When you think of massage, you may associate the words relax, calm, and peace. Those are certainly important facets, but owner of Carmi Therapeutic Massage Molly Belford sees the forest beyond those trees. Belford dropped by Carmi Kiwanis Thursday with two of her three Licensed Massage Therapists team members to provide an update on business growth.
Belford graduated in November of 2014 from the Indiana Therapeutic Massage School in Indianapolis and worked in Lafayette for four years. In the fall of ’18, she taught for a year and the following spring received her Illinois Massage Therapy License. In September of 2019, she returned home and opened CTM. The clinic outgrew its initial space is moved to 707 Oak Street a couple years ago. Besides Belford, Carmi Therapeutic Massage also serves customers via Ariana Hatch, Jason Cross, and Katherine Neumiller. Belford says they routinely take care of 50 – 60 people per week.
Beyond a standard massage, Belford is touting some new modalities she says are providing an array of benefits beyond just the timeout you may need from the hectic lives that have become standard. Among them, lymphatic cupping, Belford says…
It helps with swelling and fluid retention through the use of manual cups. It’s a pretty neat new service we’re excited to be able to provide once she [Katherine] gets fully moved in in August.
Beyond that, CTM has also added an infrared sauna Belford says helps with inflammation, pain relief, and stress relief. She says it’s also good for folks with chronic diseases including fibromyalgia. Cryotherapy and Cryo”slimming” are also new on the menu. Cryolipolysis is a non-invasive, FDA cleared process that freezes and destroys stubborn fat cells according to Belford. Cryotherapy, she says can provide benefits especially to athletes and she’s hoping to partner with local school districts.
Post surgery, anything you would use an ice pack on, we can use cryotherapy to treat. 30 seconds of the cryotherapy is equivalent to 20 minutes of an ice pack. So, it’s very quick, lasts about 45 minutes that you’ll be cold and numb to the touch. It really helps with the healing process and we’re hoping once school sports start back up again in the fall that we can provide postgame and post practice treatments for the athletes and help promote their recovery.
Learn more about Carmi Therapeutic Massage on their website at Carmi Therapeutic Massage or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MollyBowlinMassage. You can also call or text 618-384-6208 to get more details or book an appointment.