As it heads into its fourth year of existence, Fire and Ice Therapeutic Massage has opened a new location off Lebanon Road in Mint Hill. This location is larger, is able to handle a growing clientele, and allows the massage therapists who work there to eliminate splitting their time between its two former locations. With the new space they occupy and new features they offer, Ashley Dwyer and her team are redefining what “massage therapy” means.
Dwyer, a twenty-seven-year-old single parent, did not always plan on massage being her career. “I started out in pharmacy but after some pretty traumatic experiences, I ended up moving back here, to Mint Hill. I knew that massage school took nine months and could be a pretty great source of income. I just fell in love with it!” Dwyer smiles. “I never dreamed I would end up owning my own business!”
For Dwyer, the move of her offices to Mint Hill was an easy choice. “I had two offices for the first couple of years: one in Mint Hill and one in Indian Trail. However, it’s hard to juggle two location. When I decided to combine them into one, Mint Hill made the most sense. This is home. This is where I’m from. I grew up here and I know these people. This is my little bubble.”
Dwyer started with a small independent business in a room of a local yoga studio, and now she has a location with five rooms, seven massage therapists, a reiki specialist, and a growing skill set. “We offer Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, hot bamboo, pre-natal, and couples’ massages. We provide neuromuscular and medical massage for those who may need muscle work because of plantar fasciitis, or a car accident or even surgery. For those who may need help to rid their body of toxins, or maybe who want to help their metabolism with weight loss, we have lymphatic massage.
“We also can enhance with cupping, guasha scraping, Essential Oils, aroma therapy, sugar foot scrub, chocolate face mask, and reflexology.” Dwyer lists, “We work with a couple of chiropractors, some corrective exercise specialists, personal trainers, physical therapists, and other doctors to create the best plan for each client. We strongly believe in healing the whole self, or whole being wellness.”
Dwyer is also a big believer in patient education. “I want my clients to understand the ‘whys’ of their body and its muscles. We always try to show them what they can do at home to increase their therapy. Often, we give them exercises and techniques can they use to enrich their body on their own.”
Dwyer’s hope is that she and her team can create a thorough and personal plan of care. “I want to make sure that an individual’s money is being spent on something that will help him or her in the best way possible.” Fire and Ice wants to maintain an experience that is unique and personal to the vast and various needs of every body that comes through their doors.
That is why Dwyer and her therapists are constantly expanding their knowledge base. “We have to be recertified every two years, so while we’re doing that, we want to bring in all aspects of well-being. We have a Reiki energy specialist, who can work with internal balance, experts in various Chinese and Japanese massage techniques, and I myself am learning Ayurveda, an Indian scalp massage which works to balance your body, mind, and spirit.”
Dwyer claims this new location is just the beginning for Fire and Ice. “There’s still a lot of stuff I want to accomplish. We are working towards getting our MPI Insurance accreditation. We will be offering community classes for continuing education. We’re currently brainstorming a signature ‘fire and ice’ treatment to offer. We are hosting quarterly events for the community to attend.” Dwyer passionately shares, “I am completely blessed. I see massage therapy as my calling in life – my ministry. I can’t wait to keep moving forward and share it with the people of Mint Hill.”
