Eric Cooper, LMT – Bodywork for Pain Relief

Eric is fantastic at addressing chronic pain issues! I went to him for lower back/​pelvic issues and they improved immediately. I had been to 4 different physical therapists and a chiropractor over the last 2 years. Each helped a bit, but Eric is the best by far.
pros — He seems very sincerely concerned with helping people get better. It isn’t just a job to him. His technique is gentle. He comes at pain issues from a more holistic perspective. If you’re having back pain, he’ll look beyond the back to see what other alignment issues could be contributing to your pain.
I found him based on Unilocal reviews alone, which made me a bit nervous at first, but I am so glad that I made an appointment.

OK fellow Unilocalers, if you find yourself in chronic infrastructural pain, head over to Eric’s studio for an experience, that as he advertises will be «advanced…way beyond massage.» Before scheduling, though, I suggest reading up on the Onsen technique (
), his webpage (
), as well as the other reviewers. No, no, this will not be the lotion filled Pandora Zen music in the background kind of experience, but as the other reviewers accurately described, a retraining of the brain. He accomplishes this through very gentle stretches and trigger point de-activations…and, he teaches you these moves to practice at home for relief. You actually leave with a list of techniques (Somatic movements, the ball on the wall, etc) that allow your brain to rediscover how to «connect the dots» between muscles — some dots have been long unconnected!— so that your body leaves his studio straight, adjusted and in my case, pain free. When I feel myself «slipping» all I do is reschedule on the user-​friendly website scheduler. A few gentle reminders appear in my inbox before each session. Abundant free parking greets the patient. The bus stops nearby. A pleasant Ann Arborish «woo» décor-​aspect permeates his studio area. Having traveled the allopathic path through traditional pharma-​medicine for my chronic pain, I join the other reviewers in saying that, yes, the technique works. Why? From my perspective, Eric attunes with each patient, remains in the moment you, then he gently moves you so that your brain-​body remembers how to be aligned once again. If you’re meditative, you can «go within» while he works. If you’re not, simply listen and learn how to move once again. This, for me, represents the quintessence of body work: the patient and therapist on the same-​here-​in-​the-​moment-​nowness. Body work (energy work) requires trust and connection. Both can be found here. This makes the experience «advanced…way beyond massage.»

Holy Wow! I had been suffering from lower back pain for nearly 2 months. The agony was steadidy getting worse. 8 years ago, I had to have surgery on L4/​L5 L5/​S1 due to herniated discs. I was feeling like that was going to be my reality again. My right leg felt like there were knives stuck in the back of it, or like a fire was brushing across it. For the entire last week I could take only 20 paces before diving for the floor where I would writhe around in pain until the sharpness in my leg would subside. I was using Ice, and moist heat… almost constantly. I stopped going to work (Doctors orders, who by the way only treated the symptoms with pain killers, and muscle relaxers… not very effective). Finally, a friend suggested I try Eric’s treatment. When Eric worked on me his tecnique was so gentle and subtle, I have to admit I was at first skeptical that it would be effective. He required just slight resistance from me and there was no straining or uncomfortable periods. He told me that my sacrum was out of alignment, which he ever so gently manipulated back into position. I was amazed. When I got off of that table… I stood. I stood for a good long while. I walked. I walked the whole rest of the day… without a walker or cane or diving for the floor at all! I Don’t know how he did what he did exactly… but, I know this, I was 75% better than I was before I layed down on that table. I’m looking forward to the next treatment. It would be sooo nice to not have to go under the knife again. Eric Cooper has healing hands! This Guy is the real deal! I Highly reccomend his treatment.

Eric is awesome sauce wonderful! I’ve know him for years and his level of dedication to his practice is obvious. After years of hip and neck issues that have been treated with chiropractic and massage, only to continue to resurface, two sessions with Eric have proven to have lasting results. Eric takes the time to talk to you in depth about your specific issues. At the end of your session he will send you home with self care guidelines. My only regret is that I live 120+ miles away but will gladly make the trip when needed. If you’re in the Ann Arbor area he’s your man!

Eric is very knowledgable and attentive. He has deep understanding of anatomy and, as I’ve leaned, that is the key to figuring out how to help an individual problem. I
have fairly complex issues involving pelvis and lower back which have been helped tremendously by Eric. Last session that I had with Eric happened to be during a snowstorm and he drove out under dangerous road conditions because he knew I needed help. I am so grateful that I have access to such amazing professional and I would recommend Eric to anyone with pain, especially before considering injections and in conjunction with physical therapy.

I highly recommend Eric Cooper to anyone I know that mentions they are experiencing muscle aches or chronic pains.
Eric has healing power and I don’t mean that mystically (although that might be true too). What I mean is that he isn’t like your average massage therapist that just rubs you head-​to-​toe the exact same as their last client. Eric is very good at listening to you, figuring out what ails you, studying your body to diagnose the source of the pain, then working through different techniques to put things right again. I have had two visits with Eric, each one on a different chronic pain issue. Before seeing him I saw several massage therapists and they all would rub me and I’d feel good in the moment but I’d leave and be back to where I started within a day or two later. Eric takes a much more caring approach toward your individual needs and delivered lasting results.
I wasn’t able to run without pain, some days even walk without pain, because of a bad ankle sprain and a chronic neurokinetic issue that arose from that. It was two years of thinking it was an injury that would never heal, dealing with it in ways that didn’t really help, until I met Eric and after one session and following through with his advice and «homework», I was back to running within a couple weeks. I still am so grateful for his help and thankful that I met him.
Eric is very friendly, comforting and caring. I met Eric at a social event and was rubbing my bad ankle (in a fashion recommended by a different therapist, it felt good to do but never really reduced the pain for longer than an hour at most). He saw me doing this and asked what was going on. His warmness and concern for essentially a stranger was very admirable. He talked to me for a bit and even did a little hands-​on demonstration of some myofascial trigger point release for me right then and there. Not only did he help soothe my pain, he taught me how I could do it myself and why/​how it’s helpful. It’s like that saying, «Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime». Well, Eric not only helps you but he teaches you how to help you, which is far, far more valuable.
Eric is very dedicated to learning effective therapy modalities and mastering his techniques. He has an enthusiasm and passion for continued learning to improve his skills through studying different therapy techniques. He is very scientifically minded in his understanding of the human body, especially the nervous system, the skeletal system, the muscular system, and the way they work together. His understanding of neurokinetics was extremely helpful for me and sets him above your typical massage therapist. He has traveled far and wide to study some of the best, research-​proven therapies to be able to provide the best therapy possible. His constant pursuit for learning is impressive and each time I have seen him he was enthusiastic to share his new knowledge with me, which I really appreciate and look forward to each time.
Eric is great at communicating and educating. To start, he’s a good listener and will take time to understand your individual pains, concerns, needs and questions. During the session he is like a detective, working through different techniques to relax tight muscles and identify the source of pains or imbalances. He is always patient and receptive to questions along the way as well. At the end of the session he gives a review of the tips he shared through the session for «homework» for yourself to improve and take better care of yourself. He provides photos of the results as well as pictures of the important muscles to focus on along with the activities/​stretches you can do at home.
Eric is passionate about helping people. Each time I’ve seen him he strikes me as someone who truly cares about his patients. He remembers our previous sessions and my previous injuries and really does care to help provide long-​lasting results through his therapy. After each session I get an email from him checking up on my progress. His passion and care really make a difference.
I couldn’t recommend anyone more than Eric Cooper!

Eric can solve long time problems! He’s a genius!
I’ve seen him work wonders with backs, shoulders, necks and postural imbalances.