Paul Helms, LMT, CSCS

Paul Helms is an injury rehabilitation specialist using telehealth, medical massage therapy, strength and conditioning/corrective exercise, and Fascial Stretch Therapy. With these skills, he treats athletes such as NFL players (Philadelphia Eagles), NBA Players (Philadelphia 76ers), professional aerialists, D1 college athletes, and international squash players.

Paul considers himself an “injury rehab specialist”, as opposed to a traditional sports massage therapist or personal trainer. He is passionate about working with people who want to improve their every day lives by decreasing their pain levels, as well as getting them to move, and feel better.

Paul’s own experience as an athlete dealing with injuries has a significant influence on his treatment style. He understands the frustration from being sidelined from an injury. Growing up in Durham, NC, Paul ran Cross Country in high school and rowed competitively at Davidson College where he served as team captain for several seasons. After completing his Bachelors of Science in Biology at Davidson, he worked as a CrossFit coach and physical therapy aide for Duke University Hospital System based in Chapel Hill, NC.

As Paul gained more experience and training, he gravitated towards injury rehabilitation and sports performance. This eventually led him to get a license in massage therapy and advanced Fascial Stretch Therapy certifications to expand his scope of practice. This allows Paul to better serve his clients looking to be free from pain and enhance their athletic ability

Education

B.S. degree in Biology (Davidson College)
650-Hr Massage Therapy Program (Cortiva Institute: Pennsylvania School of Muscle Therapy)

Certifications

Level 3 Fascial Stretch Therapist (Stretch to Win Institute) Level 3 Fitness
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA)
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, CrossFit Inc.
Functional Movement Screen Certified, Functional Movement Systems
Global Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention Part 1 Certified, Sagittal Patterns, GRIP Approach
MO License #2019021788
PA License #MSG011741

Memberships

Associated Massage and Bodywork Professionals (AMBP)
Fascial Stretch Therapy Association (FSTA)
National Strength and Conditioning Association

Testimonial

As a professional athlete and Olympic-hopeful, it's very important that I prioritize my recovery to enhance my training. Over the course of about 9 months, Paul and I worked very closely to not only address issues when they presented, but also to prevent any problems from affecting my work. I can say with great confidence that Paul is the most knowledgeable and effective massage therapist/muscle witch doctor I have ever had the pleasure of working with - his proficiency with his craft is top notch and I would highly recommend him to anyone at any level, including other professional athletes. My only complaint is that I never found him sooner.

Alexander Smith

Olympic Rower, US Men's Quad

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Kyle O'Brien

04:02 28 Aug 19

I cannot recommend Paul enough. His two headed approach of manual therapy and rehabilitation exercises is far more effective than any other treatment I have ever undergone. Paul will not only fix your symptoms, he will address the underlying cause and provide training fixes for that as well. Helms Performance: go for the results, stay for the conversations.

Sara Jean

19:04 21 Aug 19

I have been seeing physical and massage therapists for over 15 years -- Paul made more progress in 3 visits. He helped me understand where the pains originated from and how they were affecting the health and integrity of other muscle groups. It changed my approach to my own body. I highly recommend Helms Performance.

Jason Pantano

02:41 14 Jun 19

To call Paul a ‘sports massage therapist’ falls way short of the mark. I have found working with Paul semi-regularly to be a life-changing experience and one of the best things I could spend discretionary money on of all the countless choices out there. He quickly hones right in on the issue at hand, and beyond the immediate care given to the problem area, provides an invaluable education during your appointment that you can take back out into your daily life. He follows up with thorough and professional email summaries, pics, videos, etc. to help you keep track of movements and exercises designed to loosen, strengthen, and/or re-pattern as needed. The best kept secret around, I refer to Paul as a mad scientist when referring friends. Best of luck in the Midwest!

Erin Franks

21:49 13 Jun 19

Paul is wonderful. Easy to converse with and extremely professional, he was able to quickly isolate what bodywork and at home exercises I would most benefit from to get the most out of my climbing and aerial circus addictions pain free. Using his originally developed methods during my sessions, I have found increased flexibility and mobility all with a significant decrease in pain. I hope he is able to make stops back to philly soon!

17:35 13 Jun 19

Jarritt Logan

08:51 12 Jun 19

I had an excellent experience with Paul. He's very knowledgeable, friendly and you can tell how much he cares about his clients. He has a laser-focus on getting you back to 100% - and maintaining it! I made more progress with him in 3 sessions than I have in months working with other people. My only regret is that I didn't find him sooner!

Eric tropea

17:34 11 Jun 19

Paul is extremely knowledgeable. I had been dealing with nagging injuries for months and he put me on the path to recovery. I had seen multiple physical therapists that offered little to no help. Spending money on improving your health is money well spent. I would highly recommend Paul for anyone trying to recover from an injury or looking to improve their overall fitness.

Lori Braden

13:25 11 Jun 19

After two rounds of physical therapy and shoulder pain that kept returning, I went to see Paul Helms. He used several techniques to identify and relieve pain. Paul followed up each appointment with exercises to supplement his therapy, improve mobility, activate and strengthen the muscles I was under-utilizing. His knowledge of the body and its mechanics is impressive. Working with Paul changed how I approach weight training too--I'm more focused on the muscle I'm training and proper movement rather than just moving the weight.

cgrob513

04:16 11 Jun 19

Paul identified issues with my movement/muscle balance that were contributing to mobility and discomfort. He got me on the right track during in person sessions, while arming me with the tools and knowledge I needed to maintain and prevent future issues from home.

Amie Archut

02:30 11 Jun 19

I cannot say enough! I had been dealing with a shoulder issue for over a year. I had seen multiple physical therapists, massage therapists, doctors and more. All helped a little, but none were as knowledgeable and attentive as Paul. Found more relief in a few weeks with Paul than a year with multiple other therapist, I wish I found him earlier!

Colleen M. L

23:53 14 May 19

Paul is amazing at what he does! I went to Paul about 3 weeks before a marathon with pretty bad knee pain as well as lower back/hip pain. I didn't have much hope things would be fixed in 3 weeks, but thought it was worth a shot. After 3 visits with Paul, plus a daily regimen of stretches he prescribed, I not only ran the marathon without pain but I also set a new PR. After the race, I worked with Paul to improve my running form with the goal of preventing further injuries. I've been injury free since then, and set another PR at a recent 10-miler. I would highly reccomend Paul!

Chase Culbertson

16:47 16 Dec 18

Paul does excellent work and gives you a great program to follow outside of the sessions to ensure the treatment is effective. Great guy and would highly recommend.

Megan Tahan

21:14 12 Nov 18

Paul is extremely knowledgeable in his field. I had several issues including my back, my knee and my wrist that have all been MUCH better since going to Helms Performance. He told me more about what was going on in one session than multiple chiropractors have in YEARS of chiropractic visits. One of the most valuable aspects is that he gives exercises to strengthen the proper areas and activate muscles, specifically for the condition, not just a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all regimen. He makes it easy to work into my lifestyle so I can manage it with little to no pain. Thanks, Paul!

Patricia Mamon

01:39 12 Nov 18

If you are an athlete with or without pain, you should see Paul. Before working with Paul, I was running into dead ends with physical therapists (even sport specific therapists) that did nothing to ease pain or improve form. They were satisfied with the fact that I was mobile. Paul was a completely different story. In a few sessions, Paul was able to make my shoulders mobile and pain free for the first time in years. Beyond that, he completely changed my form and corrected my posture. I had always assumed that pain and soreness were the price of admission for being active. I now know you can be active and pain free. Do yourself a favor. Make an appointment.

Timur Aleshin

18:03 11 Nov 18

I've been going to see Paul twice a week for about 6 months now. He has helped me eliminate my lower back pain, gain flexibility, and fix my form on squats and deadlifts. I highly recommend Paul to anyone who wants to work on their physical structure!

nilay chakraborty

22:42 10 Nov 18

I had a shoulder dislocation injury 5 months ago. Since then I'm going to Helm's performance for Physiotherapy. Paul not only helped me recover really fast but tremendously improved my mobility... Paul is highly proficient and meticulous.. he is really friendly and takes time to walk you through the procedure.. keeps everything transparent.. I am a regular at Helm's performance.. STRONGLY RECOMMEND!

Talia Kassie

14:39 31 Jan 18

I've had many injuries in my life and seen plenty of PT's, but Paul is the best I've ever been to. He has helped me heal my shoulder faster than I thought it would take. He would also take the time to explain and show me where my injury was, how it was connected to other areas of my body and why my injury would cause me pain elsewhere as well. He is very caring and friendly. So easy to talk to and help you get through the pain. WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND!

Maydelis Torres

14:00 14 Jan 18

Paul was great at helping me address solutions to work through injuries and also in helping me to figure out a way to address an injury with doctors and figure out a way to move forward to find a solution. He explains everything. What I particularly liked is that he always follows up with an email with a review of drills I should be doing to help improve performance and also heal

Al Lucia

14:48 10 Oct 17

Paul is a miracle worker. After just three hour-long sessions, I have noticeably improved mobility in my shoulders and hip flexors. Thanks to this improved mobility, I am lifting a bit heavier. I also just FEEL better, with less stiffness and greater flexibility. In addition, Paul is a good guy who takes the time to explain what he is doing in a way that is comprehensible to the average person, and he also provides a personalized list of exercises and stretches (via e-mail, PDFs and YouTube videos) to work on at home. Definitely worth every penny and I would highly recommend Helms Performance to anyone with mobility issues or anyone looking for some preventative maintenance.

Leah Carr

19:01 09 Oct 17

Thank you Paul for helping me identify the cause of my discomfort, start me off on the road to recovery, and provide me with a regimen that I could continue at home!

Cindy Otto

17:17 09 Oct 17