Aqua Blue Wellness Center is a comprehensive, health-focused facility specializing in diagnostics, massage and detox therapies and nutrition. Owner and founder Lori Martin is a former quilt designer who had experienced first-hand the body’s amazing ability to heal itself. During her 20s and 30s, Martin suffered from liver issues that she later found out were the result of allergies to migraine medications.

“My father had cancer and he sought integrative therapies. I was able to get some advice through his health providers,” recalls Martin, a Pennsylvania native. Through a detoxification regimen, she eventually got her body functioning properly again. “My health crisis brought me back to discovering what I can do for myself. I learned and started to heal for myself, and I realized how much of a positive effect I can have on my health through lifestyle, supplements and nutritional therapies.”

As Martin’s health improved, her friends and family were pleasantly surprised to see her doing so well. That inspired her to start researching holistic therapies, and at age 40, she left quilt designing and ventured into the natural health field. She studied nutrition, detoxification and naturopathic care through many sources, including the Trinity School of Naturopathy. She opened Aqua Blue Detox in 2008, and this past January, she changed the name to Aqua Blue Wellness Center to better reflect the mission, their expanded services and what they currently offer.

“We now have three massage therapists offering medical massage,” she says. “All three are very immersed in the natural health world and went way beyond the typical training of massage therapists.” A medical massage approach, unlike some spa-type massages formulated mostly toward relaxation, is results-oriented to resolve certain health conditions.

Aqua Blue offers oncology massage, craniosacral massage, trigger point massage, connective tissue and muscular work. Martin notes the oncology massage can help cancer patients be more comfortable during illness and treatment, and find relief from symptoms.

To help clients achieve optimal health, Aqua Blue pairs detoxification and diagnostic programs to complement their medical massage services. The Electro-Lymphatic Therapy machine is a non-invasive device that encourages lymphatic drainage, ridding the body of toxic lymphatic fluid. The mPulse Infrared Sauna has three settings and uses advanced technology to measure heart rate and calories burned. BEMER technology offered at Aqua Blue helps improve circulation. Martin is certified in Clinical Thermography from the American College of Clinical Thermography, qualifying her to provide thermal imaging and breast thermograms. Herbal supplements and nutritional counseling rounds out Aqua Blue’s wellness offerings.

“These are not typical therapies you’d find in any wellness center,” Martin says. “We want to focus on diagnostics, medical massage and detox therapies and nutrition, and to do them well. We want to be different than the other wellness centers that are out there.”

Martin also notes that medical massage can be the missing link for people to balance muscle tissue with organ health. “Massage is not only just a nice, relaxing thing that you can do for yourself, but it can be beneficial in getting your body balanced,” she says. “Because we’re more medical-based rather than just focused on relaxation, you can improve your range of motion or release pain when you’re doing very specific massages, like trigger point or craniosacral.”

When people actually take control of their own health—like Martin did so many years ago—they are able to envision the body as a complete unit and become encouraged to care for themselves. “To see people willing to dive into their care and not take illness lying down is really inspiring,” Martin enthuses, “and we’re here to help them fight their health battles and come out the other side winners.”

Aqua Blue Wellness Center is located at 50 Keystone Ct., Leola. For more information, call 717-656-8615 or visit AquaBlueDetox.net.

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.