Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Pecora
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I struggled with chronic neck and shoulder pain for over 10 years after a car accident while in massage therapy school. I tried all types of therapy and countless massages and hoped I’d wake up one day with no pain. The people I treated with massage therapy also had the same struggles. In 2007, I started my massage therapy career in Louisiana, where I was born. I permanently relocated to Ohio in 2010 and I had a lot of experience working in spas, franchises, corporate and independent settings before opening my own practice in 2019.
In 2018, I signed up for a John F. Barnes myofascial release class in Cleveland. I showed up alone and unsure what techniques I would learn but I thought it might be helpful to have this knowledge for myself and my clients. What I learned that day put all of the missing pieces together and I knew this was how I could help people. I started taking more myofascial release classes and several months later I quit the franchise job and became self-employed. I decided I would leave behind traditional massage therapy and only offer myofascial release(MFR).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In 2020, while in the midst of pivoting my practice to MFR only, the pandemic hit. As we know, nothing worthwhile is ever easy! But I chose to go with the flow. I made a plan to open as Northeast Ohio Myofascial Release once the orders were lifted and I also hired a business coach that helped me clarify how I could effectively help people. My persistence paid off and not only was my business doing myofascial release successful, I was able to help people right away since I had everything in place and ready to go.
In the past few years life has happened, and I’ve dealt with the loss of parents, family, close friends, and pets as well as a serious hand fracture requiring surgery and major downtime.
And while all of these challenges have been devastating, each experience has allowed me to pause and reflect and focus on what is most important which I find is staying present. I’m not perfect but I think myofascial release has taught me how to remain in the present and focus on what I can control.
As you know, we’re big fans of Northeast Ohio Myofascial Release. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the owner/operator of Northeast Ohio Myofascial Release in Canton, Ohio. I’m an expert level John F. Barnes therapist meaning I’ve completed training through his all of his seminars. He has been a pioneer in the field of fascia for the last 50 years. Fascia is strong, dense, and pliable connective tissue that runs from the top of our head to our toes and surrounds all of the muscles, organs, and bones. It’s basically the glue that holds us together and gives the body position in space. The fascial system touches all of our systems like the nervous system, lymphatics, muscular, skin, etc. When the fascial system has restrictions, it affects movement, flexibility, pain reception, and blood flow. Restrictions in the body come from repetitive movement, injuries, surgery, and trauma.
I use myofascial release to treat patients because I find this method to be the best for long-term relief. I found resolution from my chronic pain with this type of work and now I help others get relief too. I’ve found through the years that healing is more than just physical. We have to look at the whole person, and the mind-body connection is really the key to healing. I find that the emotional component plays a big part in the healing journey. Myofascial release offers that mind-body connection through gentle, sustained pressure allowing the fascia to soften which leads to authentic healing. So while many people start treatment for pain, they feel the added benefits of better sleep, lightness in their body, or even a reduction of stress and anxiety. I am so passionate about what I do because I’ve seen incredible results for people that were told they would never experience their life without symptoms.
I work with people one on one in hourly sessions and I offer a condensed treatment plan where you receive up to 12 hours of treatment in about a week. I offer an additional service that helps other myofascial release therapists engage their patients about the benefits of myofascial release. My digital marketing downloads provide ready-made templates that therapists can use to communicate with their clients in a clear and easy-to-understand way.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Resilience and resourcefulness. Each time I experience a challenge I know that it’s part of life’s journey. Instead of thinking about why this is happening to me, I try to see what it’s teaching me. I look at challenges as a way to learn something about myself or the situation and how I would do things differently in the future. I have learned it’s okay to ask for help from people with more experience and advocate for myself. It’s easy to get wrapped up in thinking but resilience comes from remaining grounded and present.
Pricing:
- Sessions start at $175 with treatment plans based on individual needs
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.neomyofascialrelease.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northeastohiomyofascialrelease
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northeastohiomyofascialrelease
- Other: https://www.mfremails.com
