By Paula MacDonald
When it comes to a natural alternative to pain relief and healing, many people turn to massage therapy and experience great results. Such was the story for Bill Smith, who, in his mid-forties, found himself contemplating surgery to resolve a degenerative disc condition that caused him pain. A stressful career, combined with the natural effects of aging, left him with limited range of motion in his neck. Bill’s wife, Louise, introduced him to massage therapy when she purchased a gift certificate for him. Bill went to his first session and left very pleased with the results and the pain relief he experienced. After that, he developed a regular massage schedule, and his condition gradually improved to the point that surgery was no longer required.
It was this positive experience with the effectiveness of massage therapy that led Bill to explore a second career as a massage therapist after retiring from the telecommunications and information technology field. Upon completing his studies at the Sarasota School of Massage in 2003, Bill and Louise Smith opened Apollo Beach Massage Therapy and Wellness Center where they have made a difference in the health and wellness of SouthShore residents for the last 11 years.
“I’m very passionate about what I do and I enjoy the work,” said Bill. “While I specialize primarily in deep tissue type therapy, our team covers all therapy types here.”
Typical massage services run 30 to 90 minutes depending upon the needs of the client. The center offers a variety of massage types, including therapeutic massage, hot stone massage and salt scrubs. Other unique services include a multi-spectrum infrared sauna, which promotes natural healing, pain relief and relaxation, and electro therapeutic point stimulation (ETPS), a non-invasive tool applied to acupuncture points that emits a low-level DC current to provide pain relief. Louise Smith is also a Shaklee® Independent Distributor for natural nutrition products.
Bill and a team of four additional therapists at the center provide services to clients. Louise manages the office and handles bookkeeping.
Apollo Beach Massage welcomes new clients, and is offering a Mother’s Day package for $110 that includes two one-hour massages.
Apollo Beach Massage Therapy and Wellness Center is located at 100 Frandorson Cir. Ste. 201. The center is open by appointment, which can be booked by calling 641-9118 or visiting ApolloBeachMassageTherapy.com.
