Massage is for EveryBody Awards!

By Camille Desantis
Business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MendingTree-Massage-234331111831791/
Website: https://www.mendingtreemassage.com/
YouTube video: https://youtu.be/IyamWdPJ70Y

In 2019, at the age of 39, my world was turned upside down with a diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer. After 18 months of intense treatment, I have refocused my massage career. Cancer diagnosis and treatment is hard physically, mentally, and emotionally. Massage therapy from a skilled practitioner can help enhance quality of life and minimize side effects that may affect long-term outcomes.

On the other side of treatment, I feel very passionate about educating survivors, physicians, physical therapists, and cancer organizations on the benefits of massage in lessening the burden of treatment. I do this in my role as a cancer mentor with a local breast cancer organization, my own support group for cancer survivors, and marketing through my business. I always extend one free massage to all breast cancer survivors in active treatment. The funds from this grant would allow me to grow that program for this underserved population.

Massage has come a long way in the 20 years I have been practicing, but in my experience, there is room for advocacy about the benefits of massage for cancer survivors in treatment and beyond. In working with survivors and cultivating relationships with local medical practitioners, I hope to facilitate awareness within my community here in Birmingham, AL. It is so rewarding to see survivors come into my treatment room looking fatigued and overwhelmed, complaining of pain and restriction, and then see them stand taller, broader, and with an expression of relief and radiance after the session. I am so lucky to be able to reframe my practice in this way after my own battle, and I hope to be able to do much more for survivors for many years to come!

By Rico Gordon
Instagram handle: @oakparkmassageclinic
Website: https://www.oakparkmassageclinic.org

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I observed a stark increase of phone calls from current patients, as well as community members new to medical massage, wanting to schedule appointments. People were also seeking information about how and where to access wellness services. I now see my community was explicitly telling me they did not know where to access community wellness. It was during this time more than any other time in my career that my massage clinic became a wellness hub for the community. They trusted me to direct them to, or to cultivate wellness resources within, the community. It was at this point that my role in my community became far more expansive and not limited to medical massage services. As a former athlete, the owner and operator of a medical massage clinic, and a black man, I provide a physical and philosophical space for both practitioners and for patients of color. I am acutely aware of the privilege and the responsibility embedded within this role.

I am currently focused on improving access to medical massage and wellness resources for veterans in the community. As the son of a veteran who experienced dementia toward the end of his life, I know how difficult it is for some veterans to ask for support pertaining to their physical, spiritual, and mental wellness. I watched my father frustratingly navigate the wellness desert that existed in Oak Park. It is because of the lack of health services within the veteran community in Oak Park that I continue my efforts to make medical massage accessible. I provide a sliding scale for all patients and also offer free services to veterans. Presently, I am becoming certified to work directly for the VA to better support this population.

By Jane Hopkins
Website: https://janehopkins.massagetherapy.com

I’ve been called an “old soul” more than once, so it’s no surprise that I attract an older clientele. The majority of my clients are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, and over the course of my 17 years as a massage therapist, I’ve even seen a few clients in their 90s (one of whom had never had a massage before). Most of my clients grew up during a time when massage was seen as superfluous, decadent, or just plain weird, rather than therapeutic. The idea of “therapeutic touch” or “self-care” were not terms used in their generation. 

Clients often come to me through a referral from a health-care provider or a family member that suggests massage as a way to complement their health-care team. Most feel benefits after their first session, as they experience muscle and energy shifts that manual therapy often brings throughout the body. One of the things I love most about my profession is that marketing massage therapy has never really been a thing for me. There’s nothing flashy or tricky about it; if people value your services, if you can help them feel better, they return. You build your practice by attracting clients that need/want what you offer.

Many of my clients have joint replacements, many suffer from arthritis, stenosis, or a combination of degenerative diseases or pathologies that accompanies the aging process. I have several clients that are battling cancer or are survivors. Although we know that cancer increases with age, the diagnosis at any age is traumatic and scary. It is often said that “aging is a privilege,” yet with age, the number (and perhaps severity) of micro and macro traumas increases as well—car accidents; falls on skis, horses and ice; broken bones; surgeries…not to mention the demands (emotional and physical) of careers and family life. I have seen countless women with old and new muscle dysfunctions and deconditioning from childbirth (insert plug for post-natal core strengthening for all women, as well as evaluations for scar tissue and/or muscle adhesions resulting from pregnancy and birth). Traumas and injuries add up over time, and the body holds all of those stories, for better or for worse.

Although there is often pain and discomfort that ebbs and flows in advanced age, I am continually impressed with all that my septua- and octogenarian clients accomplish. I have clients in their late 70s that play tennis and golf multiple days a week, others that hike 14ers, and clients in their 80s that swim laps before I’m awake and still camp in a tent and sleep on the ground! Most all have lost parents, some have lost spouses, and tragically a few have survived the loss of a child. I’ve witnessed their transitions to retirement, some lasting only a few months before they get bored and return to work, while others can’t wait to turn in their resignations. Many have shared pictures of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren—such a sweet privilege I hope my future holds. The collective years of experience and survival is humbling, inspiring, and always educational. I am forever grateful when others share their life experiences that have shaped them, whether they are painful, joyful, or a mixture of emotions. I observe the lessons learned and the ways in which people move forward and occasionally get stuck. We can always use tools to sharpen and hone our life skills. 

The gratitude my clients express for their sessions is beyond my expectations. Their kind words and acts of appreciation, as well as their continued business, are what keep my practice and my heart full. During their “final chapter” of life, I feel honored they continue to visit my table and entrust me to give their bodies rest, healing, and rejuvenation. They are my living heroes, survivors, and beautiful examples of lives well lived. They are reminders for me to always live with humility, grace, and introspection at the forefront of aging. As I approach 50, I feel fortunate to observe how others live in ways that matter, and to learn from them. I’m paying attention more than ever to generations before me and feel lucky to have so many of them as clients.

By Rob Meyer-Kukan
Instagram handle: www.instagram.com/robmeyerkukan
Business Facebook page: www.facebook.com/robmeyerkukan
Website: www.7notesnaturalhealth.com

In response to a need made more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, 7 Notes Natural Health decided to enhance its commitment to incorporating opportunities to provide self-care and give back to the greater community. In the past, we have partnered with local agencies and supported other organizations through a giving tree or collecting items on an organization’s wish list. But, considering what we have experienced during the past few years, we were inspired to do more within our community.

7 Notes Natural Health holds at least two giving-back events annually that are aligned with the guiding principle of honoring the healing role practitioners play in our communities. One of these events is named “Healing for the Healer” and is focused on individuals working in the healing arts industry (e.g., professionals working in Western and natural forms of medicine, counselors, therapists, social workers, body and energy workers, massage therapists, etc.). This free event allows individuals to receive chair massage, reiki, sound therapy, yoga practice, and other meditation activities that emphasize the importance of self-care.

Another event occurs in the spring near National Teacher Appreciation Week. This is also a free event for anyone working in pre-schools, K–12, and higher education (e.g., teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, and all ancillary staff), and provides chair massage, reiki, sound therapy, yoga practice, and other meditation activities that emphasize the importance of self-care.