Massage therapist relieves locals' pain for 23 years | Business News | richlandsource.com - Richland Source

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MANSFIELD ─ Eddie Noble became a massage therapist because he knew how the treatment could help people ─ from his own experience.

At the age of 24, Noble was injured when competing for the Olympic Taekwondo Team Trials. He pulled muscles and tendons in his knee amid a fight and could not move freely. A teammate, who was going to school for massage therapy, massaged the knee and gave Noble the ability to finish that competition.

Noble said it was the first time he tried massage. He was amazed by what his teammate did and how that touch helped him.

“He told me and explained it to me. He said it was going to be a career that was going to take off in the future,” Noble said.

He decided to leave his job at a factory and went to the National Institute of Massotherapy in Akron, to be trained as a massage therapist. According to the institute’s Facebook page, it closed after the founder passed away in 2017.

Noble has been running his business, Ultimate Massage, in Mansfield for 23 years. He specializes in a wide range of areas, including sports, infant and pregnancy massage. He has also trained in reflexology and helping people with fibromyalgia.

Noble said he is glad that he can help people who have chronic pain or acute pain. After the long-time service in the community, he has had a group of loyal clients, including former Mansfield mayor Lydia Reid. Some of them live by his service.

“There are people that have told me many times: ‘I don't know what I would do without you.’ ‘Please don't retire.’ ” Noble said.

Those are the best compliments for him.

Noble said he is the only Black male therapist in the Mansfield area. He tries to promote peace in his therapy by working with anyone with a pain issue, no matter their race or sexual preference.

“I think by doing that, it promotes peace and makes the world a better place,” he said. “When I work with people, I respect them for who they are.”

One advantage of a male massage therapist is he usually can better move a muscle than his female counterpart because he is stronger. Noble said he does bodybuilding to provide the massage an athlete needs.

Melissa Kousma, one of Noble’s clients, said he is able to put deeper pressure on her body, which helps relieve her pain. After multiple pregnancies, Kousma was having an issue with her hip that makes walking difficult.

Like any business suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, Noble has lost some clients, especially the elderly. As for those who came back, he has seen how the pandemic has “changed” their bodies.

Noble said many clients had muscle knots in necks, arms or backs. Their muscles shortened and pressed on nerves, which caused pain. It was because they did not have the regular massage needed and perhaps were in a higher stress level due to the pandemic.

More children have come to him as well. Noble said it is likely because they now sit in front of the computer a lot more, with bad posture.

While massage has thousands of years of history, Noble said many still see it as something only for a special occasion. He encourages people to make massage part of their lives. It helps with stress and getting rid of the pain. When those issues are gone, a person’s mental health is also improved.

Ultimate Massage provides service by appointment. Those interested can contact Eddie Noble at 419-522-1798 for more information.

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