Emerge Physical Therapy & Wellness

Fantastic experience: If you're a male experiencing pelvic floor pain, Nicole and Emerge PT should be your first stop. After many months of pain and failed treatment, Nicole had me feeling MUCH better after our first session. The subsequent sessions also led to notable improvement. Nicole is patient, thoughtful, and attentive. I could not recommend this clinic more.

Fantastic experience: I regularly work with both Dr. Nicole and Dr. Abby in comanaging patient care. They are both such caring and trustworthy providers who take great care of their patients. They take the time to educate and empower their patients. From runners, weekend warriors, perinatal care and everything in between, this is your clinic.

Fantastic experience: Nicole is a truly amazing pelvic floor therapist - I saw her for a few appointments before giving birth and then for a year (!!) after my cesarean. She is a talented practitioner and takes time to understand her patients holistically, always asking questions and answering all of my many questions that I had. I looked forward to our time together every week and feel like I made SO much progress with her. She’s also just really kind and so fun to talk to which is important for a pelvic floor PT because you need to feel super comfortable. Love Nicole and highly recommend Emerge to anyone looking for PT in Chicago!!!

Fantastic experience: Long overdue review, but this team is A+! Look no further if you want highly engaged, motivated, and talented practitioners leading your care. I worked with the emerge team on rehab after a shoulder surgery, as well as pelvic floor postpartum. Wouldn't consider going anywhere else... this is the dream team!!!!

Fantastic experience: I went to see Abby when my back went out and she was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. It is a great atmosphere and everyone is very helpful. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Today was my last day of physical therapy at Emerge. I had over 60 sessions of one on one with Abbey, and couldn’t be more pleased. After a heart transplant and a stroke at the same time, I left the hospital in a wheelchair. I went to one of best rated therapy programs in the country for three months of therapy (mostly in groups of 4 or more patients for each session). I left there requiring a walker. I can now walk unencumbered for 2 to 3 miles a day. One on one therapy is the way to go, and I don’t know how you could do ant better than Abbey.

Fantastic experience: I started seeing Nicole for pelvic floor therapy during my pregnancy and she was a godsend. Highly highly recommend!!

Fantastic experience: i saw nicole for several months postpartum. she was incredibly professional and very supportive, which was great for me while i was navigating through that newborn haze. pelvic floor physical therapy can sometimes be uncomfortable or awkward, but nicole is such a sweetheart and so personable that it definitely made things easier.

Fantastic experience: I had an amazing experience working with Nicole. We met regularly for 8 months, starting as soon as I was released for activity by my doctor following an emergency c-section. Nicole is fantastic - she is knowledgeable, professional, and has incredible bedside manner. Heading into my treatment plan, my goal was to minimize the appearance of my c-section scar and rebuild strength in my abdominal muscles. I'm happy to say that at 10 months post-partum, I feel as strong as I did before surgery, and my scar has full mobility and no "shelf". I also feel more aware of my body and what it needs to be healthy. The change from visiting with my OB/GYN every few weeks during pregnancy to being fully released 8 weeks after birth was somewhat unsettling. I am so glad I decided to pursue PT; it was so reassuring to me to visit with a member of the medical community during this first critical year post-partum. Nicole saw me at some of my most vulnerable moments as I adjusted to motherhood, and provided me with reassurance, a listening ear, and great referrals for medical and other service providers to round out my post-partum care. She is an amazing physical therapist, and much more. I learned from Nicole that you don't have to accept discomfort in your post-partum body (including at incision site), and that she is there to help address it and be your partner as you create functional habits to build back your strength and mobility. I would recommend her to any friend (or stranger!) who has had a c-section. As for me, I will absolutely work with Nicole during and after my next pregnancy.

Fantastic experience: Excellent personal care and customer service. Came in with a knee and leg injury from running, and worked with Abby to 1) identify problem areas, 2) develop a strength and mobility plan with home exercises, and 3) determine a schedule for returning to running, including contingency plans. Abby was excellent; highly personable, knowledgeable, and shared helpful resources. With Abby’s help, I went into a half-marathon with a much-improved knee and a strategy for managing knee pain during the race—I even exceeded my pre-injury time goals! Highly recommend Emerge PT!

Fantastic experience: I started working with Nicole when I was around 3 months postpartum and she is absolutely amazing! The other employees are very welcoming and the facility is very well-kept and organized. I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Nicole & Emerge and I am so grateful to have found them!

Fantastic experience: Nicole did a fantastic job and really tailored the physical therapy according to my needs. Additionally, she always was incredibly positive and made me feel super comfortable. I appreciated all of the exercises and tips she gave me and would highly recommend her to anyone!

Fantastic experience: I had a wonderful experience at Emerge. I have had several PT’s in the past for my shoulder injury however was excited to find Emerge. I started working with Nicole and she was immediately able to identify key areas to work on to make the most impact/ progress. If she felt something wasn’t working she’d introduce new techniques or exercises to ensure forward progression. You can tell she really cares about her patients from the time she spends and the thoughtfulness of treatment. Additionally, she’s incredibly knowledgeable and would take the time to explain exactly what she was doing, the muscles/ interaction within my injury and why my shoulder/ joints were acting the way they were which I always appreciate! With a full hour session only with your physical therapist it was very valuable to spend a significant amount of time manually working the injury as well as guided exercises. Finally, the online scheduling tool and app made it easy to schedule appointments and confirm times. Overall, the clinic staff are all really friendly and make the experience one to look forward to. Would highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: The folks at Emerge are top notch! Can't recommend them enough! I've had the pleasure of working with Marcus for a number of years, and you'd have a really hard time convincing me to ever work with anyone else! He's been able to cater our workouts to my specific goals and needs as they've changed over time, and continues to motivate me every session. I recently had a need for some physical therapy, so naturally turned to Nicole for that, and in just a few session I've already seen a ton if improvement! She has been able to quickly identify what I need to improve, and has fine tuned our sessions to maximize that.

Fantastic experience: Marcus is a great trainer... in a very nice and well located location on Armitage. I came in with a signficant injury and his careful and thoughtful training has been a big part in bringing about my successful recovery. Highly, highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Nicole is absolutely fantastic. I saw her while pregnant and postpartum in trying to get ahead of any diastasis recti issues. She ended up assisting with that (ultimately did not get diastasis recti at all!) as well as preparing for labor and dealing with all the lovely aches and pains associated with pregnancy. She is very knowledgeable and in turn I felt way more prepared for birth! Could not recommend her more and will absolutely be reaching out should I be fortunate to have another pregnancy.

Fantastic experience: I started seeing Nicole about 2 months postpartum for pelvic floor PT. She is amazing! She helped me to get back to feeling like myself and our weekly sessions were a highlight of my week. The facility is beautiful with a ton of equipment and she has a dedicated space for her pelvic floor clients. I truly cannot thank her enough for all of the help!

Fantastic experience: I was fortunate to be referred to such a great PT! Nicole Wodka addressed my injury and rehabilitation process with a great deal of kindness and compassion. No matter how many questions or concerns I came up with during or between our treatment sessions she was always incredibly patient and thorough in helping provide answers. I am confident should you choose to seek treatment here your expectations will be exceeded!

Fantastic experience: I started working with Nicole for pelvic floor therapy 2 months after giving birth, and I am so glad I did. I had no idea what to expect for this kind of PT and assumed it would be a real downer of an experience during an already crazy season of life with a newborn. I was so wrong! Nicole is such a breath of fresh air. She explains things so clearly and removes any awkwardness from the situation, and she’s also just a lot of fun to talk to. I have genuinely enjoyed our weekly sessions. That said, the best thing I can share is that I’ve seen so much improvement since started this PT. Before I started working with Nicole, I couldn’t run, sneeze, or laugh hard without leaking. Now I can do all of those, and I have a solid understanding of how to keep those muscles strong and well-coordinated. I can’t recommend Nicole and Emerge enough.

Fantastic experience: Nicole and the whole staff at Emerge is super welcoming and very knowledgeable about the field. Nicole helped me during my first pregnancy and after! Her knowledge with pelvic floor therapy is top notch and I would use her for all of my pregnancies moving forward! I highly recommend Emerge for any physical therapy needs!

Fantastic experience: Nicole was amazing working with me on pelvic floor rehab and scar mobilization after pregnancy and a C-section! She takes her time and explains clearly what she is doing and why. Her approach made me feel very comfortable through the whole process.

Fantastic experience: I contacted Nicole in 2020 about some nagging pain in my lower back. Because of the pandemic, we could not set up an in-person evaluation, but nevertheless after a very brief discussion, Nicole pinpointed what the issue was and gave me a battery of stretches and exercises to help with the pain. I followed her recommendation to the letter and my back pain disappeared entirely within a week. I continue to use what Nicole gave me whenever I have back tightness or soreness. She is exceedingly knowledgeable, accessible, and just pleasant to work with. I would recommend Nicole and the team at Emerge to anyone.

Fantastic experience: I absolutely love this place. I have been working with Marcus on and off for several years. During this time he's helped me meet my weight loss goals, decrease my back and knee pain and I have even managed to get myself in better shape during the pandemic because of him. He is patient, kind and most of all supportive. Marcus and Nicole make a wonderful team and can help no matter what your goals are. I could not recommend Emerge more, it has changed my life.

Fantastic experience: Nick is absolutely great! I tweaked my knee and came to him highly recommended and he had me back up and going better than pre injury! His knowledge of the crossfit workouts and tailoring the rehab around my WODs was super helpful and gave me confidence to keep working out through the injury!

Fantastic experience: Emerge has been so great! I started going for some joint problems and Nicole has worked with me on reducing the pain and strengthening my muscles to prevent pain in the future. They are very friendly, respectful, and adjust/cater to how you're feeling when you come in. Their facility is very clean and has all kinds of equipment for whatever your physical therapy or personal training needs are. HIGHLY recommend for anyone looking for a more personal experience when it comes to your health.

Fantastic experience: This is the place to go! On the PT side, Nicole is absolutely great. She is friendly knowledgeable, and unlike most other PT places, she’ll work directly with you for the entire duration of your appointment! Marcus is also a great trainer who looks to challenge his clients and take them to the next level!

Fantastic experience: Nicole helped me with a very serious case of plantar fasciitis. She is very knowledgable and the treatment was effective. Nicole and Marcus are super friendly and they have created a fun environment - at least to the extent PT can be fun! I would highly recommend Nicole for physical therapy.

Fantastic experience: Emerge has a fantastic physical therapist in Nick Barin. He has treated me for issues associated with my left knee, plantar fasciitis and most recently a hamstring strain. His diagnosis are thoughtful and he is clearly well-educated in his practice. Nick takes his time in explaining your injury to you as well as the exercises he prescribes to resolve it. There is nothing “canned” about his prescriptions and treatments. They are well-tailored to your specific problem. In addition, we always progressed at a pace that worked best for me. He genuinely cares about your progress and encourages, as well as prompts, the right questions from you to ensure you are on your way to a full recovery. I've always left my treatments stronger and with my issues resolved. Nick is the best!

Fantastic experience: Emerge Physical Therapy & Wellness was AMAZING! Nicole and everyone else who works there is kind, genuine, and truly want to make sure they are helping you to heal. When I first stepped into Emerge I was terrified that I would never heal, and Nicole gave me realistic timelines, and was honest and supportive through my whole journey! I am not fully healed and would recommend Emerge to anyone who needs physical therapy!!

Fantastic experience: Could not say enough good things about Nicole and the staff at Emerge! She's incredibly thoughtful and does a great job explaining the "why" behind what is going on with your body. She helped me rebuild my strength postpartum with relation to my lower back, abs and legs so that I can continue to care for my growing infant without constant pain. I'd recommend her to anyone looking for PT during pregnancy and postpartum periods!

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend Emerge Physical Therapy. Nicole was able to quickly pinpoint my issues, both current and older existing ones that were never properly dealt with. When I completed my PT I felt better than I had in years. She was professional, friendly, and flexible with my schedule. Emerge is clean, spacious, and equipped with anything you would need for PT or a good workout.

Fantastic experience: Nicole is an absolute miracle worker! I started seeing her in last September and enjoyed all of our sessions together. It was usually my favorite hour of the week! Nicole was thorough in her explanations prior to treatment and walked me through each step as she went along. Nicole put me at ease throughout our four months working together and provided reassurance each week with progress updates, areas of improvement, etc. She is incredibly intelligent, caring and passionate about what she does. I will greatly miss working with her! If any women are considering pelvic floor PT (Or regular!), look no further than Nicole.

Fantastic experience: I only have good things to say about Emerge Physical Therapy and Wellness!! I could go on and on about the great experience I had but I’ll try to keep it short. Nicole is one of the most kind, caring, and compassionate PTs I’ve ever met. Her appointments are one on one and she made me feel at ease the whole time. Her evaluation was very thorough and informative regarding the issues I was having. I have referred several of my friends and family to her. Highly recommend booking an appt with Nicole or Marcus for all your PT and strength training needs!

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend for athletes, especially those with CrossFit, HITT, strength/conditioning focus. I worked with Nick and was able to get back to full strength (++) after an 8 week program after a knee injury. His understanding of movement patterns and body mechanics is unparalleled. You can definitely tell his background and experiences play a role in his ability to relate to patients and form a program to make you succeed. He sets realistic milestones and progress milestones, open and honest throughout the entire process. In our appointments we mainly focused on exercises which strengthened not only my injury but all the supporting weaknesses causing my injury. I use his post -PT exercises before all my workouts and have seen huge improvements in my imbalances and feel stronger than ever. I have since hit new PRs after working with Emerge.

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend Emerge and Nicole for PT! Nicole is very knowledgeable, thorough and thoughtful about developing a treatment plan and the 1:1 sessions make such a difference. Great space, convenient location and easy scheduling. Couldn't be more happy with the results for my shoulder injury!

Fantastic experience: I started seeing Nicole during my second trimester and for 6 months after giving birth. She is a true miracle worker to help make my pregnancy significantly more comfortable, prepare my body for child birth, and then help heal after. She is so knowledgeable, really takes the time to explain everything, and make sure you are comfortable 100% of the time. She makes the hour fly by and I will miss our appointments now that I have graduated from PT. You will not regret your decision to see her and all the staff there are so friendly and welcoming.

Fantastic experience: I've really enjoyed my time at Emerge for personal training! They have a convenient location, right off the brown line stop at Armitage which makes it super easy to access. No one workout is ever the same with Marcus. He's great at incorporating variety and even though you're working hard burning calories and building muscle, your session never feels like hard work. Marcus does a good job customizing your workout and I leave feeling drained but equally invigorated every time. If you're in the market for a physical therapist or personal training, I would definitely recommend checking out Emerge.

Fantastic experience: I can’t thank Emerge PT & especially Nicole for getting me back to normal life. I had ankle surgery in January and was extremely nervous when it came to starting PT at a new clinic. When I came in I had just started to walk without crutches and Nicole made me feel extremely comfortable from day 1. Fast forward to 9 months later and I am walking, running & feeling better than ever. Having experienced multiple other PT clinics, one of my favorite things about Emerge is that Nicole only schedules 1:1 sessions so she is solely focused on 1 client and their injury at a time. She created a personalized plan for me with specific exercises to do at home and I felt like this was key in my recovery. I also appreciate how flexible Nicole was with my schedule, as it was always changing. I highly recommend Emerge PT to anyone. Nicole & Marcus are both so welcoming and make you feel at home from the second you walk in. I will truly miss going to PT every week! Thanks Emerge for everything.

Fantastic experience: My goodness what would I have done without Nicole! I started going to Nicole for pelvic floor physical therapy after a very difficult delivery with my son. It was evident even after my first appointment with Nicole how much she cares about making a difference. She was easy to go to for any uncomfortable questions and extremely knowledgeable. Not only have I drastically improved since seeing her, I actually enjoyed our time together because she makes the hour appointments go by quickly because it feels like you are chatting with an old friend. I truly adore Nicole and can't thank her enough for how much she helped me. If you are looking for the best physical therapy out there, look no further than Emerge!

Fantastic experience: I can't thank Nick Barin and the rest of the team at Emerge PTW for helping me on my path to recovery and healing after undergoing back surgery. For the past year plus Nick has helped me get better every single day. Whether through our therapy sessions, the at home workout plans he designs, his fast response to emailed questions, and an all around incredible demeanor made my recovery that much better. His detailed knowledge and his willingness to go above and beyond ensured my recovery was as quick and safe as possible. I certainty wouldn't be in the place I am today with out his dedicated help. I highly recommend for anyone needing help recovering from an injury or surgery like myself.

Fantastic experience: Emerge provides top-notch, personalized care from highly-skilled PTs who listen to you and work towards meaningful goals tailored to your individual situation. Nick and Nicole were both very knowledgeable and friendly, and helped me recover from major surgery - can't thank them enough!

Fantastic experience: Just graduated from Physical Therapy with Nick and it was a great experience! He helped me get back from severe muscle spasms in my lower back to deadlifting and squatting in just two short months. Nick was always open to questions and makes himself available for questions in between sessions. He treats you for the full hour and you get undivided attention the entire time. Emerge is clean and the staff is friendly. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Unbelievable work! My back and leg were in debilitating pain for the last several days after I exasperated the area from falling. Nicole and Marcus were incredible to work with. They met me out front to help me in since walking was next to impossible. Within minutes of Nicole listening to what I was experiencing she was able to help me find stretches that immediately gave relief and even allowed me to walk myself out. If I was experiencing pain she found other ways to work on the affected area that were within my comfort zones. Great work, and I cant thank you enough for the relief you gave me after just one session!

Fantastic experience: I cannot say enough great things about Emerge Physical Therapy and Wellness. I worked with Nicole on an ankle injury. She provided a safe environment for me to express my concerns and was able to educate me on what the problem was in a way that was easy to understand. Further, the exercises we did together in session, and that she gave me to do at home, felt manageable and effective. Their safety protocols for Covid made me feel safe, even when the numbers were at their highest in the city. They were transparent about their protocols and offered several options to help me feel safe. The location could not be more convenient. It's right off the Armitage brown line and near the Armitage and Halsted bus lines. The space itself is spacious, clean and well equipped. I highly recommend them!

Fantastic experience: Never in a million years did I ever think that I would LOOK FORWARD to working out, but Marcus and Nicole are just THAT GOOD at what they do! They have created such a welcoming, warm environment and I'm so glad that I found them! I know that I will always get a good workout in while having fun when I'm at Emerge! Thank you, Marcus & Nicole!!

Fantastic experience: Working out at Emerge has been a game changer for me. Marcus is the best trainer I have ever worked with, knowing each and every client and their capabilities and limitations. Super knowledgeable, very mindful. A great facility with the friendliest staff!

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend Emerge for personal training! Marcus has been my trainer since 2016. He helped me to lose nearly 50 lbs, and has worked with me through maintenance and ups and downs since then. I followed him to Emerge when he and Nicole opened their new space, and couldn't be happier with the level of individualized attention I've received. Exercises are tailored to me individually, pricing is reasonable, and Marcus is always close by to ensure proper form to avoid injury. It took me a long time to find a trainer who could help me get results in a healthy way without being a drill sergeant. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would.

Fantastic experience: I have been working out with Marcus Giron since I was recovering from rotator cuff surgery in 2015 and have been with him ever since. He is amazing and will tailor your workout to an injury or just trying to get back into shape. His business partner, Nicole, has provided physical therapy for me recently and is also wonderful. During this time of when we are taking extreme precautions, please consider going to Emerge. You will receive therapy, treatment and a great workout in a place that takes the safety of their patients first. Patients are seen one on one and every piece of equipment is sanitized once someone uses it.

Fantastic experience: I love this place. After lots of bad back problems I decided to go and see Nicole for some physical Therapy. She helped tremendously. I’m able to sit and get up without cringing in pain. I have also trained with Marcus and he helped get me into shape and lose fat while building muscle. These two not only know what they are doing but they make you feel comfortable and like family.

Fantastic experience: Outstanding ability to understand issues, solve problems, and keep us motivated. I am stronger and healthier because of them. Having experienced many other PT services in my life, no one is better than Nicole and Marcus at Emerge! Whether it is pelvic floor issues, back pain, strength building, improving core strength and balance, they are exceptional in every area. Kind, flexible and fun to be around! And the space is calm, clean and welcoming.