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Masseuse strives to heal
Heather Mays - Thu, Mar, 27, 2008
Integrity Therapeutic Massage opened Jan. 2 at 10411 Lovell Center Drive in Suite 104.
“It’s going very well so far; I’ve had an excellent response and met some very nice people,” said Kim Gentile, owner and masseuse.
Gentile makes it clear that her business is about therapy; it is not a spa.
“I do mostly fix-it stuff; stuff you don’t get in a day spa. I’m not interested in fluff and buff. I can do a relaxation massage, but it’s still going to be therapeutic massage.
“Therapeutic massage is actually encouraging the body to release spasms and heal itself, to get better range of motion, to get better movement, to get better function,” she said.
“No feel good stuff so that when you walk out you feel like someone has slathered you with lotion and sent you on your
way. … Usually, people come because something is wrong: they have lower back pain, they have pain in their hips, or their neck and shoulders. They don’t come just to go to sleep, although it does relax people,” she added.
“I kind of incorporate basic Swedish [massage] with lymphatic drainage, neuromuscular, with muscle release technique, with stretching, with myo-fascial work. I throw a little bit of everything in there. It depends on what the body needs when it comes to me.
“It’s a great way to release muscle tension; it’s a great way to settle your mind down and it’s a fantastic way to get blood circulation through the soft tissue,” Gentile said.
Gentile usually works in hour and hour-and-a-half increments.
“I’m kind of generous with my time because I don’t believe you can get anything done in a half an hour. I don’t do anything less than an hour session. Usually it’s more than that … I’m
not concerned as much about
time as I am about helping,”
she said.
Gentile has been a massage therapist for seven years; she recently relocated to Knoxville from Florida. She is nationally certified, as well as licensed in Tennessee and Florida. As per Tennessee requirements, Gentile also continues her education with classes. In Tennessee, massage therapists are required to have 25 continuing education units every
two years.
“I don’t want to be specialized in just one thing because just one thing doesn’t work for everybody. Different techniques work differently for different people’s problems,” she said.
Gentile put much thought into the name of her business.
“It’s always been one of my pet peeves that people don’t conduct themselves with the utmost of integrity. They seem to lose sight of the fact that they’re supposed to be doing the right thing. So I decided that should be the name.
“This is not some fly-by-night operation; I’m here to do the best I can for everybody that I lay hands on,” Gentile said.
She has appointments available Monday through Saturday; Gentile works by appointment only. For more information, call 865-470-4366.
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