Chicago Bodywork

Had a back and neck issue for months and went to chiropractors a few times trying to fix the pain and lack of motion. Finally tried another approach and saw Rachel. She beat the crap out of my back (in a good way) and opened up my shoulder/​neck muscles — I have my range of motion back and feel so much better now. Thank you Rachel!

After 25 years of writing scripts, hunched over a computer, my spine has started to look like that of Quasimodo. My neck is so tight, there are times I can barely move it. More seriously, my posture has started to manifest as nerve pain down my arms and numbness in my hands. It’s gotten so bad it keeps me up at night.
I’ve gotten a million massages, and sure, they feel good, but they never last. $ 150 down the drain. Which is how I know that Rachael is ridiculously, amazingly skilled. She’s the first person to actually work not just on my neck and back, but on the tightness in my chest, shoulders and sides. I’m just two sessions in, and I’m stunned by the difference. Remarkably, I can actually sit up straight now and hold my neck in a more natural position. It still aches a bit to do so, but the point is, I can do it! I had no idea that all the tightness was keeping me permanently hunched.
I honestly thought that I’d done too much damage to do anything about it. I know now that that’s wrong. I’m convinced that with a few more sessions, I’ll have undone a lifetime of laptop hunching.

Rachael is a healer/​ass-​kicker/​strong intuitive practitioner. I would consider her more physical therapy/​WORK IT OUT massage therapy. She really senses where the tightness is & gets in there to really get at the root of the pain. It’s exactly the kind of massage therapy that is hard to find as most people just do gentle touching & do nothing to get at the problem.
Highly recommend… her space is really warm & cozy & Rachael puts you at ease as soon as you walk in the door.
If you are looking for someone to really work out your issues, she is the best. Very reasonable & worth every penny. Plus, she is an animal lover so there’s that :)

I just started seeing Isaac at Chicago Bodywork. I love visiting, it’s so pleasant seeing Rachael and Lulu. Isaac has healing hands and the most wonderful spirit. I continue to recommend him and no one leaves disappointed. He’s a healer.

Rachael is amazing. I was in utter agony for months and came to Chicago Bodywork as a last resort. I spent thousands on chiropractors and physical therapy before coming with no results. Now I am doing great. I had a significant decrease in pain after the first visit and keep getting better (have been 4 times now). I can’t recommend Rachael enough!

Rachael is so wonderful. She not only talked me through all of the steps she would take to help me find relief from my CrossFitter’s aches and pains, but she was completely transparent in her areas of focus! Go to her — she is the real deal. Seriously. Just do it. :)

I would rather not post this review as you may take my time slot… but look no further if you need real work done. Rachael is the real deal.
I’m a very active endurance athlete and I can say I’ve seen it all. Had terrible massages in which it felt like I was being tickled, sessions in which you can tell the person just has no idea what they are doing and really just wasting money.
If you are looking to have real work done on your body to remedy what is ailing you this is the spot. Don’t be scared off by the idea that this is not a spa. Fixing kinks in the body is not always pleasent but enjoying being post session I always feel much better. No joke, at this point if I feel a tweak I’m heading to Rachael before I’d bother hitting a doctor.

Rachael is fantastic. I have chronic pain due to muscle spasms, and I feel like I accomplished more in two visits to her than I did in months of physical therapy. I don’t see her to be pampered, I see her because she is knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and good at beating my trigger points into submission without making me feel like I’m dying. I’d recommend to anyone looking to get a serious massage at a reasonable price. She also has plenty of information to share on causes of pain, and has helped me to treat my issues better at home.

Chicago Bodywork is fantastic. I hurt my shoulder and have been there a few times now and it’s been incredibly effective treatment, and the communication and explanations have been top-​notch. Super friendly, absolutely effective, just plain fantastic.

I’ve dealt with years of neck pain, tingling and numbness in my elbows and wrists from too much typing/​general overuse. Originally found Rachael on Unilocal when I moved back to Chicago 2 years ago and saw her multiple times at her previous location. She’s amazing. Really. She fixed my original issue immensely and I only see her a 3x a year tops now just to get a tune up. Her prices are extremely reasonable and you get actual therapy not a weird lotiony rubdown that costs $ 120. She’s a genuinely nice person who cares about her clients. Highly recommended.
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Rachael is absolutely amazing and truly passionate about her work!
It was my first trip to Chicago and I happened to stumble upon her through Unilocal.
I’ve never received a better therapy massage and when I come back to Chicago in May I will be coming back to see her!!!
P. S. I only wish she would pack up leave Chicago and move to Baltimore, MD!
Thank you again!

I wish I would have skipped physical therapy and just gone to Racheal from the start. I work at a stressful desk job and was having a lot of upper back pain. I also was still having numbness and tingling in my feet after a surgery 2 years ago. Racheal worked out some nasty knots in my back and put a stop to my foot pain, while also explaining how various muscles were interconnected, and showing me some stretches I could do at home in just 60 minutes. She is a genius.
If you want deep tissue, actual resolution to your pain, and not one of those dainty frou-​frou massages, there is no one better. I have recommended her to all of my friends!

I found Rachael & Chicago Bodywork online after reading other rave reviews. It was easy to set up an appointment directly with her and she was extremely accommodating and flexible to try and fit me in when I was free.
This was the first time for me to get a therapeutic massage and Rachael was great about explaining everything she was doing and why. The way she stretched and worked my muscles was like a workout, and for days and weeks afterward I could feel the difference because all the stress and strain wasn’t just temporarily relieved but eliminated.
If you’re looking for a spa-​like massage with more style than substance, this isn’t for you, but if you want healing results and an informed professional who’ll help you take care of your body long-​term, Chicago Bodywork is for you.

Rachael knows her stuff. I’ve had ongoing knee pain for over a year and after dozens of PT and chiropractic visits with little, long standing relief, I decided to try Chicago Bodywork. After three sessions my knees and hips felt so much better. She explains how the various parts of the body work together and impact mobility and pain and takes time out to educate you on how to self-​manage issues. I’ve learned a variety of stretches and self-​care practices to help keep my knee pain at bay as well as methods to improve overall posture and mobility. The work she does is indeed unpleasant but you will feel so much better afterwards. I highly recommend her services!

Rachael is simply amazing. I started to have some foot/​knee issues due to working out and walking a lot more than in the past. I had heard great things about her and finally decided to go. After my first session I felt great! Like someone else said, this isn’t a feel good massage but she really gets in to the muscles and gets all of it out. It was really painful but definitely necessary to get back on track. I knew though that since I do work out a lot that I would need at least another session. I went back two weeks after and she taught me how to do certain stretches on my own and I feel like a million bucks. If you are looking to heal please go here! I can’t recommend her enough!!!

Rachel is the best massage, massage therapist, body pain management, massage therapy person I have ever gone to ever, not just in Chicago, but anywhere. I suffered from lower pain pain due to ill fitting orthotics and sitting at work too much with poor posture. Rachel has a tremendous knowledge of many different massage techniques and uses whatever technique will address your issues.
I would highly recommend Rachel for pain management and problem solving issues that doctors can not solve. She has a gift of healing that is amazing. Rachel «cured me» in two visits. After two sessions, I was able to get on two planes to get to Australia pain free!
Rachel has a gorgeous new facility, everything is brand spanking new, with free PARKING!!!

I’ve been to Rachael several times and if I could go every day… I would. I have referred Rachael to several of my friends.
Her new location is outstanding and it has a private parking lot!

Rachel is a real healer. Always leave pain free. I strongly recomend anyone with pain should seek Rachel’s help.

Rachel is AMAZING! I had a bad shoulder from working behind a desk and after one session with her, the pain is gone and a I feel completely realigned.
My mom booked my appointment after Rachel worked wonders on her shoulder (that’s given her problems since forever) and told me it was a «Thai massage»… Duped. But I wouldn’t trade one session here for all the Thai /​Swedish /​deep tissue massages in my lifetime.
Come hurtin’, leave healed.

I found Rachel and Chicago Body Work more than two years ago, and am so glad I did. The services she provides are amazing and have helped me with managing severe chronic back pain. Rachel is a consummate professional who also treats her clients as friends. I’m happy I have her and her practice in my life.

Rachael is honestly a healer with super powers!
I have had a lifetime of pain and muscle cramping due to an illness and a severe accident a few years ago. I had spent years doing different healing modalities only to reach a point where I had severe pain daily.
Doctors said that would be my normal for the rest of my life. Not true.
A few months of seeing Rachael and I have an amazing full active life that keeps improving.
I 100% recommend that you make an appointment if you are serious about healing and experiencing relief of physical pain. She is caring, warm, and professional.
You will definitely have a positive healing experience.

I’m just going to echo what everyone else here has said. Rachael is a true healer. I’ve had countless massages over the years, and none can touch the level of awesomeness I got out of Rachael’s work. After just 1 session, she fixed a chronic pinched nerve in my neck and taught me what to do to keep it from coming back.
It may be more intense than what you’re used to, but this is not a spa massage. It’s therapy. And it’s incredibly effective. Rachael’s the real deal.