Health Connection: Massage Therapy

"I really like taking care of people."

That was the motivation that North Potomac resident, Michele Mnatzakanian, needed to change her life's direction and begin pursuing a career in massage therapy.

Ms. Mnatzakanian started out taking massage therapy courses at Potomac Massage Therapy Institute part time while she was still working full time at a computer desk for a large multinational company. 

"Working at a computer all day every day took a physical toll on me," she said, "and I, myself, benefitted greatly from massage therapy."

She wanted to share that benefit with others.

Over six years ago, Ms. Mnatzakanian, opened Hye Massage. Now located at 14820 Physician's Lane in Rockville, Hye Massage has grown to provide massage therapy services to healthy athletes and critically ill patients, and everything in between.  

A professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and nationally certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork, she finds much of her work outside the office at hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and hospice.

Working with people in hospice and dealing with the folks that are critically ill is where she gets the most reward and satisfaction from her newly chosen profession. There is little more gratifying than "helping seriously ill patients experience a better quality of life," she said.

And she is up to the challenge. Her next step is to take continuing education classes with the goal of getting certified by the Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM). 

In the future, she would like to work more with oncology and orthopedic patients. At this past year's AMTA convention, Ms. Mnatzakanian enrolled in seminars for orthopedic massage which will allow her to do more work with athletes and athletic training.  

"I guess you could say I really like the diversity and different challenges of the job," she said. Her day at the hospital, usually Shady Grove Adventist, could easily involve working with someone seriously ill and then being called up to the maternity ward to work with a mom who just delivered a baby.

"You have to be flexible, understanding, and knowledgeable about patients' conditions, medications, restrictions...there is a lot to know," she added.  

"And I think it is also very important to give back to the community," she said, and by actively volunteering with Breast Cancer Awareness programs, cancer support groups and community events, she is doing just that. 

At this point in time, she has fully embraced her new career and has learned that taking care of people can be, and is, a full time job. "I didn't think at the start that I would do this full time," she told Patch, "but I wanted to once I started doing it."