Kim Pierce, patient services supervisor at the Student Health Center, said she recently has seen the number of appointments for massage therapy rise.
She attributed the increase to flyers posted around campus as well as information offered during student health insurance orientation.
The massage therapy program at UNM’s Wellness Center began four or five years ago and the staff recently has been expanded from two state and federally licensed therapists to four, which includes one male. With four therapists, almost any kind of massage therapy can be received.
Therapist Lucia Willow said she became interested in massage as a career after she took a 12-hour continuing education class at Crystal Mountain Massage Therapy School & Clinic. Willow has been a massage therapist for two years, has worked at UNM’s Wellness Center for one year and maintains a private practice.
Willow said she left her career as a social worker to study massage therapy because she “wanted to help others and, at the same time, do something that was emotionally and physically healthier for herself.”
She said she has seen UNM students leave massage therapy sessions happier, relaxed and with more muscle flexibility. Willow said some students have told her that, after receiving a massage, they have better perspectives on school and personal problems and can focus better on their studies.
Pharmacy doctoral student Susan Kunkel has received massage therapy for more than 10 years and has had sessions at the Wellness Center for about a year. She said she started receiving massage therapy to loosen tight muscles in her neck, but she also noted her improved immune system and added that she can manage her life better now. Kunkel said she usually enjoys a deep tissue massage but also appreciates the eclectic style many therapists use.
“Massage is so very relaxing,” Kunkle said.
Massage therapists manipulate the body’s soft tissues with pressure, holding and body movement using their hands, forearms, elbows and feet to normalize tissues and help the body heal itself. Types of massage commonly used are deep tissue, Swedish, shiatsu and acupressure, polarity and Reiki and reflexology.
Deep tissue massage loosens the muscles using slow strokes, direct pressure and friction across the muscle grain. Swedish massage focuses on relaxation using long gliding strokes, kneading and friction directed toward the heart and is the most commonly used message technique. Shiatsu and acupressure are similar in that they release blocked energy by applying pressure to key points on the body. Polarity and Reiki refocus the body’s energy to areas that need healing, and reflexology adjusts the body’s energy by pressing key points on the feet or hands.
Willow said benefits from massage include improved posture, lowered blood pressure, increased circulation, and decreased muscle tension and pain.
Students massage fees are $15 for 30-minute sessions, $30 for 60-minute sessions.
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Shirlee James-Johnson, health education manager at the Student Health Center, said UNM’s student health insurance covers 80 percent of each session with no limit on the number of sessions a student can receive. UNM faculty and staff pay $20 for 30-minutes sessions and $35 for 60-minute sessions. The number of appointment times are very limited, so be prepared to work with Wellness Center to arrange a session.
For more information, call 277-3136.
