Feeling Tense? Try the Healing Power of Massage

Sure, massages are relaxing, but did you know that a massage can also have therapeutic health benefits?

For the past three years, Elements Therapeutic Massage has been challenging the idea that massage is merely a spa service. The massage franchise was voted the best massage studio in Milwaukee by WISN’S A-List since it opened in 2008.

“We’re working to be a leader in therapeutic massage and not just massage as a spa service,” Elements owner Aimee Matchette said.

The Whitefish Bay studio at 312 E. Silver Spring Drive has a relaxing atmosphere with an earthy theme, various flowers and potted plants, comfortable chairs and soothing music playing while clients wait to be matched with one of the 13 therapists.

There are many health benefits to massage, such as greater flexibility and increased range of motion, to name a few. Matchette said knots in the body are the result of built-up toxins, which can cause colds. Massages flush out those toxins, which also prevents stress-related injuries and help people sleep better, she said.

“It’s not a far out treatment anymore. People are seeing it as medical treatment,” she said.

Melissa Wildt, customer service specialist, said the massages she’s had at Elements were very relaxing.

“I have upper back and neck problems, and it really helped release the tension," she said. "The massage therapists are very talented.”

Matchette said the massage studio is a good fit for the athletic Whitefish Bay community. While some view massage as a feminine activity performed at a spa, Matchette said 40 percent of her clients are male. For Father's Day, the studio is selling special $65 gift cards for a 55-minute massage and a sleeve of Titleist golf balls.

“This is a very active community. We work with athletes, bicyclists, and trainers," she said. "We have both men and women into fitness here."

Matchette hasn't always been in the massage business. Growing up in Shorewood, she attended Boston College for accounting and worked in public accounting for 20 years. She decided to start working with small businesses and started helping out a friend in the business world part-time.

“The more I started working with small businesses, the more I thought ‘I can do this, this is fun,’” said Matchette, who is currently on the Whitefish Bay BID board as co-chair of marketing communication.

 She started looking at different ideas for small businesses, including smoothie cafes and massage franchises.

“This one came up as a superior model and a good business investment,” she said. “The great thing is that it’s a franchise that looks and feels like a personal, small business.”

Matchette is married with two children, Hailey, 13 and Aidan, 11. Running a business has been a learning experience not only for Matchette, but also for her children.

“It’s a great foundation to teach them about owning their own business,” Matchette said. "They see the pros and cons. A year after we opened, the kids were having a lemonade stand and made posters that said 30 cents or two for 50 cents. They were learning how to market. It was cool to see that."

Elements is careful to match new clients with a massage therapist who best fits their needs. She said new clients should share information about their medical conditions and let their therapist know the level of pressure they need.

“Each therapist has their own nuances and strengths that they literally bring to the table,” Matchette said.

That kind of personal attention is unlike a mall or most other businesses. At the end of the day, Matchette said, a good massage is about creating a relaxing, health-boosting escape from the stressful lifestyles we lead.

“When the recession was really bad, people would say ‘I can’t sleep, I lost my job and I just need to relax,” Matchette said. "I really love seeing the relief that massage gives people."

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