This West Philly bodywork pro doesn’t mess around when it comes to sore, tight muscles. Sure, McLean will ask about specific problem areas and integrate a mix of techniques — from deep tissue to cupping to myofascial release — for a customized tune-up, but her hands are super intuitive, migrating to those sneaky knots you didn’t even know you needed worked out. Read More »
Take note: The TMJ massage at this Rittenhouse physical therapy spot is intense. Having your jaw muscles massaged from inside your mouth is a little bit weird, but absolutely worth it. Massage therapist Paulina Moon expertly soothes facial pain and kneads out the tension-filled knots in your neck and shoulders. Feeling your jaw unclench for the first time in years is reason enough to book a second appointment. Read More »
1601 Walnut Street, suite 522, Philadelphia, PA Website
A visit to Jenkins’s Massage Studio of Philadelphia will immediately affirm her 14-year bodywork cred. In her Old City space, she’ll knead your muscles like a baker would dough, intuitively working out all your kinks (and then some) with deep-tissue, trigger-point and cupping therapies, for optimal mobility. Next appointment: booked on the spot. Read More »
219 Cuthbert Street, 4th floor, Philadelphia, PA Website
You’ll walk in like kiln-dried pottery and walk out like a lump of clay thanks to the deft hands of owner Dorinda O’Donnell, who spent a decade building experience in a variety of techniques at the now-closed (sniff, sniff) Terme Di Aroma spa. Whether you’re in for reflexology, a Thai yoga massage, or deep-pressure therapeutic work, she isn’t afraid to target any back lumps or tight hamstrings from multiple angles until they’re ahhhhh. Read More »
1318 West Ritner Street, Philadelphia, PA Website
This wellness center is exactly what its name implies. Offering myofascial release and Swedish massage, Haven’s specialists, whose backgrounds range from traditional PT and functional movement to digestive health, listen to your body’s natural cues, leaving your muscles relaxed, relieved and restored. Read More »
1639 North Hancock Street unit 102, Philadelphia, PA Website
Über-ubiquitous CBD is effective for easing muscle soreness and reducing inflammation, and the CBD massage at this laid-back spa is the best way to find that sweet relief. Read More »
752 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-922-5323 | Website
There’s a reason Philly’s top fitness instructors flood these studios. Well, two reasons: First, the staffers know athletes’ bodies better than anyone else in town, which means they can loosen muscles and target trigger points with alarming precision. And second, the $250 annual membership – which can score you up to 50 percent off services – makes it much easier on the wallet to keep coming back. Read More »
4368 Cresson Street, b, Philadelphia, PA | 267-437-4520 | Website
At $50 for 60 minutes, this strip-mall spa massage is crazy cheap – so don’t expect marble tile, fancy amenities, or a ton of attention to your personal preferences. But you’re not here for that; you just want someone to knead your sore muscles to within an inch of their lives, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. Read More »
1100 Washington Ave, Philadelphia, PA | 215-271-8697 | Website
Ignore the dim lights, soft music and aromatic oils; you’re not here to relax. You’re here to work—or, rather, be worked on, with a massage so deep, so laser-like in its knot-obliterating precision, that you’ll leave 80 glorious minutes later feeling far less hunched and more, well, human. Read More »
1 Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA | 215-963-1500 | Website
What with the dim, plush lounge, the tucked-away sauna, the outdoor terrace for post-treatment sips, and the mesmerizing experience of having four hands transport you to someplace where stress can't find you, this particular spa appointment has a permanent place on our calendar. Read More »
210 West Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA | 215-790-2500 | Website