ReGen Massage and Wellness thriving at new location in Madison Township

Feb. 20—When it comes to medical massage therapy, Keria Ward strives not only to be a highly skilled practitioner, but also a goodwill ambassador for her profession.

"What I'm wanting to do is educate not only the public on what medical massage can do for them, but also I want to train and educate recently graduated students," said Ward, who owns and operates ReGen Massage and Wellness, which is located at 1424 Hubbard Road in Madison Township.

Ward, a licensed medical massage therapist, moved her practice to the Hubbard Road building in October.

"My business was expanding beyond what I was expecting," she said. "I needed more room."

Prior to relocating, Ward provided medical massage therapy for four years at an office that she leased inside Armstrong Fitness, a gym based at 402 N. Lake St. in Madison Village.

After Ward realized that she would need additional space to accommodate her growing enterprise, she began scouting out possible new locations.

"I knew I wanted to stay in Madison or Perry," said Ward, who also lives in Madison Township.

One day she was driving through the northern section of Madison Township and noticed a building that was for rent at 1424 Hubbard Road.

Although that structure is zoned for commercial use, it resembles a house. Recent tenants have included a hair salon and a variety store.

After Ward toured the inside of the vacant structure, she felt it would be well-suited to serve as ReGen's new office.

"It felt homey, and that's what I was looking for," she said. "It's quiet. People can relax while they're getting their therapy."

About 30 percent of ReGen's clients visit to receive massages simply for relaxation, Ward said.

"But for the most part, everybody comes in because they have different physical issues to address," she said. "You've got your computer workers, with their neck and shoulders problems, and then you have your people who are looking to avoid surgery."

Ward has served as a licensed medical massage therapist in a variety of settings.

She worked at French Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Center in Madison Township from 2018 to 2019. During that same period, she also was employed independently as a traveling medical massage therapist who would visit clients in their homes throughout Lake County.

In addition, Ward previously worked at a local spa affiliated with a nationwide wellness company providing massage, stretch and skin care services.

"I wanted to know what it was like working for a corporation, how they treated their clientele, how they treated their massage therapists," she said. "Because I knew at some point I was going to open my own business. So I wanted to see how these places ran."

Ward said she quickly became disillusioned with the company, because it seemed that the greatest emphasis was on selling memberships to lock in clients for extended periods of time.

"I have a membership program here at ReGen, but you cancel or pause it at any time," she said. "We do not tie people's money down like that."

At ReGen, Ward said she tries to create a family atmosphere, and pay close attention to each client's needs and goals.

"And when I'm training students who recently graduated with medical massage therapy degrees, I emphasize that you need to treat every client like a family member who would be coming in," she said.

In August, Ward hired Alyssa Hanna, who graduated from Cleveland Institute of Medical Massage and passed her state licensing exam in 2023.

"I have been training Alyssa in a lot of techniques, different things that a lot of clients come to me on a daily basis for," Ward said.

Ward also is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Medical Massage. She earned her degree at the institute and passed the state licensing test in 2017.

Ward said all consumers who are thinking about receiving massages for therapeutic purposes should confirm that their therapist is licensed by the state of Ohio.

"Any massage therapist we have here at ReGen is medically licensed to touch people," she said.

Ward said she entered her field because of a desire for a career change. She had grown weary of working as a teller and supervisor in the banking industry.

Ward's idea to become a medical massage therapist arose from an experience she had while attending a Young Living Essential Oils seminar.

"I started looking into holistics, because I was having issues body-wise, and I got tired of taking medications and stuff," she said.

During the seminar, Ward attended a class on the Young Living Raindrop Technique.

This method was developed by Young Living founder D. Gary Young in 1989 "to create a deeply relaxing and rejuvenating essential oil experience paired with bodywork techniques for a full-body experience designed to be soothing, rejuvenating, and harmonizing for the recipient and practitioner," the company's website stated.

Ward said the Raindrop Technique class was held "in this big hotel ballroom and all of these people had these massage tables out all over the place, and people were so relaxed and so in the zone. Nobody was yelling, everybody was happy."

At that moment, it occurred to Ward that medical massage therapy could be a new and interesting career.

"And I said, 'How crazy would it be, to be in a profession where everyone is going to leave with a smile on their face?' " she said. "You're not going to get yelled at, half your stress isn't even there, and you're removing the stress from people. People initially came in and they're a ball of tension, and now they're not. So I said, 'Why not (become a medical massage therapist)?' "

Besides earning a degree in medical massage therapy, Ward said she's increased her knowledge about the profession by taking many continuing education courses.

In an effort to enhance the health of ReGen's clients, Ward also has stocked the office with a complete line of wellness products made by Rowe Casa Organics.

Products include items such as elderberry juice, muscle creams and nerve pain creams, and sinus sprays.

"My clients are loving it," she said. "I'm having a hard time keeping this stuff in stock."

Ward said owning and operating ReGen Massage Therapy and Wellness has been a rewarding experience. She got some validation that her work is having a positive impact when she heard clients talking with each other at the grand opening for ReGen's new location in October.

She said the event was attending many clients who have come to ReGen over the past four years.

"Hearing their journeys about me and my business and what it did for them was very gratifying," she said. "I didn't realize how much of a difference four years made and to the point where I am now. I took it as a sign that we're heading in a good direction."