Valerie Smith Rye
She started massaging at the early age of 12. She was introduced to massage by an aunt who was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The aunt a nurse needed relief of the pain and began teaching her to help relieve the symptoms with the art of massage. As Valerie grew closer to her aunt, she understood how massage helped, and the relief it provided. Valerie learned early she had a special gift to feel the difference between tension, knots and normal muscles tissue.
She has a strong medical respect for the human body and has studied under many health care specialists. Her physical therapy back ground started the foundation in understanding anatomy, and the basics in owning a private practice business. The philosophy of Physical Therapy and the idea of helping others grew the desire to make a difference. Throughout her education she strived to provide the best possible care to her patients.
She chose the Blue Heron Academy for Healing Arts and Science, because the medical massage teaching closely resembled the physical therapy field and the knowledge learned by her aunt. After Graduating from Blue Heron Academy for Healing Arts and Science, she knew she wanted to go into business. In 1999 opened the business and grew her clientele. She works with the allied health professionals and has gained respect of physicians, dentists, chiropractors and patients. She attends regular continuing education class to keep up to date with the latest techniques and developments in massage.
Valerie specializes in the clinical, manual rehabilitation of the soft tissue utilizing medical massage technique and protocols. She focuses on working the patient's specific problems. She releases and rehabilitates muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue using soft hand, deep tissue method of medical massage. Valerie specializes in the following conditions:
- Adhesions
- Arthritis
- Bursitis
- Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Back Pain
- Chronic Neck Pain
- Chronic Shoulder Pain
- Chronic Stress
- Chronic Tension
- Fibromyalgia
- Frozen Shoulders
- Leg Pain
- Migraine Headaches
- Numbness and Tingling in the Feet and Hands
- Parkinson's Disease
- Plantar Fasciatis
- Pregnancy Massage
- Scar Tissue
- Sciatica
- Tennis and Golfers Elbow
- Tendinitis
- TMJ {Temporomandibular Joint}
- Whiplash
- Viseral Massage
Tammy Trowbridge
Tammy bio
Dawn Dunham
Dawn attended Traverse City High School.
- Graduate from Blue Heron Academy in 2007 and employed with Twin Bay Clinical Massage since 2007.
- Special classes and extra training in Pre and Post Natal Massage, Acupuncture, Holistic First Aid.
- Special interests in Holistic Health, Managing Chronic Pain, Essential Oils, Managing Depression and other ailments.
- Member of American Medical Massage Association, Michigan Medial Massage Association.
I became interested in the health field as a teen, I have numerous family members who have been in the nursing/LPN/dietary fields. Originally I wanted to be a Dr. when I graduated high school. Realizing the numerous years of schooling and having to work and go to college I then checked out the Nursing Program. I then realized that blood made me uncomfortable. Medical Massage Therapy then was a strong area of interest for me. I have always been fascinated with the human body and it is very rewarding to see the results of massage therapy.
CMT (Certified Massage Therapist), MMT (Medical Massage Therapist and Manual Massage Therapist)
Shirley Neher
Since the year 2000, I have been with Twin Bay Clinical Massage. I am semi-retired and work part-time as their bookkeeper and insurance biller for auto claims. For years, I never had a massage or even thought about getting a massage until I met Valerie Smith Rye.
I use to own The Silk Shop next door to her when she was at a different location and that is when I started to help her by answering the phones and making appointments for her. Then I got hooked and was so impressed at all they can do to help people and how knowledgeable, also. I knew then that I wanted to go wherever they went and we all moved to Noteware Drive off 3 Mile Road.
Since I have had a lot of issues with my neck, back and feet (plantar fasciitis), I have found that I cannot be without a massage - helped me tremendously. I love listening to them explain different exercises for different problems and just plain talking with words I knew I would never remember or understand. I now know and understand the benefits that massage gives you and how much it has helped me.
