Client stories · The Woodlands / Spring, TX

Eleven people who were told to live with it.

A grandmother with fibromyalgia. A 14-year-old told to quit the sports they loved. A marathoner three weeks out who couldn't run two miles. These are their words, not mine — find the one that sounds like you.

Call (832) 326-8816 Text me your story

If pain has been shrinking your life

Chronic pain & post-surgical recovery

"Hey, look! I'm walking and nothing hurts!"

Dorothy K. · Fibromyalgia + two hip surgeries

Dorothy suffered for years with fibromyalgia and the after-effects of two hip replacements. Physical therapy hadn't helped, and rather than lean on pain medication, Dorothy did what most people do — coped by doing less.

In their words: "Standing long enough to cook a meal was painful. I had no stamina for walking, and I certainly couldn't keep up with my grandchildren. Because of so much muscle pain, I had to give up gardening. Travel was no longer fun. My world was getting narrower."

We started muscular therapy sessions and the progress showed right away — enough that, by Dorothy's own account, friends and family got tired of hearing about it. Over several months, muscle function and comfort kept improving as the affected muscles were re-educated out of years of bad habits — plus self-treatment techniques to hold the gains between visits.

Where it ended up, in Dorothy's words: "The future looks much brighter. I'm planning several trips, and I have a large new flower garden. I couldn't have done it without Jarrett."

"I can move again!"

Dana W. · Two back surgeries, post-surgical pain

Dana had spent a year recovering from two knee surgeries, finally looking forward to a new year and a normal exercise routine. Then came December 21st: one bend, a searing pain, and no ability to move. The holidays became two back surgeries and a lot of pain.

Afterward the pain was still considerable and the movement very limited. A doctor suggested finding a medical massage therapist, and a friend pointed the way to Body MechaniX.

In their words: "Jarrett listened to everything I had been through and knew he could help. He wasn't lying! After that first visit I could move! The pain I had been experiencing was not totally gone after that first visit but was at a level I could definitely live with. Now after seeing Jarrett for several weeks I am pain free!"

The client who wrote a poem about it

Caryl K. · "The Muscle Therapist"

Some people send a thank-you note. Caryl sent verse:

"He pushes and probes / Makes muscles conform / To what he thinks / Should be their norm. / The years of wear / Create some despair / As we attempt to arrest / Muscles that protest. / It's a struggle to maintain / As our bodies complain / Since my body is a corkscrew / Muscle-therapist to the rescue. / But I suddenly feel great / As I lie here prostrate / It is worth all the pain / To feel human again."

That last line is the whole job description: to feel human again.

If there's a race, a season, or a tee time on the line

Runners, golfers & weekend athletes

Two painful miles, three weeks out from New York

Sarah J. · NYC Marathon

Sarah came in mid-training for the New York City Marathon. The race was three weeks away, and two miles was already more than the pain would allow.

In their words: "I was devastated. When I first met Jarrett he assured me I would be able to run the entire marathon once he started his work. I was skeptical by his assurance but then after 2 sessions I was starting to feel results… then after 4 sessions (in less than 3 weeks) and some major tapering down I finished my dream marathon without walking once! My lesson learned by this experience is that I will see Jarrett BEFORE I have issues so he can keep my body in check while training."

"I hobbled along the sidelines while my friends raced"

Adrienne L. · Elite distance runner, two-time Houston Marathon local-elite top-10 finisher

Adrienne had been through achilles and peroneal tendonitis, a foot fracture, and severe shin splints. As Adrienne describes it, those injuries were "devastating as I had to resort to watching my teammates and friends train and race as I gingerly hobbled along the sidelines."

The breakthrough came from looking somewhere other than the painful spot. In their words: "Together Jarrett and I found and worked on the true source of the problem, lying not only in the lower leg region but higher up the kinetic chain. I would have never thought of that connection had it not been for his guidance. I am now training and racing pain free and relishing every minute. With Jarrett's help, I have drastically slashed my race times."

Adrienne also names the thing competitive athletes care about most: "As a competitive athlete, I can't just go anywhere for massage work."

Twenty minutes of agony just to get out of bed

Ken B. · Golfer, age 46, single-digit handicap

At 46, Ken still had tour-level swing speed and a single-digit handicap — until one swing on the course threw that back out. The next morning it took twenty minutes of agonizing pain just to get out of bed.

In their words: "After (1) session with Jarrett, I played golf a couple days later and felt great! But the best part was, he taught me how to treat myself! I send all my friends and business associates to Jarrett when I hear they are in pain, because I know relief is one appointment away. All they ever do is thank me."

"No more knee pain!"

Michell B. · Runner, knee pain since December

Michell had knee pain from mid-December, after a running injury and a new set of custom orthotics. Nothing tried made it go away.

In their words: "I have to admit that I was skeptical, but in one session, he made the pain go away! I couldn't believe it! I highly recommend Jarrett and Body MechaniX."

The one who passed everyone at mile twelve

Susan T. · First half-marathon

Susan prepared for a first half-marathon with months of recovery work built into the training block.

In their words: "Thank you so much for preparing me so well for the half marathon. I could not have done it without your hard work in these last few months. Runners (with bodies toned much better than me) were stopping along the way with muscle aches and pains, but not me! I even managed to sprint (ok, ran faster) the last mile!"

If it's your kid, and someone just told them to quit

Teen & youth athletes

"The doctor said I have to decrease my activities"

Jake B. · Age 14, baseball & football, Osgood-Schlatter

Jake was 14, with years already on the baseball and football fields, when the knee pain started. A doctor's visit gave it a name — Osgood-Schlatter — and a prescription no kid wants to hear: cut back on the sports you love.

In their words: "I know it's a long name but it's still shorter than 'MY KNEES WON'T STOP HURTING AND THE DOCTOR SAID I HAVE TO DECREASE MY ACTIVITIES!!!' This is not what I wanted to hear, and fortunately my parents didn't want to accept that fate either."

We treated the tight muscles pulling on the knee and taught Jake to keep the progress going at home. Even though we told the family up front it would take multiple sessions, the relief lasted for days after each one. In their words: "Within about 3 weeks I was feeling 90% better, which was amazing considering the pain I was in. And with the self treatment techniques he showed me and the understanding about how to maintain healthy muscles will help guide me the rest of my life."

Torn ankle ligaments — and still made varsity

Alexa N. · High school lacrosse, junior year

Torn ankle ligaments right before junior year, a month in a boot, another month off running — all through the off-season, while teammates kept advancing. In their words: "I feared the worse… not only was I not able to advance in physical ability and skill along with my teammates, but I felt like my conditioning was steadily decreasing."

We started before the boot even came off — releasing the tight, overactive muscles and re-educating the ones that had stopped working correctly. In their words: "It WORKED! Before I knew it I was back to full speed with no pain or need for a brace. And oh yeah, I still made VARSITY!"

If your pain came from a desk, not a game

Repetitive strain & desk work

The mouse arm that took over a career

Joan H. · Web designer, repetitive strain

Joan spends countless hours in front of a computer. As Joan describes it: "Every time I reach for the mouse it puts another stress and strain on the arm, shoulder, neck, back, etc., and makes them tight and more painful."

The fix was treating the whole chain rather than the spot that hurt. In their words: "Jarrett Smilie knows exactly how they all fit together and where the real source of the pain starts. Every therapy session releases more of the tension. I'm always amazed at what a difference the therapy makes. It works — that's the bottom line!"

How trigger point therapy handles desk-strain pain →

"Glad I said no to surgery and yes to bodywork"

Surgery alternative

Some injuries genuinely need a surgeon. Many need the soft tissue around the joint to stop pulling it apart. This client was already headed for an operating room when they chose to try bodywork first — and never needed the operation.

If you're weighing a procedure, a few sessions is the least invasive second opinion available. I'll tell you honestly if what I'm seeing is beyond what bodywork can fix. More on medical & orthopedic massage →

Don't take my word for it

Check the reviews I don't control.

The stories above are mine to publish, so weigh them accordingly. These are on platforms where I can't edit a word — read them there, then decide.

Yelp Body MechaniX on Yelp Read the reviews → Google Google Business Profile Read the reviews → Facebook Recommendations Read the reviews →

Every one of these started the same way

With one phone call.

Dorothy called. Sarah called. Jake's parents called when they refused to accept a doctor's "decrease your activities." Tell me what pain has taken from you, and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help you get it back.

(832) 326-8816

Call now Text instead