(Editor’s Note: At Work With is a Weekly Feature focusing on different occupations in the Augusta area.)
Sciatica, lower back pain, neck and shoulder pain are some of the reasons people seek out Sandy Steed.
“Not all massage therapists are the same,” said Steed, who is certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and utilizes multiple modalities when working with clients.
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Steed graduated from Aiken Technical College’s massage therapy program about 14 years ago, but she’s continued to seek out training in new techniques.
She started her career in massage after some personal experiences.
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“I came from a medical background,” said Steed. “I thought I was always going to be a nurse.”
Steed said she knew some of the therapeutic benefits of massage. She often used the technique in the intensive care unit to keep patients’ muscles from atrophying while they were bedridden.
When she gave birth to her second daughter 16 years ago, she fractured her pelvis, causing debilitating pain.
“I thought I was going to be disabled for the rest of my life,” she said. “I tried physical therapy, and the pain didn’t go away. I thought there had to be a better option than surgery and having a metal plate put in.”
She found her better option through massage. A massage therapist helped her, and she hasn’t suffered since. She also saw how massage helped her former husband who was active-duty military. He had a bulging disc that caused him a lot of pain. Massage enabled him to get back to running.
Over the years, she’s seen other people who’ve suffered from a variety of ailments and injuries.
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Through her continued training, she’s learned a variety of other techniques to help in pain relief. And she asks clients up-front what their goals are to make sure she’s the right fit for them.
“I’m someone who does not do relaxation massage,” she said.
Some of the techniques she uses includes myoskeletal alignment, myofascial release, muscle testing and deep pressure.
Steed said she has seen many clients over the years leave from her office with greatly lessened pain or no pain at all and go back to the activities their pain had kept them from.
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“This is why I do what I do,” she said.
Steed’s office is located on Pleasant Home Road, and her hours are by appointment only. To learn more, visit lmtsandy.massagetherapy.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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