Massage rubbing the right way
By Donna C. Gregory

Michelle Pfeiffer of Ahead of Hair gives Sheena Skinner a massage. More county beauty salons are starting to offer massage as a means of expanding their line of services to current customers.

Michelle Pfeiffer remembers driving down Richmond's Grace Street many years ago, seeing ladies of questionable integrity stare out from behind the large plate-glass storefronts. Above their heads hung a sign reading, "Massage Parlor," advertising a special rubdown.

"When I first started, when I told people what I did, they would say, 'Oh, yeah, we know what you do' with a wink and a nod,'" recalls Pfeiffer, a massage therapist at Ahead of Hair in Sycamore Square for the last 11 years.

But Pfeiffer rarely hears that today.

Once used as a front for prostitution, massage's reputation is now as clean as the white sheets used to drape naked bodies in the backrooms of hair salons, day spas and medical offices all around Chesterfield County.

These days, when you drive past a modern day "massage parlor," you'll still see ladies through the windows-only now they're wearing stylists' smocks and waving hair clippers.

And, while massage continues to be relegated to backrooms for purposes of peace and privacy, they are anything but seedy. Low lighting and quiet music will still put you in the mood, but it's no longer about "loving" another. It's about loving yourself.

The smell of cheap perfume has been traded in for aromatherapy candles. A bed with soiled sheets is now a massage table with soft, comfy linens. And, the actual massage is just a massage - no sexual touching is allowed, or even considered.

"When I first started doing massage, there were very few places to get massage, very few therapists out there and very few people getting massages," says Pfeiffer. "Probably in the last eight or nine years, I've seen a huge shift, and I think that happened when the medical community began studying the benefits of massage, and it became more accepted."

"The number of people I see coming in [for massage] has definitely expanded - all types of people from housewives to people who have chronic pain issues to people who are dealing with a specific sports injury. Some people come for stress relief or to deal with emotional issues like depression or anxiety," continues Michelle McNaughton, a massage therapist with Chesterfield Physical Therapy. "People tend to see it more as a therapeutic tool."

According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), between August 2004 and July 2005, about 47 million Americans received at least one massage. The AMTA also estimates that there are around 250,000 massage therapists practicing nationally, up from about 180,000 in 2000.

That trend is mirrored in Chesterfield. Only three massage therapists applied for a permit to practice in 1993. In 2004, that number had increased to 48.

Enrollments in the Virginia Career Institute's massage therapy program, located in Chesterfield, are also growing. There are about 40 students now studying massage therapy there.

"Most of our students are not having a difficult time finding a job," reports Dan Balewick, program director. "There are massage clinics and day spas opening up throughout the county that are able to support the students, and many of them go on to open their own practices."

In a world where people are constantly bombarded with bad news, difficult bosses, bumper-to-bumper traffic and other everyday stressors, many are willing to pay just to feel good - even if it costs $70 an hour, the going rate for a massage in Chesterfield.

"People definitely don't mind throwing their charge card down," says Alicia Amsler, owner of Alicia's Salon and Day Spa. "Money is not a factor. Once you get them in, they see the benefits of massage. More men are coming in and getting services for themselves as well as women. People love to be pampered."

"It's just a way of taking time for yourself, of getting away from the kids, getting away from work, getting away from your husband," jokes Amsler.

Some say massage is not luxury, but a necessity.

Kim McFadden, owner of Midlothian Animal Clinic, turned to massage three years ago after suffering from neck pain and headaches.

"The difference was just unbelievable. I did not have the headaches, [and had] very much diminished neck pain. As I continued with it, I basically felt more mobile, more flexible."

McFadden continues to have a massage every two weeks.

"I think I just generally feel better. I feel less muscle tension, fewer headaches. It's a great stress reliever."

Police still involved

Because of massage's colorful history, the county police department continues to oversee permitting. All massage therapists practicing in the county must be licensed by the Virginia Board of Nursing and obtain a county permit that is renewed every two years.

"We do a records check," explains Lieutenant Colonel Jim Bourque of the Chesterfield County Police Department. "Once we do that, as long as there's nothing there that causes concern, then the chief [of police] approves the permit. Almost all people have a background that lends itself to receiving a permit. Massage therapy is a very legitimate profession now. Of course, they have to have written proof they've received 500 hours of training, and that's issued by the Virginia Board of Nursing."