Many massage therapists aim to make people relaxed. Then, there’s the ones that immediately alleviate pain – like Meggie Whiteman of Miracle Medical Thai Massage, located on the lower level of the Etown Business Center (48 S Market St.).
Raised in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Meggie’s first massage “clients” were her grandparents when she was seven.
“I saw a difference in their body, their spirit, their mood…. That was a miracle to me,” she said.
This led to her getting formally trained in Thai massage techniques. (She also has a bachelor’s degree in marketing.) She came to the U.S. in 2014, and added to her professional credentials, obtaining a degree in corrective exercise and rapid neurofascial reset certifications, among others.
She worked as a massage therapist at several of the area’s best-known spas, including Hershey’s Melt Spa and the Inn at Leola Village.
While she enjoyed working with her regular clients, she wanted to be closer to home, with better hours. Miracle Medical Thai Massage opened on March 1, 2024.
Meggie’s Thai massage background and training makes her unique within and outside of Lancaster County.
Some of her clients have come from Pottsville, Maryland and Delaware.
“You have to appreciate someone who drives a long way,” she said.
She also gets referrals from healthcare professionals, particularly for maternity clients.
“I want to serve the Lancaster community. Lancaster is my family now,” she said.
While clients’ individual needs vary, her overall goal is to “find the root cause of pain” for clients.
“I have to feel the pain first – put myself in your shoes. You want your client to leave without pain,” she said.
According to Meggie, practitioners of Thai massage don’t learn anatomy the way that Western massage therapists do.
This is where her medical massage training comes in. Each client gets a body assessment when they come in for their appointment to help determine what’s creating their pain.
Meggie educates them on posture and provides corrective exercises that clients can do at home, often with tools like foam rollers and tennis balls.
After 1-2 weeks of these, her clients’ pain is often completely gone.
Another one of her specialties is facial massage, for which she has won several awards
She shares her knowledge not only with clients but also those training to be massage therapists.
One recommendation is that they get a massage every month from a different massage therapist to see what they can learn from that person’s technique.
“You learn from good and you learn from bad,” she said. “When you get out of your massage field, that's what you start your journey."
Her advice to prospective clients?
“You don’t have to accept the pain. When you are healthy, you can enjoy life.”
Miracle Medical Thai Massage is open 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. 5-p.m. weekends. Call (717)- 449-4916 or visit the website to book an appointment.