Experiencing Results at The Root of Motion.
MATTHEW MAHAFFEY
Cyclist, POWERLIFTER, climber
MOVING BETTER IS LIVING BETTER.
To move better, we need to know how our individual body is supposed to move, even if it doesn't move that way yet. Rachael is wonderful at working to make this happen while also educating and explaining the hows and whys of the process. She will enhance your living experiences.
CHRIS MITCHELL
Runner and climber
Before I go into how great of a healer Rachael is, I want to share a little of my back ground. In my teens into early 20's I was really active with wrestling, mountain biking, hiking, and a little bit of kick boxing. My life did a complete turnaround when I was involved in an MVA. I was diagnosed with a ruptured L5, whiplash, and signs of spinal stenosis. As my Dr at the time put it, I had an old man’s back at the age of 24. After over a year of physical therapy, I was able to sleep again without pain but lost all motivation for athletics. For fear of the pain coming back. After years of a terrible diet and slim to no exercise, I ballooned to 215 lbs. Fast forward to 2019, I realized I was out of control and had to do something. I became more active, lost weight, and got down to 140.
With my life back in control, I wanted to keep growing, challenging myself with new adventures, and pushing my limits. Basically, wanting to keep motivated to live a better and healthier life. Unfortunately, pushing the limits led to the pain from the whiplash. I also noticed alignment problems from running long distances. Then the worst was the pain in the back when trying to sleep was coming back. I was losing some motivation and wondering if this was for me.
Then, I found Rachael at TROM. I'm a skeptical person when it comes to just about everything but I do like to keep an open mind. The first time talking with Rachael, you could tell she is knowledgeable about body mechanics and helping people to reach their fitness goals and just an overall authentic person. It's like you rediscover your body through muscle, nerve, and tendon stimulation along with movement exercises. I find that her enthusiasm and positive attitude help out mentally. After all, your mental state is also a big part of your physical state. I also feel she takes the time to make the experience special to my needs so I don’t feel like just another customer as I have experienced with other therapy practices.
With her help, I have now run longer and faster on trails and streets because of my improved alignments. My climbing grades have improved because of better body awareness, and my upper and lower bodies feel connected. Sleep after weight lifting has improved because of less pain in my neck. She has given me the confidence in my first of many Spartan OCR. So, not to sound like one of those cheesy late-night ads, but I now feel like I am in the best condition of my life at 40 years of age with the help of TROM.
CATHY WOELBLING PAUL
Professional Musician
“As a professional musician, comfort in my hands and arms is important for optimal musical performance. I have been suffering from pain in my right hand and arm from the weight of holding my instrument. Rachael’s MAT has relieved a lot of the pain I have been experiencing, and I feel that the muscles in my right hand, arm, and shoulder are stronger, thus relieving the pain and weakness I have been experiencing. I highly recommend MAT versus any hypodermic shots in the joints and muscles. Thank you, Rachael, at The Root of Motion, for your help!”
SARAH HASKINS
Olympian, World Cup Champion Professional Triathlete
“I started using MAT six weeks ago. I have finally found the results I have been searching for to help me overcome an injury from four years ago! I have tried other treatments in the past and nothing has proven to work like MAT. I feel stronger and faster while training and racing. In addition, my injuries and soreness have greatly decreased while swimming, biking, and running. I recently won my first World Cup and look forward to continuing to use MAT to help me reach my goal of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics and winning a medal. I recommend MAT to all levels of athletes, from beginners to professionals, in helping you enjoy what you are doing injury-free and performing to your best potential.”
BRIAN UNDERWOOD
B.S. Exercise Science, NASM CPT, CES, PES Minor in Nutrition
“I asked my chiropractor, Darrell Murphy, about Active Release Therapy, and he introduced me to Rachael Durnell and Muscle Activation Techniques. Darrell told me she is the only certified MAT specialist in the state. From what he said, I was intrigued and eager to start. I primarily went to her for my shoulder, which I suffered from a Traumatic Brain Injury/car accident. What she has done with my shoulder has been amazing. There is a larger range of motion in multiple planes. Shortly after, I had her look at my knee, AND that’s when I learned: Even though you’re a Natural Bodybuilder, this doesn’t mean you aren’t weak. You don’t realize how weak you are until you visit Rachael! I had multiple problems biomechanically and a number of weak muscles. So, for anyone who reads this, I’d recommend dialing Rachael’s number immediately! You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel walking out and in everyday life!”
RICK MCMANUS
Elsah, Illinois
“Rachael Durnell is a very capable MAT practitioner and a wonderful person. I found her contact information on the MAT website and went to her for a muscle problem in my left hip area that made it very difficult for me to walk. After having two treatments a week for eight weeks, I was able to walk without difficulty and even to go dancing!
I found Rachael to be very knowledgeable about MAT, persistent, and dedicated to working out a solution to my problem. I highly recommend her to anyone hampered by muscle difficulties.
I could drive 10 hours a day for three days on my way home from St. Louis to San Diego and found that my hip felt better after these long days in the car than after my short drives from her office back to Elsah, Illinois, where I was staying. Thank you, Rachael, at The Root of Motion, for everything you have done for me!”
ART M.
Running coach for 30 years, LIFELONG runner
“Rachael helped me to return to running after a severe back injury. After just a handful of MAT treatments, my pain was significantly reduced, and my functionality was improved. I was skeptical at first because I was unfamiliar with MAT but it worked for me. Clearly, it is not massage, acupressure, or yoga. It is a unique and advanced form of hands-on therapy that simultaneously strengthens targeted muscles while increasing their range of motion. I recommend this approach to improve your stability, range of motion, strength, and flexibility.
Rachael at The Root of Motion will customize your treatment plan based on your needs.”
DIANE LAWRANCE
walker, a tap dancer and a gardener
All of my activities can cause various aches and pains, especially since I am approaching my eighth decade in age. One of my dance classmates referred me to Rachael one evening as I was commenting on my tight calf muscles.
My experience with Rachael over several years has been very positive. She has the training to observe your movements and know where imbalances are located. More importantly she knows how to put things right and does so in a relaxed, calm and caring manner. The positions and movements she directs seem pretty unusual at times. However, my experience is that at the end of the session muscles are working better and less painfully. Until I encountered Rachael I had never heard of Muscle Activation Techniques. Now I am quite a fan of both.
BEN H.
“I saw improvements after my first session and after my first series of treatments (about 7 sessions over 6 weeks), I've had notable improvements in nearly all of my issues. Rachael has taught me to pay closer attention to how my body is operating and what I can do to correct myself when something is out of whack.
While not all of my issues are 100% gone, the improvements I've had are so much greater than anything else has given me. This has given me hope that I can get over these issues and that I can learn how to deal with new issues that arise in the future.
On top of the efficacy of the treatments, I really enjoyed working with Rachael. It was clear that she was genuinely concerned with me and my goals and went out of her way to make sure I had the information and support that I needed. She was very flexible with scheduling, and I was very relieved to learn that she follows appropriate COVID protocols.
Overall, I'm very happy that I sought out treatment with The Root of Motion! I'm sure I'll be seeing Rachael in the future and I'm looking forward to continuing to improve how I feel in my body.”
GEORGE J. DIRKERS, M.D.
Physician, licensed in Missouri and Illinois Board Certified in Internal Medicine
“It’s not hard to recognize a healer. Rachael Durnell is one.
First she observes. She has you move. Rotate. Bend. Flex. Straighten. She makes mental notes. She asks questions on how the movement feels. She nods her head and smiles. Then she starts her amazing work that they call Muscle Activation Technique.
As a physician, I should understand the process.
After assessing your range of motion, she performs a series of muscle tests which requires you to hold a position as she pushes in a specific, sometimes seemingly contorted direction. You hold against her resistance, which isolates a muscle that may have been dormant for years or may have been overpowered by its stronger neighbors since a recent injury.
She then kneads the weak muscle at its attachment site, naming each muscle as she addresses its pain and
weakness. She recalls names of muscles that I hadn’t heard since medical school. Popliteus. Splenius capitus. I often am surprised that some of these muscles carry such hidden soreness. After the palpation that activates the affected muscle, she retests the muscle.
To my amazement, after a series of these selected point massages and activations, the muscles are no longer sore in that exact same spots that were very sore just minutes ago. Somehow, the muscles now feel free. Getting off the table after nearly an hour, I now feel that this particular area on which she worked -whether it be the neck this week, or hip the week before – suddenly feels free and light. The tension and heaviness are gone. The restriction of motion is gone. I wonder how I carried that excess tension and restriction for so long. Although Rachael’s process is very scientific, it feels as if the muscles are in some sort of meditation. They feel freed like the genie has been freed from the bottle.
I was referred to Rachael not by a physician, but rather by my trainer Brian, who previously had a traumatic brain injury_ which left him with chronic residual weakness on his left side. He’s working hard to overcome it, and I now understand the confidence he has in Rachael. She has helped him. Now she has helped me.
Yes, Rachael is a healer. She has an amazing understanding of the human body. She listens. She cares. She clearly enjoys what she does. A lot. And she brings success and healing. And although I understand the miraculous…”
DIANNA BEERS
Triathlete and half marathoner
“I started seeing Rachael in early March of 2010 for a persistent hamstring injury from the previous triathlon season and low back pain. I had my first half marathon scheduled for that month and was concerned I wouldn’t be able to run the whole race due to the injuries. During the treatments on my hamstring and back, I mentioned to Rachael that one of my problems with my training was a breathing disorder called Vocal Chord Dysfunction (VCD). VCD mimics the symptoms of sports-induced asthma, and in fact I had been treated for asthma for over 3 years with steroid inhalers, which didn’t work. An asthma specialist explained that VCD has no cure or treatment, and I would just need to learn to adapt or stop training and racing. Obviously I didn’t stop, but the difficulty breathing meant that I had to walk frequently on long runs or on uphill sections as I literally gasped for air. The same thing with biking; long bike rides at any speed meant gasping and hills were killers.
Rachael asked if she could try a treatment that might help my breathing. As I had nothing to lose, I said sure. I noticed during my run the next morning that I was breathing easier! I saw Rachael one more time before I had to fly out for my half marathon and she focused much of the treatment on my torso muscles for breathing. My half marathon was in Sarasota, FL, so mostly flat with the only hill being a long bridge we had to cross twice. I did have to walk part way up the bridge each way, but other than that I ran the entire race!! Breathing didn’t become difficult until mile 10, and even then I was still able to keep running, but had to modify my breathing. There is not a doubt in my mind that the treatments from Rachael allowed me to run without gasping for air. And the hamstring didn’t bother me at all the entire race or even afterward.
And the effects of the treatments continue today. I can now run up hills without gasping. I’m not fast, but I can run. The hamstring no longer bothers me when I run or bike. The low back is a work in progress, but I did have an auto accident that could be affecting the rate at which it will heal.”