Massage clinic expands to Troy

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SIDNEY — Massage Unlimited owners Jon and Amy Ollinger have expanded the business and opened a massage therapy clinic in Troy.

The Sidney clinic at 402 S. Ohio Ave. has been in operation for 13 years. The new clinic at 1206 Archer Drive, Troy, opened Nov. 1.

Called Serenity of Troy, the clinic was established to fill a void that will be left when Miami Jacobs Career Center closes in Troy in February. Jon is the program director of the massage therapy department at the college. The school’s clinic, in which students got practical experience as they studied for their licenses in massage therapy, was called Serenity at Miami Jacobs.

“We wanted people to be familiar with the name,” Jon said. Amy oversees the day-to-day operations in the new Troy facility.

“It’s designed to support the clientele of Miami Jacobs and give licensed massage therapists (LMT) a place to work,” Jon said.

“And it supports the people of Troy,” Amy added. Serenity operates on a “booth rental” system. Recently-licensed LMTs can rent rooms at Serenity, then set their own hours and build their own client bases. Walk-in clients are also accepted in Troy. Serenity is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 937-570-1850.

The clinic has offered a holiday special gift package of sessions in Troy only. Until Dec. 31, patrons can purchase gift certificates good for four one-hour massages for $150. The certificates must be used within six months.

Massages are available at Massage Unlimited in Sidney by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling 726-4983.

“Massage has been around, they claim, for 3,000 years. As it’s made its way though time, it wasn’t a popular idea. Now that’s changed. LMTs are in hospitals, factories, sports facilities,” Jon said.

“It’s grown from a luxury to a great benefit,” Amy said.

There are four results of massage: stress reduction, muscle relaxation, improved blood circulation and mental clarity. When clients visit a therapy clinic, they may go for full-body massage or they may have a specific need, like a painful joint, that a massage could help.

“I have a client with Bells palsy and a youth with hip issues,” Jon said. “Massage is not about the fluff. We are cnsidered complementary and alternative. People come when they’ve tapped out allopathic (methods).”

“We are seeing more and more where chiropractors are working with massage therapists’ helping to relax muscles for adjustment or training the muscle to keep that adjustment in place,” Amy said.

Some insurance companies will cover therapeutic massages if they have been prescribed by medical doctors.

Jon’s youngest regular client is 17 months old. His oldest are in their 90s. The therapist became interested in massage when his father became ill.

“I spent every day with him the last six weeks of his life. I’d work on his head and feet and he felt better,” Jon, a union carpenter at the time, said. Friends suggested that he look into massage therapy as a career change.

“I scoffed at first,” he admitted. But a radio advertisement for the Dayton School of Medical Massage piqued his interest enough for him to inquire about it. He graduated in 2003. He has taught massage therapy for the last four years at Miami Jacobs in Troy.

Amy had been working in a medical building when she heard an ad for that program.

“I knew I always wanted to help people. I thought maybe it was time to help on the other side of the desk,” she said. But the rigorous courses surprised her.

“Am I crazy?” she asked herself then. “I thought (the anatomy course) was going to kill me. I’m 50 trying to learn something new.” Learn she did and she graduated from Miami Jacobs in 2013 and joined Jon’s practice when they married.

“Miami Jacobs gave us their blessing to take their people,” she said. “We opened our doors (in Troy) with almost 90 clients.” The couple hopes to expand that to allow them to add the vacant space next door to their growing business.

At Serenity of Troy, an hour massage costs $45. At Massage Unlimited, an hour session costs $55; a half-hour session costs $35. Both clinics offer 10- to 12-minute chair massages, as well. There is also a 90-minute session available.

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By Patricia Ann Speelman

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