Lee Physical Thearpy

James is pure magic! I saw James because of a persistent elbow injury that just wouldn't heal, and I kid you not, after one session with him, my elbow went from operating at about 50% to 95%. Totally amazing! I had another appointment with him to follow up and was complaining about a random rib/back issue I was having. He gave me a quick adjustment and it hasn't been an issue since. He's a very attentive listener, asks great questions as your describe your injury, patiently answers all the questions your throw his way, and gives appropriate and reasonable exercise recommendations. He's so knowledgeable, especially with climber specific injuries, and I can't recommend him enough! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Have seen Dr. Lee twice for both post-surgery (broken foot) pt and more recently to treat climbing-related injuries (elbow and wrists). What I appreciate is that I don't have to explain to him what these climbing-related injuries entail, he's a climber himself so he gets it/is very knowledgeable. Additionally, his instruction have been super helpful. I was trying to treat certain injuries on my own but was coming up short. So I definitely have learned some new things/exercises from him. Would highly recommend him as a PT or even just as someone to consult! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The space is soothing and very climber friendly. I always get so much out of the time we have together. James cares deeply about getting you back on your feet, and leaving feeling empowered to rehab what's ailing you.

Reviewed on Yelp

Awesome visit. Very knowledgeable about climbing injuries. Came in with a popped A2 pulley injury and James gave me exercises and advice for getting back on the mend. If you're looking for good PT and / or advice on climbing specific injuries, I would highly recommend. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

James is an EXCELLENT PT and honestly one of the best ones around. I went to him after I injured my low back. I was in a lot of pain and had very limited range in motion. After a session with James, I felt a hundred times better and my movement range improved considerably- it was such a relief! I not only felt better, but I also understood why the injury occurred and how I could prevent it in the future. He also provided manageable exercises I could do at home to help my back.One of qualities that distinguishes James as a PT is that he diagnoses the root of the issue and takes the time to explain it to you and help you understand how you can continue to take care of your body. He also makes every session super effective and does all he can to provide the best treatment in every session.If you can't tell from my review thus far - I highly recommend James for PT. Don't even bother going elsewhere. Trust. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

James is a fantastic Physical Therapist! I have been dealing with Back and Neck pain for years and after many visits to my Chiropractor and Massage Therapist, the pain would always come back. With one visit to see James, I had a better of understanding the source of my pain and how to improve it from it. Now I have better hope to live a pain free life with the help of James. You will feel amazing relief in the exercises and stretches you do with whatever pain you feel by the end of the session. Again I totally recommend James for his services and hospitality. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Highly recommend working with James! He comes to you (convenient), attentive to your needs, educates you, and takes care of you.

Reviewed on Facebook

I was having knee pain while running, persisting for about 2 months, which is debilitating when prior to those two months I'd been logging 40-50 mile weeks! James, being the swell guy he is, did some range of motion diagnostics to determine what might be the issue, some tugging and pulling, stretched things in ways I didn't know I could, and sent me on my way with a few practices to do at home. Within 2 weeks after, I was back to working condition! I'd highly recommend James, and not just for climbing injuries. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I can’t say enough good things about dr James. Deep professional expertise. Personalized care. Attention to detail. Then results! That is what you can expect from Lee Physical Therapy! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I injured my ankle after rolling it during a bouldering session. I literally couldn't walk on it! Luckily for me, James was there in the gym when I got the injury, and he even had wraps in his car to wrap my ankle up and quickly gave a thorough diagnosis on the scene. We went through a few physical therapy sessions over the course of the next couple of months. It was extremely convenient since he travels to your home - a huge benefit especially when you are having trouble moving around due to your injury! In each session, he was very thorough on how to do the exercises and the progress of recovery. Very easy to work with and has a relaxed personality. I highly recommend him - especially to climbers since he's been one himself for years! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

It was excellent working with James. When I came to him I had significant pain and stiffness in my lower back along with shooting nerve pain down my left leg. When James first met with me he quickly assessed what was causing my lower back pain. He pointed out that the main reason for my pain was the weakness of several important muscles that caused my hips to swing in a way that aggravated my lower back. He then set about teaching me how to strengthen those muscles through exercise as well as working on loosening up my lower back and hips which had stiffened due to the pain. After six weeks my lower back pain has significantly diminished and has continued to improve with the exercises he has given me to continue doing at home. Would highly recommend him to all. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

A few months ago, I injured my middle finger while rock climbing. Despite many hours of online research, I remained confused about my condition. I had had minor finger injuries in the past, but this one felt different. I desperately wanted to resume climbing so I contacted James who I knew because we had climbed together in the past and some friends recommended him. We had one session which was VERY helpful. We met at Brooklyn Boulders which was convenient for me since I planned to have a light climbing session there. It lasted about 30-45 minutes. What I especially liked was that he went beyond focussing on my finger, and evaluated my whole body from my posture to asymmetries between different muscles in my arms and shoulders. He gave me very helpful preventative tips which I still pay attention to (as often as possible). We spent a good amount of time on my finger injury, diagnosing the problem and prescribing corrective exercises. He gave me an exercise band and demonstrated a handful of simple, quick, exercises I could do to improve blood flow to the injured tendon while not straining it too much and keeping my fingers relatively strong. Unfortunately, being a broke college student, I could not afford more sessions with James but I would have loved to keep going.
Even after our session, he would check in occasionally to remind me to keep working at my finger. Although I wasn't exactly religious about the finger exercises, his reminders and my desire to get back to climbing meant that I was pretty regular about it. Fast forward a few months and my finger feels much better. I am climbing well again and I am trusting my finger more and more. James was very helpful, and I will definitely approach him for any climbing or non-climbing related injuries. As a fellow climber, he could understand my frustration and this was very reassuring. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

James is an expert physical therapist who takes pride in his work. He is very knowledgable and shares the imformation with the patients to give them an understanding of what the problem is. I am VERY VERY satisfied with the results from working with James and would refer him to any one who needs physical therapy! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I can't recommend Dr James enough. I went to James as a climber w developing back pain- presumably from an aggressive regime of core training and overhang climbing. It was very important to me to work with someone who understood the types of movements used in the sport. I was training "core" all wrong it turns out! He found the underlying issues rather than just treating the pain, AND spent a lot of time teaching me the mechanics of the body and WHY he was prescribing certain exercises. Becoming a knowledgeable partner in your own recovery is crucial to success, and Dr James not only has a deep set of knowledge to diagnose a problem, but also the ability to educate the patient to help motivate them to do the hard work necessary. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I worked with James over the course of 4 months following a pretty serious ankle climbing injury back in February. Knowing that I couldn't stand taking a prolonged climbing break, James worked with me to develop a recovery program that quickly got me back on the wall within a month. He always goes above and beyond during our sessions, working on not just my injury alone but also preemptive exercises preempt bad habits resulting from the injury itself. He was also able to identify a slew of other muscle imbalances in my body and prescribed many helpful exercises to work on those issues too. He took the time to meticulously explain his diagnosis and treatment plans so that I understood the importance of each of the prescribe exercises. His command of the subject is clear and the quality of care provided by James is way beyond what you will find at commercial PT clinics. I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone looking for a physical therapist. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Crushing problems! After almost three months of discomfort, multiple modalities and missing out on a great ice climbing season, I asked James over the internet if he could help me out. He was very professional and organized a prompt FaceTime appointment. Despite poor connectivity on my end, James was able to diagnose my hand injury and leave me with a treatment plan. I felt more progress while on the phone than I had with any other "healthcare professional" I had seen. This man knows his stuff. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Ran into James at the climbing gym. I injured my finger a couple of months ago but I was unsure of what the injury was exactly. James was able to quickly pinpoint the issue via a couple of quick hands-on diagnostics and explained the injury by telling me what to feel for when I did the diagnostic to myself. You can tell that he definitely knows the science behind these injuries. He was super helpful in such an impromptu setting and gave me a recommended recovery schedule. Still got a couple of months to go but it is good to have closure on an injury and to know that the end is in sight! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

After my Left Achilles retore from a big pt company, it was critical to find a PT who wouldn’t walk away or put me on machines. Good thing Dr. Lee was around. After 5 months of rehab from a PT who’d only put me on machines and left me alone, I realized I was in trouble if I was still stiff and scared to walk. After the first session with James, I knew he was “The” physical therapist I wanted to advance with. From the body manipulation to the exercises even including patient explanations he was very thoroughly careful. I have a photo collage of my progression of regaining flexibility and strength in my calf. I no longer fear walking, jumping, running, sports, etc. Overall James has helped me physically and mentally as I am able to become normal again. I would recommend him to anyone who is in need of recovering from injury. Hope this helps you in your choice! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

James is amazing. I was blown away by his depth of understanding of the human body and how each body part correlates with the other. This really shines through in his one on one sessions with you. He will tell you what the normal range of motion of something may be (ex: walking) and compare it to how your individual movement may deviate from that norm. He literally just saw me walk a few steps and immediately knew that my left hip flexor was weak before we even did any other diagnoses. He is so humble and is always trying to learn new things via podcasts, articles and seminars/freshen up on concepts he learned while in school. He really is a super dedicated, one-of-a-kind PT that I would highly highly (two highlys intentional) recommend to anyone and everyone. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I had a great experience here. James is both knowledgeable and approachable, explains the condition and the treatment in detail, and packs a lot of treatment into one session so you get a lot for your time and money. He gives well-defined, manageable home exercises and during the session you have his undivided attention and expertise. My acute strain was resolved in a few sessions and he also helped me address chronic issues that I've experienced for years. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

James is an excellent PT. Before you see him, you will realize he is great about communication, was willing to come to my house, and was willing to schedule appointments as early as the next day. He also follows up to ask you about how your injury is feeling. Something I really appreciate about his treatment is that James donates a full of hour of his time to you each session. In other clinics I have been to I would see the DPT for only 15-20 minutes and otherwise by treated by assistants. A big plus for me was that James specializes in climbing, and could show me the climbing-specific movement patterns that were causing my injury. James realized that I had a postural problem (both during and outside of climbing) that was the root cause of the arm, shoulder, back and neck pain I had been feeling. He focused on treating the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms. I improved over the months that I saw James. My neck feels much much better, and I have way better range of motion in my neck and shoulders. I have a much stronger back and can sit and stand in postural alignment for long periods of time without fatiguing. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I am still dealing with some residual tightness in my back and arm. Despite this, my body is much stronger than it was and I am doing many exercises pain-free that before would cause my back and neck to tighten up. I am expecting this last bit of tightness to dissipate as I continue James' exercise program. One difficult thing about seeing James is having to deal with insurance. Make sure you start submitting claims right when you get them to figure out how your insurance deals with out-of-network providers. In my case there was a separate out-of-network deductible. While dealing with insurance was difficult, the upside is that James could spend more quality time with me, a trade I was happy to make. I highly recommend seeing James, especially for climbing related injuries. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Usually I'm way too lazy to post anything on yelp, but James is amazing. I was blown away by his depth of understanding of the human body and how each body part correlates with the other. This really shines through in his one on one sessions with you. He will tell you what the normal range of motion of something may be (ex: walking) and compare it to how your individual movement may deviate from that norm. He literally just saw me walk a few steps and immediately knew that my left hip flexor was weak even before he did any other diagnoses. He is so humble and is always trying to learn new things via podcasts, articles and seminars, and makes a conscious effort to continually freshen up on concepts he learned while in school. He really is a super dedicated, one-of-a-kind PT that I would highly highly (two highlys intentional) recommend to anyone and everyone. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

James Lee is a very caring and professional Doctor of Physical Therapy as well as an integral member of the Chicago climbing community.  I met him at BKB 2 years ago and have seen him a couple of times for climbing related injuries, he's very patient, thorough in his check-ups and evaluation, and follows up with you after your appointment.  I have also attended many of his prevent injury (fingers, shoulders) and how to more effectively hangboard sessions he gave at BKB and found them to be very helpful.  Being an expert climber himself, he understands climbing injury issues so well and can't imagine a better doctor to fix my climbing problems.  Highly recommend! More...

Reviewed on Yelp