Unique massage therapy treatments

Magnets and hydrotherapy are not normally associated with massage therapy, but for an Odessa mother and her two daughters, the same old massage isn’t the norm.
   Their new shop Attuned to You goes beyond the average, even including specific strategies to calm children. Mom Joey Barlow said they are trying to target the 86 percent of people who never get massages.
   Though the three do offer a fairly traditional clothed Swedish massage, they also use tuning forks for a special therapy to align the body and another special procedure involving manipulation of the hands and feet called metamorphic technique. Joey said she is the only person in the United States certified in that technique, which she learned through a home study course from Cyprus. The technique was originally developed in Britain in the 1960s and is similar to reflexology.
   “This is designed to provide a sense of peace and promote self-healing,” she said.
   She said metamorphic technique was first formulated for autistic kids to soothe and calm them.
   Joey, citing studies, recommends massage for children 15 minutes before bed to help calm them for sleep and also to strengthen a parent-child relationship. Since massage can be harmful if done incorrectly, the three licensed massage therapists are happy to demonstrate the proper techinques.
   “It’s a fabulous bonding. You can’t not feel better about each other,” she said.
   Joey said technique effectiveness will vary by client, and they require an extensive medical history for safety reasons, particularly those under a doctor’s care. But, she said they are eager to care for people in somewhat unusual ways.
   The menu of services includes a few other procedures.
   Daughter April provides a cupping treatment for face and other body parts. Special glass cups attach to the skin and pull it up, which she said relax the muscles and provide an increased blood supply.
   “It looks weird, but it feels wonderful,” April said.
   The magnet therapy treats specific parts of the body, similar to pressure points. Daughter Jalene said the techniques may be unconventional, but she has noticed results herself, much to her surprise. She said people should just try them out to see if they work for them.
   “It may seem kind of out there, but if it helps, it’s worth it,” she said.
   The three licensed massage therapists work out of an office in the West Texas Area Counseling Center near UTPB, and previously they have been speaking to local organizations and offering their services on a volunteer basis.
   Four years ago, the family took a continuing education course on massages at UTPB. Joey said they always had done home remedies at home, so the field made a lot of sense.
   When they got their state licenses three years ago and began researching how to get started, they found people would like to come to them in an office environment, a project that took some time due to the need for a suitable site and safety regulations.
   Speaking plays a big part of the three’s outreach to the community. Jalene said they spoke to a Fibromyalgia support group in Midland as well as at an entrepreneurship expo.
   “We try to tailor discussions to group needs — exercises, stretches and breathing, even self-massage,” Jalene said. As licensed massage therapists, the three don't use exercise as part of their work, the only talk about it in terms of overall health during presentations.
   Linda Hagler of West Texans Living with Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia said the three came to speak to her organization July 9 and will come back Sept. 10.
   “We were all so impressed; it wasn’t a typical massage therapy talk,” she said.
   She said she was fascinated in particular by the cupping technique.
   “This was just way above and beyond anything we had before,” Hagler said.
   She said her 77-year-old mother was convinced and will try the techniques herself.
   Joey said the three hope to continue speaking and desire to expand services on-site to local companies, not just at their office. The three love working together.
   “We are three peas in a pod,” she said.

TECHNIQUES
   >> Facial cupping.
   >> Metamorphic technique (hands/feet).
   >> Reconnective healing.
   >> Reiki (similar to laying on hands).
   >> Swedish massage.
   >> Tuning fork therapy.
   >> Magnet therapy.
   >> Hyrdotherapy.
   >> Deep tissue massage.

To contact:

(432) 349-1300