Michael Dennis, LMT

Michael Dennis has been part of my self-care team for several years. After many unsuccessful visits to physical therapists and other massage therapists to find the cause of, and hopefully alleviate, mysterious and acute knee pain I was suffering, I went to Michael on the recommendation of my doctor. I am a yoga teacher and understand well the benefits of regular stretching and exercise, but what I didn’t understand was how the fascia in the body also needs regular movement for health. Michael is a gifted fascia worker and taught me that the “tightness” I was feeling might not be just tense muscles but bound up fascia that prevented the muscles from moving. My stuck fascia and muscles were the source of the problem and within a few sessions it was gone! I trust Michael’s intuition and talent as a trained and skilled massage therapist, and I continue to benefit from his work. I’ve also sent many of my yoga clients his way. We all have been extremely pleased with his work and his kind manner, and we are thrilled that our bodies are able to move more freely. If you are in pain and have tried other modalities with limited success, I strongly recommend that you meet Michael. You won’t be sorry.

People who understand the body like Michael are few and far between. I say that as someone who has sought many forms of massage and physical therapy for a traumatic head injury. What has really impressed me about Michael is his desire to learn and to really consider what the issue could be. I have also really appreciated how seriously he takes what I have to say about my body, a trait unfortunately missing from so many therapists. But if there is one thing for which Michael truly deserves five stars is that he has made my quality of life better. I have only been seeing him for the last few months and I have gone from someone who had resigned themselves to a life of chronic pain and discomfort to some looking forward to running again someday.

Michael works magic! As an overweight, older woman with bilateral hip replacements, neuropathy from chemotherapy, and many more body troubles, I was hoping for some pain relief and general ease. I didn’t believe I would ever walk without discomfort, sit and stand with ease, or find a reprieve from the pain in several places in my body. But after a few months, I am walking without pain, sitting and standing with more ease and my body feels balanced and stable. Michael’s work is truly remarkable! He is an exceptionally gifted and dedicated practitioner with an incredible talent for healing!

I can't say enough great things about Michael! I started seeing him for post-surgery numbness in my upper arm, and within a couple of months the numbness was gone. He addresses/finds root causes for pain smartly and intuitively and also suggests great exercises, yoga movements, or practices you can do at home. I always leave my appointments feeling so great!

A few years ago, I fell walking down a steep hill, shattering my kneecap. After a 3.5 hour surgery, I kept my leg immobilized for 2 months. Physical therapy began a couple months later. After I graduated from hospital care, I still lacked nuanced movement and full range of motion. I began working with Michael 9 months after my fall, when my knee looked a tube of rocks covered by skin and an 8” scar. I’ve been working with Michael for almost two years now, and he has very patiently worked on the many layers of tissue in my leg, from slowly unsticking the surface scar from the tissues below, to finding the bone below a thick covering of fibrous, sticky and dry tissue. Michael and I have developed a valuable partnership: we discuss what’s happening with my leg; he helps the tissues remember—or recreate—their shape, texture and orientation; and afterwards I move, dance and stretch. When I return, we repeat the sequence. I am dancing nearly without restraint, and my butt-to-ankle squats are restored. While the bone is forever changed, my knee is now recognizable as a knee. My original prognosis was poor. Michael’s skill and partnership have been a profound blessing. Me ke aloha pumehana, Joanna Teanini

STRONG YES FROM ME!!! If you're looking for a weak Swedish "fix" that feels good for 3 days, look further. Michael is the real deal. He is passionate about curing your pain and alignment problems and has extensive practice and specialized training combining the best practices of the West and the East. I was having severe back pain, and went to him, barely able to walk. Instead of just making my muscles feel good, he started by measuring things like % bend in the hips, analyzing flexibility and muscular fiber group shifts to pain-compensate. He explained the role of the fascia and took his time. After the first session I was like...hmm we just did some mobility manipulation and I didn't get the "soma" of a Swedish relax, but he said he was getting my structures ready for the next step. So although I left with better posture, I was hesitant but decided to trust him. By the end of the 2nd session, it was Wow! Although he only worked a very specific area the full session (quite painfully)...AFTERWARDS...using some sort of myo-magic--not only could I do a squat again--without pain!!, but was able to bounce down the steps with a hop in my skip. I could go on about learning Yoga tightening techniques and other East-West voodoo from him--but suffice it to say--Micheal is awesome! Give your body what it needs through his practiced wisdom.

Michael is an extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and dedicated massage therapist but in addition, he is a gifted healer. A rare combination of skills and talent.

Michael is a terrific bodyworker. I'm thrilled that he's expanded his practice to Duvall. He's helping me work through a constraining wildland fire injury. I look forward to visiting him as much as possible.