Massage Wellness: Give your people a perk of health

By Janie Pritchett-Clark

There’s more to health benefits than Blue Cross Blue Shield. Healthy employees (and bosses) are people who have learned how to juggle work, family and personal demands on their time, energy and patience.

We’ve long accepted the idea that massage therapy moves mountains of stress in all three areas, and yet, nearly three out of five working Americans are not receiving massage on a regular basis.

What are you waiting for? How about a $25 coupon? Read on.

Healthcare providers are increasingly promoting the benefits of massage to their patients. And consumers are in favor of integrating massage into their healthcare. Sounds like win-win that creates a multi-tasking employee benefit – making your employees feel good and feel good about you.

According to Alicia Kerr, therapist-owner at Massage Wellness in Lowell, the use of massage is growing and the reasons people are turning to massage therapy are expanding. Corporations are looking a massage as a regular employee benefit.

“More and more people recognize it as an important element in their overall health and wellness,” says Kerr, a native of Hawaii and proponent of the unique and unusual Lomilomi style of massage. Kerr promotes ten reasons to receive massage – from reliving pain and stress to improving mental and physical health. Her clients says they love massage to “get away from work, the kids, housework, and take an hour or so just for me!”

Massage Wellness employs three licensed massage therapists: Kerr, Shane, and Monica. Shane also lived in Hawaii and apprenticed with practitioners whose healing craft has been passed on through the generations.

Monica is a transplant from Texas, and like most Texans, aims for a bigger than life experience – namely total and complete relaxation. “My intention is to make a difference in my client’s mind, body, and spirit,” she says.

Kerr was born and raised on the island of Oahu, and grew her roots to massage early. Her grandmother and father were proponents of alternative health as a way of life. Her massage center reflects her heritage of the island.

“Imagine a place where indigenous influences and spa practices from around the world come together to deliver calm relief from the everyday,” says Kerr. While some massages centers deliver with an assembly-line technique, Massage Wellness takes a holistic approach. “Before each session, we freshly blend pure raw, organic coconut and kukui oil,” says Kerr. These oils are known for their curative properties in building up the immune system, energy and soothing aches and pains. She recommends clients add Aromatherapy to their sessions for added benefit.

Try it. Massage Wellness in Lowell is offering a special deal to Biz2Biz readers who book any one-hour Specialty Massage. Mention this and get a $25 discount if you are a new client. Book online with code as Biz2Biz-65 and receive a gift certificate for a clay mask and facial massage or a foot scrub and foot massage – a $65 value! Offer expires August 31, 2009.