded into massage therapy, traveled the world with U.S. Soccer, and helped run a successful private wellness clinic in San Diego. But in the background, there was always a voice calling me toward pelvic health. I kept silencing it—until life made it impossible to ignore.
Motherhood hit me like a freight train. Hormonal shifts, lifestyle changes, physical recovery, emotional upheaval—I took classes, read everything I could, and yet still felt wildly unprepared. I wanted to help new parents, not just moms, but anyone navigating that massive transition. But again, my career demanded my energy elsewhere, so I kept pushing that passion aside.
Then came 2024.
I underwent my second surgery for endometriosis, a condition I had battled since I was 13. Perimenopause hit hard—I was gaining weight, exhausted yet unable to sleep, anxious, and completely overwhelmed. Stress was at an all-time high, and I wasn’t taking care of myself. That’s when I made the hardest decision of my career: I stepped away from the private clinic I had helped build. My team, my patients, my community—it was everything to me, but I knew I had to make a change.
Shortly after, I learned that my next step wasn’t just career-related—I needed a hysterectomy, including the removal of my ovaries. I woke up from surgery in full-blown medical menopause.
And I had never felt more alone.
This wasn’t like a broken bone, something visible that people could recognize. It was isolating, consuming, and something few talked about openly. I had spent 25 years living with chronic pain, but this was different. And yet, just like my ACL injuries in high school, I had a choice: let it break me or reframe it into something powerful.
This was my time.
For the first time in my career, I had the freedom to dedicate myself fully to pelvic health. To become the resource I wished I had during all of these transitions. To help others who feel lost, disconnected from their bodies, or overwhelmed by the changes of parenthood, chronic pain, or menopause.
As I approach my 40th birthday, I have never felt more at peace, more aligned, and more ready for this next chapter with Jewel Physical Therapy & Wellness. Every step of my journey—every injury, challenge, and transformation—has led me here. And I am honored to help others find their own path to healing.
Kristen Knightly Campbell, PT, DPT, CMP, CAFS
She/Her/Hers
Doctor of Physical Therapy CA License #35904
Certified Massage Practitioner #53285
