Business with a unique name is serious about massage

Park Avenue Dental Spa co-owner Julie Boudreaux gets a kick out of it when asked, “What the heck is going on in there?”

What’s going on in there is just what the name implies. Dentistry and therapeutic massage.

No. Not at the same time.

This is serious business.

In 2005, massage therapy was projected to be a $6 to $11 billion a year industry. In 2009, the American Massage Therapist Association estimated it was $16 to $20 billion.

The U.S. Department of Labor expects employment for massage therapists to increase faster than average for all occupations.

Massage therapy is one facet of a movement toward holistic or alternative medicine gaining momentum in the Tri-parish area.

Boudreaux was a draftsman for seven years before an accident led her to massage therapy.

“I got hit from behind at a dead stop. I went to the doctor, got checked out and he said everything was fine; no big deal,” the Houma native said.

Back at work, a common stretch led to Boudreaux’s abdominal muscles seizing up, preventing her from breathing. In a panic, she went back to the doctor who couldn’t find a reason for the attack.

Following advice from her mother, Boudreaux called a chiropractor who explained that sitting at a desk all day had already made the muscles tight. Add whiplash to the mix and cracking her back sent her abdomen into a spasm similar to a Charley horse.

“This is why I got into massage therapy. The pain pills and muscle relaxers could do nothing for me and here was somebody who took the time to tell me what happened and then wrote a prescription for massage. It was like night and day. Going to the massage therapist helped me understand how I needed to fix myself,” Boudreaux said.

Feeling better and once again back at her desk, Boudreaux began to think drafting was no longer the career she wanted to be in. She didn’t have a passion for it. She wanted to help people … to pay it forward.

Boudreaux applied to and graduated from Blue Cliff College of Metairie as a licensed massage therapist and eventually went into business with her husband Michael.

Michael Boudreaux is a full-time dentist at Teche Action Clinic and does part-time dental work at Park Avenue Dental Spa.

“I’m better being here (at Park Avenue Dental Spa) and doing what I do because I’ve worked at spas and clinics and I don’t want to work; I want to help,” the massage therapist said.

Boudreaux enjoys taking her time with her clients without having to watch the clock and rush a session.

“If I want to do an hour and a half session when they only booked an hour, and not charge for the extra time, that’s my decision,” she said.

Before beginning work with a client, Boudreaux asks about their medical history including whether or not they’ve experienced any accidents. She doesn’t just mean automotive accidents, she wants to know about the time a client fell off a trampoline while playing with her kids.

For a person who has never had a massage before, Boudreaux gives an overall description of what’s going to happen. Massage can be done with the clothes on or off. For Boudreaux, it’s whatever the client is most comfortable with.

“Just wear clothes that can be worked through like yoga pants or workout clothes. Something that’s easy for you to move in because during most of my massages, you’re not going to just lay there like a dead fish,” she explained.

Using nothing but hot towels, heat packs and the strength of her hands, Boudreaux works her clients’ muscles releasing toxins and encouraging blood and oxygen flow.

“You have to pay attention not only to where you’re working, but to the areas around it. You can touch somebody’s lower back and it may affect their toe. You need to be aware of what’s going on at all times,” she explained.

When at home, clients’ homework includes drinking water, paying attention to their posture, their gait and to any habits that may be the cause for ongoing pain.

“We don’t use our bodies to their fullest potential. Muscles tend to become stagnant. When you don’t have enough water and blood flow to those muscles, they get really tight and stiff,” Boudreaux said.

Massage therapy is intended to make the client feel better, but how does it make the therapist feel? How hard is it on their bodies?

Boudreaux said even though she does do stress relief and relaxation massage, a lot of her work is geared toward rehabilitation. She gets a workout lifting legs and arms and digging into her clients’ muscles.

“If I work on a rehab client for two hours, I really need a break. I might see another person for an hour or two in the afternoon, but four to five hours of massage therapy in a day is about it,” Boudreaux said.

According to Boudreaux, massage isn’t all about pampering and relaxation.

“It has its benefits and I hope in the future people come to realize that. I hope insurance companies begin to cover it as a benefit. I guarantee you if they start doing that, there will be a lot less missed days at work, less stress and fewer claims.”

Julie Boudreaux uses therapeutic massage to help relieve her clients’ shoulder pain. Boudreaux has practiced massage for seven years and has shared office space with her husband’s dental practice for the past year and a half. JENNIE CHILDS