We all have multiple issues in our life experience massage and bodywork help. From being in a serious car accident to managing various chronic pain conditions and life-long autoimmune diseases, massage has helped me tremendously over the years. One particular example involves growing up with a severe condition of scoliosis. I received corrective surgery, which, although successful, left notable nerve damage and chronic muscle discomfort. This experience sent me searching for relief that would have long-lasting effects. Through combining bodyweight exercises, stretching, and regular massage, I found the much-needed relief and achieved greater strength and flexibility surprising even my doctors. This journey led me to research the medical implications of receiving regular massage as part of a healthcare system.

I spent years researching how massage positively affects all areas of the body. It was during a brief stint in Thailand that I experienced first-hand the altering effects of Reflexology. In 2010, I graduated from Iowa College of Natural Health, a school focused on clinical massage. It was at this point that MASSAVEDA was born, Sanskrit for “the knowledge of touch.”

A list of my specialties is found on the homepage, but the real point is, if your body is hurting or facing stress, I can help – even if it’s taking a much needed break from the pain for the hour of the session. Some know how important that is. My lifelong chronic pain experience (of various forms and types of pain) gives me an insider’s perspective that works towards finding a customized method of treatment for everyone. Married to that is my intuitive innate sense of touch mixed with empathy about pain people experience. God designed our bodies to heal and renew and He created massage to be part of that healing program.

I am a member of the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) along with the Society for Oncology Massage and licensed by the State of Iowa. I am also certified in whiplash recovery through NMT Midwest, Medical Massage through Ralph Stephens, and Manual Lymphatic Drainage – Vodder Method through Klose Training.

I use time to obsessively study all things etiological, stare at my husband’s artwork (John Phillip Davis), and love our rescue dog, Joon.

Carmen with Jack, former MASSAVEDA mascot. We miss you, buddy!