by ADELE CASANOVA

Inner Strength Pilates’ motto is “Pilates isn’t just a workout, it’s a lifestyle!” Winston-Salem’s premier Pilates studio, Inner Strength Pilates offers a well-rounded approach to functional balanced strength, non-medical pain relief, lean muscle mass, athletic performance, and therapy rehabilitation. An integral part of this approach is massage therapy. Carmela Thompson, an NC Licensed Massage Therapist, most enjoys working with clients at Inner Strength Pilates because, “Here I am allowed to truly care for my clients, taking the time to understand their needs and create individual treatment plans. At Inner Strength Pilates, our approach is to guide our clients toward health and strength through self-healing.”

Carmela, a 2010 graduate of the Living Arts Institute in Winston-Salem, has always been drawn to serving others. Her special interest is in pursuing a holistic approach to health, including self-healing and nutrition. Carmela has found massage therapy as a way of offering healing, as well as preventative maintenance, for those with structural or muscular issues. She treats a variety of clients who may be experiencing pain from such sources as scoliosis, osteoporosis, accidents, occupational injuries created by repetitive movements, or illnesses such as cancer. Performance athletes, as well as those with desk jobs who sit all day, can benefit from massage therapy to correct muscular pain and maintain pain free lifestyles.

Carmela believes in treating the cause of pain, not just addressing the symptoms. “Everyone needs to take their health into their own hands and really listen to their bodies. Modern medicine often advocates the use of ‘band aids,’ such as oral or topical painkillers, instead of addressing the root causes of pain,” says Carmela. “Lifelong maintenance of one’s health includes treating sources of pain not just symptoms.”

Carmela uses several modalities to treat her clients, including:

• Trigger Point Massage – Locating a knot or area of localized spasm within a muscle, a trigger point, and applying pressure to release the muscle and reduce pain.
• Hot Stone Massage – Sustaining heat to promote relaxation, pain relief and flexibility. Used in conjunction with massage, hot stones allow for deeper muscular relaxation.
• K-Tape Application –Releasing lymphatic fluid within a muscle and reducing pain using K-Tape. K-tape is cotton or synthetic tape with unidirectional elasticity, stretching in length but not in width. Injured or overused muscles contain a build up of lymphatic fluid, and correctly applying K-Tape releases the fluid and pressure between the muscle and its lining, the fascia, reducing pain.
• Mind Gut Connection – Counseling clients to maintain good health using food as preventative medicine. “People should eat, not just for taste, but for proper fuel, leading to a state of homeostasis, or self-regulating health,” says Carmela. “Proper nutrition and hydration lead to both physical health and mental clarity.”

To explore improved health and wellbeing, please contact Carmela Thompson at Inner Strength Pilates for a massage therapy consultation and personalized treatment plan. She can be reached at 336-813-5320. Inner Strength Pilates is located at 4983 Martin View Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, in the Harper Hill Commons Shopping Center at the corner of Peacehaven and Country Club Roads. Learn more at www.innerstrengthpilatesnc.com.