Hands On Medical Massage in Jackson, Ohio opened its doors in January 2021. This massage practice was founded by myself, Ethan Pariseau. I created this practice to use the skills I have learned as a nurse over the past 15+ years and the skills I learned during my training to become a licensed massage therapist to help others by relieving their tension, pain, increasing mobility and improving their overall quality of life. I use a variety of techniques and tools to accomplish this. I am a solo practitioner. I focus on one patient at a time — the one in front of me. I do care about what is going on in their lives and how it affects their well-being. I use this information to help me better assess what may be causing the issue(s) and develop a treatment plan.
Meet the Massage Therapist
As I mentioned above, I’m Ethan. I’m a family man (wife and three kiddos) who grew up right here in Jackson County, Ohio.
Just a Taste of My Background
- Left the military in 2005
- Earned associate degree in nursing 2008
- Completed Bachelor of Science degree in nursing 2010
- Certificate program in massage therapy 2020
After I got out of the military in 2005, I decided to go to nursing school. I wanted to better understand my mom’s medical problems. That, and I also wanted to be able to help family and friends when needed by explaining medical situations to them. So, I got my associate degree in nursing at Rio Grande Community College in 2008 and continued on to earn my bachelor’s degree from The University of Rio Grande in 2010.
But Why Massage Therapy?
Pretty much the same reason I got into nursing. To help family and friends. Moreso family. We didn’t learn anything about massage in nursing school. Go figure. They did tell us to rub lotion on someone’s back at night to help them relax and sleep better. But that isn’t anywhere near the same thing.
At this point, I’ve been a nurse for 15+ years. Things have changed a lot in the acute care setting (hospital) since I started. In the positions that I’ve worked, it’s become less about spending time with the patients, talking to them and getting to know them.
That isn’t what I wanted to do. That isn’t why I became a nurse. I became a nurse so I could actually help people and make a difference for them. Not to be a pill dispenser and worry about lawyers. So, after a few years of doing that, I left the bedside and went to an office.
Massage therapy is one-on-one. It’s just me and the patient working on finding a way to best help relieve their pain or discomfort. There is paperwork and documentation to be done and it is a legal medical record but that is all done before and after the treatment session. The session itself is just the two of us working on finding a solution to their problem.
How It Started
Most of what I found was spa-related. You know the general idea most people have when they think about massage. Cucumbers on the eyes, face mask for making the skin silky smooth, seaweed wraps and things like that. That was not what I was looking for. I stumbled on some YouTube videos for sports massage. Getting warmer but not quite what I was wanting. And eventually, I found medical massage. Massage therapy that focused on treating real problems and pain.
Where Did I Go To School?
The massage therapy program at Hocking College was more focused on clinical work to treat real problems, relieve pain, increase mobility and improve the quality of life for patients. I called the program director to ask more about the program. I told him that I was a nurse and that I wanted to help people and work on real problems.
Going to massage therapy school during a global pandemic was definitely a challenge. We did what we could online (myology/kinesiology, theory classes, etc.) but there was no way of getting around being in intimately close contact with others. I’m not sure if you’re aware but…in massage therapy we put our hands on other people’s bodies. That’s what we do!
I learned so much in that program. Everything from treating carpal tunnel syndrome to TMJ disorders, tight IT bands, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, tension headaches, cervical vertebrae decompression, lumbar vertebrae decompression for herniated discs, neck pain, back pain, runner’s knee and so much more.
Understanding the Concepts
But I think the most important thing that I learned was to understand the concepts behind the issues and treat that. Knowing that where it hurts may not be what’s causing the pain is key. Knowing the concepts and what is going on will allow me to develop my own techniques for treating patients. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot of techniques during the program but now I can use what I’ve learned to come up with new ones specific to my own patients’ needs. And I can find more techniques that others have used. It’s a great starting place for my career and business. I’m still a nurse and still work as one regularly. Just in case you were wondering.