Ann Scholl Rinehart
Carrie Eckermann gives a chair massage to Kelly Nissen at A Massage Oasis, Iowa City.
Daureen Hoverson's 8-year-old son Dawson couldn't take it any longer as he watched his mother enjoy a chair massage at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) recently.
"Mom," he chided, "I should be the one getting a massage!"
True, Dawson has had a tough time since a toy sheriff's badge penetrated his eye in January 2008 after he rolled over onto it in bed. But the multiple trips to UIHC have proven stressful for his mother, too. Hoverson says she first noticed A Massage Oasis during a visit a week prior. This time, the Freemont, Neb., woman decided not to just walk by the station, located on Level 2 at Elevator L in the Pomerantz Family Pavilion. Instead, she signed up for a 15-minute massage -- her first ever.
"I think it's wonderful," she said after the massage. "I feel good. I feel more awake now and less tensed up."
Such benefits of massage are becoming more and more well known, says Kristen Stephens, executive director of East-West School of Integrative Healing Arts in North Liberty, Iowa, and owner of A Massage Oasis. In addition to lowering stress and improving mood, Stephens says massage has been shown to reduce muscle pain, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, enhance flexibility, relieve headaches, improve thinking and increase productivity.
She's grateful that the UIHC was open to having a chair massage station in the hospital. The idea took root more than two years ago when Stephens was volunteering on the Women's Wellness Committee at the UIHC. At first, the idea was to offer massage to pregnant women, and then it took off from there. Why not let everyone benefit from massage?
"We believe that this amenity is reflective of our efforts to create a welcoming environment and to provide services that are responsive to the needs of our patients, visitors and staff," says Amy O'Deen, senior assistant director at UIHC. "It has proven to be a wonderful addition and complement to the array of support services we offer throughout the hospital."
The grand opening of A Massage Oasis was Jan. 5. Through early March, more than 6,000 minutes of massage have been provided.
"I have heard many accolades and expressions of appreciation that this service is now available in the hospital," O'Deen says. "A hospital can be a physically and emotionally draining environment, so massage can provide much needed stress reduction and respite."
Social worker Kelly Nissen, A Massage Oasis regular, agrees. The 43-year-old woman often has shoulder and neck discomfort because she is frequently on the phone. Since her busy schedule doesn't always allow for her to get a full massage, she appreciates being able to get some relief from her pain without leaving the hospital.
"I was pleased (UIHC) would look at something that's a nice complement to what we're already doing here," Nissen says. "It says a lot about UI health care and about taking care of all the needs of the patients and the staff."
Stephens says, so far, the majority of clients are hospital staff. To meet the demand, a secondary satellite location is in the works, as is a "mobile" unit.
As she watches Carrie Eckermann, a graduate of her North Liberty school, give Nissen a massage, she tears up a bit.
"It's fun to be able to help people not feel so much pain," Stephens says. "I was born here. I have so much pride in being able to help the community I grew up in. It's so fun to be able to educate people about other options they can integrate into their health care plan."
After completing the massage, Eckermann says that she loves giving massages in a hospital setting. Some people share their stories; others say little, she notes. She enjoys the interactions – and "just seeing that they feel better when I'm finished with them, that they're going to walk away a little taller, a little more relaxed."
A Massage Oasis is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $1 per minute. For more information, visit amassageoasis.com.
Ann Scholl Rinehart is a writer living in Cedar Rapids.
