Myo Durham Fitness and Physical Therapy

Fantastic experience: I had low expectations for how much Joel could help me. I have seen many PTs in the past for issues related to EDS and never found success. Joel's approach to managing pain and building strength is functional, evidence based, and it works!! I cannot say enough good things about the Myodurham experience.

Fantastic experience: This gym is perfect. There is a solid group of regulars who I love, and it’s also a welcoming environment for new folks. This is true whether you’re experienced (there are a few people squatting amounts that make my jaw drop), or you never had the opportunity to learn how to lift or feel intimidated. They can start you just with learning proper form if necessary and add weight later, not uncommon at all. It’s friendly to all body types, orientations, genders, etc. Myo coaches will SAFELY help you maintain or get wherever you want to be. The program is always being tweaked to make sure people are getting variety. Also good to know: the company is co-owned by a physical therapist and a seasoned and well-educated coach, so they don’t play re: injury prevention. I’m not athletic at all, but Ryan and Leigh (yes there are two of us!) helped me get up to lifting amounts I never would have believed a year and a half ago. I also fell off the wagon for about 6 weeks due to my crazy schedule, and it was not hard to jump back in gradually. While you do work hard, it’s never to the point where your energy is depleted and you can’t go about the rest of your day. Oh and it’s CLEAN. I’m so glad I found Myo Durham!

Fantastic experience: I come here multiple times a week to visit Ryan for personal training. I’ve had a really positive experience here & would highly recommend their services.

Fantastic experience: Myo's classes were a great introduction to strength training for me (a fat woman new to lifting)! I appreciated the relaxed and non-competitive environment and Coach Ryan's expertise in technique and programming.

Fantastic experience: These guys are great! I first came upon Myo after a muscular injury which required surgery. I completed my standard post op PT routine but felt lost after this was completed. I love the combination of PT with Ryan's strength training. Ryan got me back to where I needed to be and further with a customized regimen. The space is great, the people are great, I cannot recommend Myo more! I recommend them to all my friends and family looking to accelerate their fitness and/or rehab.

Fantastic experience: Joel rescued us when we had no one else to turn to during our son's health crisis. We've been working with him consistently since December 2020 and have experienced his wealth of knowledge of not only the skeletal and muscular systems but also connective tissue disorders. EDS-ers this is your guy! As a bonus, he has 2 furry helpers who light up even the most painful of sessions.

Fantastic experience: Joel was such a great physical therapist! He was always kind, non-judgmental, and supportive of my physical and personal goals. I recommend him to anyone looking for a PT!

Fantastic experience: Been seeing Ryan for personal training and Joel for physical therapy and only had awesome experiences with both of them. Ryan has the best training program for building strength and getting into shape which was perfect for after the COVID shut downs.

Fantastic experience: I saw Joel for PT on an injury I had to my arm earlier this year and he helped me so much. He's easy to talk to and you can tell he knows what he's doing. I really wasn't sure how much progress I could make at first but after only 3 visits, my scar lines were less sensitive, the muscle in my arm was less knotty, and we were talking about ways to continue strengthening. I have so much more confidence in my ability to use that arm now. I highly recommend his services if you're looking for PT. His 2 dogs come to work too and they're so sweet and gentle, it was awesome having a dog to pet after a session, added bonus!

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality I really enjoyed my workouts with Ryan! He tailored the training perfectly to my needs and I was able to achieve my goals within a short period of time. Ryan has great knowledge and is a wonderful instructor! I can really recommend training with Ryan and I am already looking forward to more workouts with him!

Fantastic experience: This is honestly one of the best working out experiences I have had. The combo of Joel in PT and Ryan as the trainer is unbeatable. I have been lifting for a long time and play rugby and have never lifted as well as I have at Myo. This gym is everyone and everybody friendly. Navigating a Coach/trainer relationship as queer and fat woman is not easy, but I have never felt as relaxed as I do with Ryan. Highly recommend for anyone who wants a supportive but not competitive lifting environment with a personalized touch.

Fantastic experience: I had an excellent experience with Joel. He significantly improved my jaw and neck pain through dry needling/other techniques and taught me stretches to maintain the progress I made in the past 2 months. Highly recommend Myo and Joel!

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality Working out through Myofit has been a great experience. Ryan runs group lifting classes that he can customize to what you want to get out of it. Classes are welcoming for people of all experiences and friendly to all kinds of people, including those that may not feel like they fit into a regular gym environment.

Fantastic experience: At the beginning of my 1st session, Joel said "we're going to do things a little differently than you have in the past, and indeed we did." Myo's PT meets personal training approach - focused on empowering the patient to self-resolve and maintain physical therapy issues - helped me to correct a multitude of strength imbalances that had only worsened with consistent physical therapy. After the better part of a decade, working with premier physical therapists in Chicago and New York, I was ready for a new approach. After 3 months my issues had improved significantly, and after 6 months I was running again. Joel Cabrera and Myo PT's approach should be the new industry standard of care. 4 months removed from PT and living in France, I'm able to jog on my campus and walk without pain with minimal maintenance. I cannot overstate the positive impact and quality of care at Myo PT. For anyone with issues, especially nagging ones that have not been resolved, I strongly recommend Myo PT.

Fantastic experience: I have dealt with issues of lower back and hip pain, TMJ, and wrist and forearm pain for many years. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I have been to well over 100 medical practitioners from medical doctors to chiropractors to physical therapists. Joel is by far the best in terms of dedication, intelligence, and effectiveness. He is more than willing to work with you regardless of whether or not you have a common or easily treatable condition. On top of all that he is a great guy and I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Fantastic experience: Joel is a great physical therapist. As someone with hEDS, PT is essential to my well-being. I have seen at least 6 physical therapists prior to Joel, and none were able to identify the cause of my hip pain. Joel identified the issue within the first ten minutes of seeing me. I would strongly recommend him to anyone, but especially to fellow individuals with hEDS.

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality Joel couldn't be more knowledgable and engaging! I found him through multiple referrals and he has helped tremendously with strategies to reduce lower back pain with great success. This is after meeting with numerous chiropractors with minimal improvement.

Fantastic experience: Positive: Quality If you have Ehlers-Danlos, this is a great place to go for PT! Joel is very knowledgeable, friendly and professional. He is also quick to communication and his prices are fair. A good option if you're looking for PT that addresses the roots of pain and instability! I recommend this practice

Fantastic experience: I had neck surgery in 2011, but still have chronic pain. I have seen many physical therapists over the years and Joel Cabrera is the best physical therapist EVER - hands down! Joel provides personalized solutions that work. I have received dry needling and other techniques that have given me extended periods of relief. If you need a someone to help your back/neck pain – go see Joel. You won’t regret it!

Fantastic experience: Joel is recommended to me for his specialized experience and hypermobile spectrum disorders and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, which is a complex and often more severe condition than is recognized by physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors and many more. I have hEDS along with its accompanying comorbidities, autonomic dysfunction, Mast Cell Activation disorder, small fiber neuropathy, vague autoimmune challenges, craniocervial instability, mild cord tethering and muscle dystonia which is overlooked and undertreated in EDS patients. None of this phases Joel. His initial evaluation was patient, educational, thorough, and included some dry needling for a very painful region of my back. He listened to all of my needs and concerns, took a thorough medical history, and included my long-distance status in our jointly developed plan of care. His approach is both attentive and cautious, preferring to build slowly and steadily than to rush me into functionality that could cause symptom flares for injury. Our in-person sessions about once a month supply me with enough material to build a successful at home routine and allow my body to gradually transition to greater and greater levels of independence. He makes instructional videos that I can review at home, is readily available for questions and help via email, and can supplement an urgent need with a quick Telehealth visit. For a patient with my needs, quality is everything, and I happily pay his extremely reasonable fees regardless of insurance coverage, and drive from Charlotte to see him, instead of placing myself in the hands of a less-qualified individual.

Fantastic experience: Myo Durham provided a safe and welcoming fitness space for me while I was living in Durham. Joel and Ryan are such an incredible duo! Though I never worked with Joel, I used to come to Myo frequently to attend Ryan's small group training sessions. Each week's schedule, which is released on both Myo's website and Instagram, includes a combination of endurance, strength, and power days. During each session, each member has their own dedicated squat rack and air bike. Exercises are demonstrated at the beginning of each class, and modifications are encouraged to prevent injury. Ryan frequently guides members to ensure correct form and technique. My favorite part about Myo was the social interaction among the other members. In fact, I met several good friends through attending Myo fitness sessions (and subsequently suffering together during the air bike portions of the classes). All in all, I could not recommend Myo highly enough to anyone who is either looking to improve their health and fitness, or become a part of a close-knit fitness community.

Fantastic experience: I saw Joel for PT on an injury I had to my arm earlier this year and he helped me so much. He's easy to talk to and you can tell he knows what he's doing. I really wasn't sure how much progress I could make at first but after only 3 visits, my scar lines were less sensitive, the muscle in my arm was less knotty, and we were talking about ways to continue strengthening. I have so much more confidence in my ability to use that arm now. I highly recommend his services if you're looking for PT. His 2 dogs come to work too and they're so sweet and gentle, it was awesome having a dog to pet after a session, added bonus!

Fantastic experience: Joel has been a great coach. I came with shoulder pain from being on Prednisone. We worked toward more movement and less pain. The environment is great and Joel has been supportive yet encouraging to move forward. He is able to recognize pain and slow the exercises to accommodate for my specific situation. My first experience with PT and I am very pleased with the outcome. Thanks Joel.

Fantastic experience: I cannot say enough about Joel and his ability to provide true life changing improvement in my chronic TMJ pain. I started receiving dry needling roughly a year ago. In just a few weeks I had significant decreases in headaches, blurred vision, jaw tightness, cramping, etc. I was able to decrease my visits and now have cut my appointments down to once every few months. If you have TMJ/clenching pain as I did, you should not hesitate to visit and consult with Joel. It will truly enhance your quality of life.

Fantastic experience: We have known Joel for many years, first as his neighbor and then as a client. He is very professional in his approach. Explains the background of the issues you need addressed then describes in detail how he will be able to help you as well as what you can do to help yourself. He has shared both his Fitness and PT expertise to help us through some of the ups and downs the body goes through. Totally recommend Joel, he very personable and easy to work with. His receptionist, Lilly, is a delight.

Fantastic experience: I don’t know where I’d be without Joel as my physical therapist. A couple of years ago I ended up with a back injury that included 2 herniated disks and a host of other issues. I was in excruciating pain. I went to the PT at the doctor’s office and it literally made my pain worse. I never saw the same PT twice. I was seen by recent grads who did not have the kind of experience or technique to help me and I was sent home with a photocopy of exercises with no other instructions. Luckily for me, Joel was recommended as a spine specialist. He not only got me back up and mobile, he is now working as my personal trainer. He is helping to build my core strength and stability and teaching me better body mechanics to help protect me from any future injury. Having him as both my personal trainer and PT is perfect. He knows just what exercises I should be doing to gain the most benefit with no risk of injury. I would (and do) recommend him to everyone!

Fantastic experience: This place has been a game changer for my neck and back pain. Very personal experience and would recommend to anyone!

Fantastic experience: Joel is an amazing PT. My doctor highly recommended Joel to address body pain related to a trauma that resulted in muscle atrophy. I am so glad I reached out. Joel is so patient and really listens to your body’s feedback to accompany his own knowledge and intuition about treatment direction. He continually assesses the spine, muscles, joints, etc to be sure that he is addressing all concerns as thoroughly as possible. I have improved so much in the few weeks that I’ve been seeing him. Looking forward to continued progress and getting stronger than ever with Joel’s guidance.

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality Joel was fantastic at all aspects of the work - PT, thoroughly explaining his view of the issues and how best to address them, and going the extra mile with all options. I would certainly go back to him for future issues and would highly recommend him to others.

Fantastic experience: I got a pretty bad back spasm and was in a lot of pain. I was unable to move freely or do any daily activities. A friend recommended me to go see Joel and from the first session I got relief. Most importantly I got instructions on what to do to get out of this bad situation fast. Joel took care of my back with his dry needling and other techniques to get me back to normal. I highly recommend getting a session with Joel if there’s any physical discomfort, he will help you and your body will thank you for it.

Fantastic experience: As someone who suffers from chronic pain and a hypermobility spectrum disorder, Joel was the most kind and compassionate physical therapist I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. With goals to play Division 1 softball, Joel works with me to become the best athlete I can be, and to help me manage my pain and stay healthy. Through a number of techniques and taking a thorough medical history, as well as listening to your goals, he helps you create a plan of treatment and works with you to accomplish the objectives you both established. Both Joel and Ryan are so kind and have a great sense of humor, and never fail to make me laugh and put a smile on my face. I’m so grateful for MyoDurham and the support of Joel.

Fantastic experience: I saw Joel for dry needling. He was very thorough in his assessment of my injury and was able to not only fix my injury, but gave me exercises to do to ensure I would not re-injure the area. It has been almost 6 months and I have had no other problems. I would definitely go back for any other PT needs.

Fantastic experience: If you want real results, really fast then Myo is the place to start taking classes today. I'm not even remotely exaggerating with that statement, just check out their instagram and you will see me doing pullups that I couldn't do weeks before. I met Joel last April after I had broken my ankle and need physical therapy. Joel was able to quickly take me from therapy, to a supervised workout, and then release me to start taking Myo class with Ryan. My doctor was not confident that I would be running at all this year after my surgery. I ran a 5k last week and my time was way closer to 25 minutes than to 30... I have never run a 5k before in my life. That is in just over 6 months since my cast was taken off! Joel took me from being broken, fat, and scared, to being the envy of all of my friends. Now I am taking classes at least twice a week and doing a personal one on one training session once a week with Ryan. And the results are absolutely amazing. Ryan has come up with a formula that is challenging, educational, fun and brings results quickly. He has given me the knowledge and confidence that I needed to bring to my now daily workouts and his classes are what I look forward to most each week. If you have read this far in my review go sign up for therapy or a class, depending on your needs, you will be doing yourself a favor.

Fantastic experience: Had a Saturday group workout with one of the owners, Joel. He’s a physical therapist, so all the exercises were super functional with great direction and info given throughout. It’s a great cross training workout for any runners, cyclists, swimmers and triathletes. Recommend this for any athletes looking to up their game though.

Fantastic experience: I went for a Saturday workout class and it was awesome! Joel was amazing and very encouraging. The factuality was clean and everything went very smoothly. Definitely will be back!

Fantastic experience: MYO Durham is the best physical therapy in Durham!! I’m excited to come try their strength training gym too!

Fantastic experience: I had the classic upper shoulder problems a lot of us have from the stress and strain of work and life. Joel helped me so much!! He used a technique called dry needling and it was amazing. In just 3 sessions he relieved pain that I has been reoccuring for years!! My last visit to him was about 6 weeks ago and I'm still doing great. I will go back if needed but he also sent me home with good exercises to keep that area strong so hopefully it won't happen again but if it does I will know where to go. I highly recommend him, don't suffer, get it treated!

Fantastic experience: I’ve been working out at Myo for a month now and I’ve been seen by Joel for physical therapy...both have been awesome experiences. The workout: I’ve never been more consistent in my workout routine than when I’ve been working out at Myo Durham. I actually look forward to my workouts now...that is new for me! I’m already seeing progress in my endurance and my appearance. Ryan is super attentive as a coach. He guides your workouts and tracks your progress in a way I haven’t been able to do on my own. Before Myo I wasn’t really doing any cardio and now I can do an intense workout session on the air bikes. Seriously...if I can do a Myo workout, so can you! Physical Therapy: I’m a nurse and I carry a lot of my tension in my shoulders. I’ve suffered from neck pain for years now. Since seeing Joel, that pain has eased so much. His dry needling has given me almost immediate pain relief. He’s also given me exercise to strengthen my neck and help my posture. I recommend him to all my coworkers who complain about back/neck pain. Will definitely continue using his services.