I don't normally take the time to write reviews, good or bad, but this time I feel compelled to, as I know how hard it is to find a great massage therapist. As a dental hygienist for the past 14 years, my neck and back have taken a beating. I have gone to a lot of different massage therapists (as well as chiropractors and physical therapists), but Audrey Arbuckle, the owner/massage therapist of Integrative Massage Therapy, easily surpasses them all. So where do I begin?
Well, first of all, she is the only massage therapist I have EVER found who actually knows how to drape the sheet properly to keep you fully covered. You'd think this would be standard practice, but apparently it's not, because I have had so many just lay the sheet over me just sort of half ass. One wrong move and I was afraid they were going to see everything. She is very professional and very discreet. It is obvious that she is concerned with her client's modesty and comfort, and that is important to me. It's hard to relax and enjoy a massage when you are worried about being exposed.
Second, she doesn't smoke. Maybe not something many people worry or even think about when looking for a massage therapist. But I have had several massages ruined by a therapist whose hands and/or breath reeked of stale cigarette smoke. Not relaxing, nor professional, just disgusting.
Third, she has a great set up inside of a chiropractor's office, so if you need a chiropractor, you can kill two birds with one stone. I can tell she has invested a lot of time, energy and money into her massage therapy practice too. She has created a very relaxing, tranquil and unique environment in her room. It's not some cookie cutter environment you find in the chains like Massage Envy. It is decorated very tastefully and creatively, smells amazing, has great ambient lighting, the calming trickle of a water fountain and she plays a vast selection of great music. But most of all, her massage table is AMAZING! The most comfortable one I've ever been on. The face cradle alone makes such a huge difference. It's so soft and ergonomic. And she goes above and beyond to adjust everything to my individual comfort level: from the decline of the face cradle to the temperature of the massage table heating pad to the position of the leg bolster. Have I mentioned how thorough and conscientious she is? Because it clearly shows in everything she does.
Fourth, Audrey knows her trade, and then some. She is a wealth of knowledge. I usually get deep tissue, but she can, and does, do it all. She can do Swedish, myofascial, trigger point, sport...you name it. I've had the pleasure of her hot stones, Chinese cupping, aromatherapy and these cool things called singing bowls. Very neat experience. She is very holistic in her approach to massage therapy and tailors everything to each individual client's needs and preferences. She is very health conscious and into alternative and natural healing/treatment as am I, so I appreciate all the knowledge she shares, not just in regards to musculature and posture related topics, but overall health and nutrition, vitamins, supplements, etc. And she's never tried to sell me any products. I am sure if I asked she could recommend some, but I've never received a sales pitch for anything.
Last, but certainly not least, her technique is flawless. She is so intuitive and spot on. I don't even have to tell her where my problem areas are. She can feel them. Most of the time she finds issues I didn't even know I had. She solved a serious health issue for me by identifying a trigger point in my iliopsoas muscle that had plagued me so badly for so long I ended up in the emergency room thinking I either had appendicitis or an ovarian cyst or fallopian tube torsion. Because of the repetitive nature of my job it is not uncommon to develop what are called RUI's (repetitive use injuries), like carpal tunnel syndrome. Well unbeknownst to me, I developed a trigger point in my iliopsoas, causing debilitating stabbing pain in my lower right abdomen that would radiate up into my chest, upper back and neck. Doctors were clueless, ordering CAT and HIDA scans to check my gall bladder even though I insisted it wasn't that. Well, after my trip to the ER I saw Audrey and she asked if I minded if she palpated around as she thought my symptoms indicated it was muscular in nature, and most likely a trigger point which was referring pain to other parts of my body. After only a matter of seconds she found the trigger point and was able to recreate the pain and referral of pain I was experiencing. I couldn't believe my massage therapist was able to figure out what an M.D. couldn't. Her diagnosis was later confirmed by a physical therapist and osteopath. If it wasn't for her, who knows if I would have ever gotten the appropriate treatment to get well. I can't recommend her highly enough! read more