chronic neck and low back pain she says she often suffered after being on her feet as much as 10-12 hours during a typical day in her job as a vascular surgeon. Dr. Valentin says that she had tried other therapists who offered socalled deep tissue massages before finding Caduff, but found that none of them were as effective. “After visiting those walk-in places, I usually felt no difference at all, but Marlen absolutely knows her stuff,” Dr. Valentin says. “I had never even heard of Thai massage before I met her, but now I feel that it helps me with everything I do.” Connie Bainbridge’s experience is similar to Valentin’s. The Hunter’s Green resident works as a marketing manager for Verizon, and says that before she was diagnosed with breast cancer about three years ago, she viewed massages as “a luxury kind of thing.” After her diagnosis, however, her doctors at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute prescribed lymphatic massage, which helps relieve lymphedema (or swelling of the limbs that accompanies the removal of lymph glands), as part of her cancer treatment. Because the massages offered at Moffitt were only available at certain times that didn’t fit into her schedule,
she went looking for someone else who could perform lymphatic massage therapy, but had little success before meeting Caduff. “I went to several different places, but they didn’t give me any relief,” Bainbridge says. “But, after I found Marlen, it was clear that she really knew what she was doing.” Now, as a cancer survivor, Bainbridge is active as both a participant and a volunteer trainer in the annual Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer ThreeDay Walk, during which participants walk 60 miles in three days to help raise money for breast cancer research and treatment. To get ready for the event, Bainbridge leads walks of up to 16-18 miles at a time, which, needless to say, leads to some tired and aching muscles. But, she says that her regular treatments at Swiss Spirit Massage have really made a difference in the way she feels — not only helping with her training, but also with relieving the tension from her often-stressful job. “I really couldn’t be doing these activities without Marlen and what she does,” Bainbridge says. Caduff, meanwhile, says that almost anyone can receive some benefit from regular massages. She treats a lot of young people for sports-related and other injuries, but also says that mas-
sages can help older people become more flexible and less prone to falling, too. And, massages can help both men and women achieve better posture, avoid repetitive-motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, or get relief from migraine headaches (and, in some cases, even help to prevent migraines). Aside from simply giving massages, however, Caduff says that a large part of her philosophy is to help her clients achieve better health overall, through education, and helping them to identify the bad habits that may have led to many of their current issues. She even hopes to expand her business one day to include a Jennifer Bodanza gives a client a warm full range of other alternative bamboo massage, another of the specialties medical and holistic therapies. offered at Swiss Spirit Massage. “I want my clients to can stock up for yourself or give some become more aware of their bodies to your family and friends as gifts. and get more involved in their own They’re sure to appreciate it. health, because that will help us to get Swiss Spirit Massage is located at the best results we can,” she says. 10323 Cross Creek Blvd, Suite B, in Swiss Spirit Massage offers masthe Cory Lake Isles Professional Censage sessions of 30, 60 and 90 minter. Hours are: (by appointment only) utes, and discount packages and gift Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., 9 certificates are available. And, through a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, and 9 a.m.-5 December 31, Caduff is offering a holiday special where you can buy four p.m. on Saturday. Call 325-1926 or gift certificates and get one free, so you visit Swiss-SpiritMassage.com.
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 17, Issue 24 • November 27, 2009 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com
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