Massage therapist Jodi McClain had just finished her last massage of the day when her patient, still lying prone on the table, burst into tears. She began speaking about difficult emotional issues she'd held in for years, until that massage helped set the pain free. Jodi savors seeing her clients leave happier than they were when they walked in, and uses her custom blend of Swedish, deep-tissue, and trigger-point-therapy massage to achieve this pleasant outcome—by way of ousting tension and muscular pain. She also performs myofascial-release massage and cranio-sacral therapy upon request, and can collaborate with doctors to build injury-treatment plans and incite laughter with multiple taps to the funny bone.
During massages, massage therapists may slather their client's skin in Massage FX cream—infused with aloe, arnica, and ivy extracts—to keep it moisturized and dull any site-specific pain. Though they eschew aromatherapy, they often soak a cloth in eucalyptus and peppermint oils to relieve clients' suffering from sinus pressure. They also conduct facials and specialized skinny massages to tone and tighten skin, as well as applying infrared-light therapy to detox skin and enrage cats by demonstrating the photon theory of light, as most cats still think of light as a wave. They conduct all their treatments in one room designed to evoke a garden; with flowers hung from the ceiling, a decorative fence, and soft lighting. While they often plays piano melodies, the massage therapists also lull clients toward relaxation with a bubbling water fountain and casual conversation.
As a nationally board-certified therapist and member of the American Medical Massage Association, C.M. Massage owner Chris MacPherson draws on a wealth of anatomical knowledge to relax his clients and bring their bodies back to states of natural well-being. Chris and his team of certified therapists—both male and female—tend to knotted muscles in private treatment rooms, properly draping bodies before administering a series of targeted therapeutic strokes. The therapists' nimble fingers apply techniques culled from modalities such as sports, relaxation, and prenatal to alleviate chronic conditions, headaches, and back and neck pain. They work seven days a week and, depending on their availability, can schedule appointments with as little as 30 minutes’ notice.
While Doctor of Chiropractic Mike Morea’s hands adjust spines, his healing touch extends beyond the back, relieving pain throughout the limbs and up into sinuses. To improve patients’ overall well-being, Dr. Morea combines chiropractic adjustments and massage, addressing current injuries or chronic pain. The official chiropractor of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, Dr. Morea knows how to tackle even chronic sports injuries with care and sensitivity.
There is no clear-cut path to health. To achieve wellness, one must consider the intricacies and interactions of the body and mind. With yoga classes and specialty treatments in massage, bodywork, and skincare, the team at Sanative Tranquility helps clients balance many of the different approaches to well-being.
Soothed sighs purr through the studio, which brims with a wide range of paraphernalia for the many treatments. Warm bamboo rods can help coax knots from muscles, and Himalayan or Dead Sea salts exfoliate and revitalize skin. Bodycare products from derma e brim with vitamins to pamper skin and hair, and massage oils from Bon Vital release aromas hinting at avocado, grapefruit, apricot, and other botanical ingredients.
Family Fitness and FitZone for Women are spread across six locations, but they share a common goal: to help guests find their ideal physique. They accomplish this mission by filling their 15,000- to 25,000-square-foot facilities with ellipticals, arc trainers, and treadmills that engage cardios, cores, and limbs alongside group training classes led by certified personal and group fitness instructors. Visitors can also keep tabs on their progress with the centers’ fitness monitoring program and body mass testing.