ABSOLUTELY LIFE SAVING... Amazing space, a TRULY caring and incredibly skilled staff.. I am SO grateful to have found this clinic upon a visit to the area and an unexpected health concern. I only wish I lived in the state... SOOOOO helpful. THANK YOU read more

This group provides exceptional acupuncture and body work. They listen carefully and are deliberate and thoughtful. I keep on going back for the consistent high quality care. The care and thoughtfulness extends to the tea in the waiting area and the hand towel in the bathroom. read more

Thorough, professional, empathetic, effective. I just had an impressive acupuncture appointment with Jamie! For the first time in the nine weeks since I broke my foot it feels like ... a foot! I am very pleased! read more

I found Jamie through a friend of a friend as I needed help to reduce pain and increase strength and motion in my left shoulder. I had already tried physical therapy and that didn't work so Jamie was my last hope. She has a fantastic attitude and approach, always so positive but firm in her follow-up instructions on what exercises I should be doing after I leave her office. Over the course of a couple of months, she was able to release the stuck muscle fibers in my shoulder which seemed to be the main culprit in the pain and weakness. I am now able to once again do the activities that I have been unable to do for the past year! Jamie is a true master in many therapeutic areas. In addition to the shoulder work, she also helped me with my neck (I always pull it due to it's weak nature and misalignment), my tight chest and calve muscles and other ailments. I know I can always count on her to help me feel better. I've also been on herbal formulas which she has prescribed to help me reduce the "heat" in my system and restore yin, which functionally helps to reduce the ringing in my ears, reduce night sweats and sleeplessness. I highly recommend Jamie to anyone who is looking for a truly well rounded and professional healer, with the education and credentials to back it up. read more

I'm a fairly athletic person and have always worked with massage therapists to help work out the inevitable kinks and strains. I have to say that working with Jamie was not like going to a massage therapist - yes, she has incredible skill in massage therapy and if that's all you're looking for, you can't go wrong with Jamie. But what's different about Jamie is her use of neuromuscular programming technique to really address deeper issues in your body. I first went to her with a hip injury that had been poorly diagnosed. While my orthopedist needed an MRI to figure out what was happening, Jamie was able to pinpoint the exact location of the injury and work with the muscles around it to both release tension and help me figure out what I needed to do to strengthen and protect the injury (which is relatively minor but inoperable). The experience opened my eyes to an entirely new way of thinking about body work; sadly, I've yet to find another therapist who is as thoughtful, knowledgeable and, frankly, strong as Jamie. Jamie's past as a gymnast gives her both incredible strength and a precision in her muscular work that is hard to replicate. Because she is an accomplished athlete herself, Jamie has an encyclopedic knowledge of not just human musculature, but the kinds of issues athletes tend to face. Add that to her amazing bodywork skills, and you have a winning combination. Can't recommend Jamie highly enough! read more

I have had an injury for years from an auto accident. I have been in pain with reduced range of motion for so many years I didn't know otherwise. Jaime is a miracle worker. I am no longer suffering and forever grateful. I recommend her healing hands. Thank you Jaime! read more

I have had the benefit of receiving Jamie's considerable body knowledge and experience many times over the years. She has a multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating her patients, with the goal of efficiently moving a client through their recovery process. I feel that from her I get solid insight and actionable advice that addresses not just the issue at hand, but the larger physical perspective as well. I highly recommend Jamie's healing hands. read more

I'm a convert. I saw Jamie a few weeks back after hurting my back. I literally hobbled into her office and left about an hour later able to stretch, walk normally, and importantly-- upright, without pain! Neuro-muscular reprogramming is interesting-- the process involves massage and bodywork along with a sort of call-and-response with limb movement to get things back in order. While the process is gentle, the outcome is seriously extraordinary. Jamie was able to hone in on the issue immediately, worked it out, and helped me understand the nature of the injury along with giving me exercises and guidance to help me heal. She's incredible. read more

Jamie is an incredibly skilled and therapeutic massage therapist who works on much deeper levels than most. Her knowledge of kinesiology and anatomy, and how to retrain muscles to move in balanced ways that promote feeling good is profound. Yesterday I went to Jamie with a groin injury (a torn muscle probably) that has been paining me greatly for a year. With in an hour and half, I can honestly say that the pain actually went a way for a while! It's all part of the healing process and I know that with an injury like this, many factors need to work slowly over time to rehabilitate the muscles. But Jamie knew so well what she was doing and how the body works that she could relieve the hurt muscles and reawaken those that had atrophied. She also gave me going home instructions so I can do more rehabilitation work on my own! Such a valuable tool! Overall, the entire feel and style of her practice are soothing, professional, intuitive, powerful, and caring. What a blessing to also have her available in the East Bay now!! read more

Jamie is an amazing physical therapist/kinesiologist. I had a Double hip replacement and needed some rehabilitation and she is absolutely amazing. She is a gifted healer to say the least! She's conveniently located in Oakland, her space is spacious and inviting, and she has a warm and lovely personality. Don't be fooled by her petite frame this woman has serious thumbs of steel! read more

Power, strength, intuition, deep understanding and awareness...these are all words I would use to describe the healing work of Jamie Bender. The peaceful care and support that this incredibly knowledgable, and gifted, massage therapist possesses is only part of the focused and caring experience Jamie offers to her clients. I would highly recommend her work, and suggest a series of sessions to get to the root of things. Warm, welcoming, and full of rewards for your body, mind and spirit. I have also had the pleasure of her consultation work in the areas of nutrition and herbal elixirs...YUM! She is a gift to all she encounters. Enjoy! read more

I went to Jamie with a locked up lower back in the hope of getting it unlocked. I've always had pain in this region and it had locked up once in the past. Not only was she quick to spot the problem and know what to do, Jamie also explained very well what was going on and gave me an exercise to keep improving it in the future. Her experience working with the body really shows and her solutions address what hurts from many angles. I would go to her regularly if I were living in Oakland as I think her therapy is also very helpful to prevent injury and not only save my poor back once it's happened. read more

Jamie is just wonderful! I have worked with multiple practitioners over the past year and a half to address severe hip pain. Nothing has helped... But after 5 treatments with Jamie, we are making incredible progress. I had a treatment yesterday and today is the best - nearly pain free - day I've had in almost 18 months. Jamie is a very gifted and powerful healer and a beautiful spirit. I can't recommend her highly enough! read more

Jamie is an amazing healer. I am an electrical contractor and find myself pretzeled in people's attics and basements often enough to come away from my work day a twisted mass of flesh. I don't receive Jamie's work nearly enough, but when I do, I present my list of physical hang ups and each one is addressed and alleviated! She is so well studied in matters of anatomy, that there seems no muscular problem out of reach for her. I would recommend calling on Jamie for work with ANY chromic pain that you are experiencing and possibly contemplating surgery for. I've been amazed at how much my body can find normal with her guidance. It is quite miraculous actually. She is passionate, curious and tenacious when it comes to helping others on their path to bodily health. Not only is her intuition and physical manipulation incredible, but the specific modality she uses (NKT), lends itself to putting the body back where it wants to function normally. I am lucky I ran into this practitioner and we are all lucky that she decided to become a healer. Thank you Jamie! read more

If I could give Jamie 10 stars I would. Let's start there. I am a dancer and was rear ended a year ago in a car accident that gave me bad whiplash. I was unable to dance for months. But with Jamie's incredibly skilled hands, I slowly progressed back to full health and am now dancing as though it never happened. I saw several therapists before I connected with Jamie and showed no progress. Jamie has very specialized training and through all of her knowledge and skill set, she was able to identify exactly what muscles needed retraining, which ones needed relaxing, and which ones needed strengthening. Identifying the needs is one skill set which Jamie excels in, but she also excels in creating lasting change in the body. Every week I could feel myself getting better and it was obvious that she was the right person for me to work with. But on top of all that, if you just need a feel good massage, Jamie delivers an amazing relaxing feel good session too. Jamie is also very professional. She was always on time and never seemed to bring any baggage to the sessions with her. She was always an open canvas to receive my experience. It felt fine for me to go to sleep and be checked out, or for me to be totally engaged and chat with her all session long. Her demeanor is very serene and accepting and empathic. I am so grateful to have had her as my healer in this time and would recommend her to anyone. She is a delightfully small person, but don't be deceived, she packs a serious punch and her hands are very strong, intuitive and extremely skilled. read more

Jamie is amazing!! I first saw her to help with chronic pain I'd had for years and had tried numerous other treatments and worked with a number of specialists. After just a couple of visits it decreased dramatically, and it continues to get slowly better and make progress. read more

Jamie has developed a keen ability to get to the root cause of body issues. Her methodology is unique (in my experience) and extremely effective. With her deep understanding of how muscles "talk" - cause and effect - she is able to really get her finger on the problem and go after it. She's like the Columbo of sore muscles. She's also super nice and comfortable to be around and I really like her North Oakland space. I always come out of a session with Jamie feeling refreshed! read more

Jamie is far more than a great massage therapist, she is an amazing healer. I went to her for a serious and ongoing neck injury for which I have seen a number of other massage therapists (not to mention all the other modalities). Her neuromuscular reprogramming technique was completely unique and eye-opening. Because of her deep understanding of anatomy and the connectedness of the human body, Jamie did not have to use excessive pressure to get results but instead could get a huge amount of release by being gentle but very specific in her pressure and movement of my arm and neck. This is critical for my injury which is nerve-based and nerves get pissed when you push them too hard. Throughout the course of my injury I have become very particular about who I trust to touch my body. I have had too many people cause more damage than good not knowing what they are doing. I TRUST Jamie. If you have delicate conditions for which you need true healing body work, this is your lady. If you just want a nice relaxing massage, I'm sure she can serve that up too! Finally, I very much appreciated the rustic chic decor in Jamie's massage studio. Ambiance is an important part of the healing process and the energy Jamie has put into creating an oasis in the middle of Oakland was palpable! read more

In the short time I've had with Jamie I can say without a doubt she is very very good. She has solved the pain issues I was having with my upper back and neck and worked out some other problems with my arms, wrists and hands. She seems to be able to quickly assess the root cause and go after it with incredible precision. I think she has a studied knowledge of anatomy but also an intuitive knowledge of the body and is doing the work she is meant to do. Her space in North Oakland is very nice and clean with a heated table. She has also recommended stretches and exercises to help get my body back on track. read more

FIrst one hour visit and my (semi) frozen shoulder is almost like new! Jamie is incredibly gifted.

I sit at a desk all day and have been struggling with some muscle and nerve issues for almost year now (probably longer, but I just didn't notice it). I am totally fed up with doctors and decided to take matters into my own hands and look for someone who could translate the myriad symptoms I've been dealing with and hopefully get me started down the path to recovery. Months of physical therapy, MRIs, and specialists, and they are still perplexed by my complaints. Twenty minutes of listening, and Jamie had a plan. And it's working. At the start of each session, she takes her time to re-evaluate and assess all of my complaints and talks me through the work she is doing and why. She has a very confident touch and knows exactly what steps to take when a muscle isn't responding as it should. Rather than move on, she will stay with it until the muscle gives her the feedback she is looking for. I specifically started seeing her because of her knowledge and use of neuromuscular reprogramming in the hopes that I can retrain my muscles to interact correctly, rather than simply shut down. I am very happy to report that after each session I not only have learned something new about how my body works, I feel incredible. Pathways feel clearer, muscles are behaving, my mood is always improved, and I'm seeing a light at the end of this very annoying year of discomfort. To clarify - I was not looking for a spa massage or someone with an unsure touch. I wanted someone who isn't afraid to get in and work things out. Jamie does that and it's awesome. And she's fun to talk with - making the entire experience something to look forward to. read more

Jamie doesn't give a nice backrub like many massage therapists --she finds the source of pain and tension and goes after it. I have gone to Jamie regularly for two years and my headaches and neck tension are almost completely gone. read more

Jamie's deep knowledge of the integrated anatomy of the human musculatory and skeletal systems allows her to hone in quickly on the root of chronic problem areas. Her use of muscle testing combined with focused and persistent massage of bound up points delivers genuine results. And she provides excellent exercises to do at home to maintain relief. Jamie has helped me immensely with chronic and old neck and shoulder issues, and I highly recommend her. read more

I am a full time yoga teacher in SF who has been baffled by an bad ankle sprain injury that has been taking months to heal. In just two sessions with Jamie I have seen a massive improvement. She is awesome! She takes her time to get down to the root of the problem and uses her knowledge, compassion, skill and intuition to go deep. I cannot say enough good things about her. I trust her work implicitly. I feel stronger in my body, and therefore more optimistic about everything. The emotional element of being hurt was really starting to take it's toll. She quite literally helped me step back into feeling more empowered in my body which has assisted greatly in elevating my general sense of well being. I would highly recommend her to anyone with injuries, and will be sending many of my students her way. read more

I went to see Jamie for a painful and swollen knee. She knew right away what the problem was. Jamie was able to get my knee back in alignment by loosening a muscle that had overly tightened. My quads were also not firing. After one visit to Jamie, my quads are firing again and my knee is in alignment. She is amazing!!! read more

Jamie is extremely knowledgeable about the body and how to help it heal. As a chiropractor and body worker myself, I am extremely picky, and not only do I go see Jamie for my own healing, but I refer people to her and would recommend her to anyone! read more

Business owner. Jamie does great body work and knows her stuff. I have been seeing her for about 3 months and look forward to my body work. She has strong healing hands..... read more