Awilda Pelaez’s customers enter her medical massage suite on 112 in Patchogue looking for relief from the diseases that cause them pain on a daily basis. Her passion for healing first began when she was 5 years old and on a bike ride with her brother. In a terrible turn of events, her leg was caught in the spokes of the bike wheel, breaking her fibula and tibia. The nurse that lived next door to her came to her rescue and set her leg back into place. Later at the hospital, the doctor told her the nurse had saved her leg. Afterward, the nurse would come by every day to massage her and gradually, the damage was healed—in less than six months, she was able to walk again.

It was a sacrifice that Pelaez never forgot, and it sparked a passion that would continue for years after. Decades later, she found a way to do the same for others who came to her as a last resort, often after years of suffering.

“This is a dream come true, and here in the privacy of these walls, I see people getting healed. People who come in pain and trust me with their time and their body. The financial aspect is secondary because when someone is in pain and you’re able to help, that is priceless to me,” Pelaez said.
The journey of her practice was years in the making and required dedication and fortitude throughout life’s challenges, in order to learn the art of healing. The wall of her suite is adorned with the many certificates she has accumulated. In the time leading up to her practice, she received a full scholarship to Suffolk County Community College while working as a receptionist in a doctor’s office, until one day a co-worker suggested massage therapy.

Pelaez ‘s practice started in her garage, which her husband built for her while she was going to school. She massaged family members and friends to refine the skills she would later use on patients. Through her connections, she was able to create a wellness center in a local gym, all as stepping-stones to her future career. She received her education in LMT from the New York College of Health Professionals and completed a three-year internship in China.

“I continue my education... the type of treatment I do is a blend of everything I learn,” Pelaez said. Her practice is based on a “holistic way to bring homeostasis to the body.”

Pelaez’s client base is made of people that have been with her since Day One.

“They say that I have healing hands,” she said. “They start as a client and become my friends for years.”

Medical massages often deal with the most intensive cases, where patients are living with chronic pain, and relieving the pain can be an emotional as well as a physical ordeal.

“The patient is vulnerable; when someone is in pain and has to trust a perfect stranger with your body, the physical body and the emotions that can arise, that’s why I’m always sympathetic and kind, that’s why I respect their time,” she said. “I only book one patient at a time. If they want to express or cry and feel secure in an environment, they can do that here.”
For each client who comes in, Pelaez conducts a consultation to understand their ailments and pinpoint the source of their pain; she then shows the patient what she will do.

“[The process of massages is intended to] stimulate muscle fibers to release. Muscle gets tight because something is wrong. Other areas [are] needed to compensate, which causes that muscle to be tight. That’s the process; sometimes I have to go from the superficial layer to the deeper layer,” Pelaez explained. “Most of the time, I’m the last resort for the person.”
After 12 years as a practicing massage therapist, Pelaez has decided to share her wisdom and skill by writing a book, entitled “Learn Soft Tissue Manipulation Skills.” The book emerged from a need to guide future massage therapists.

“My goal is that they can go back to their normal activities; that’s the best reward I can ask for,” said Pelaez.

Medical massages also allow clients to return to normalcy or relieve pain, without necessitating prescriptions or invasive procedures.
“People are waking up to the holistic side of medicine, and medical massage therapy may be the solution that people are looking for,” she added. “People can avoid surgery and avoid medication.”