During the 14-year stretch when she worked as a licensed physical therapy assistant, Angela Koch assisted many clients with activities to regain strength and mobility after various injuries or illnesses. Related Articles Local News | Mentor approves fire engine sale, SWAT vehicle purchase for police department Local News | Lake County Chili Open feeds players’ winter fix at snowy Black Brook Golf Course Local News | Perry awards to be named after longtime public officials Rick Amos and Phil Cassella Local News | Reports provide good examples of Mentor’s economic strength | Editorial Local News | Riverside School Board approves land purchase for Riverview project While she found the work to be rewarding, Koch desired to perform more hands-on care for clients and to develop customized approaches to improve every person’s mental, physical and emotional health. Koch found a way to achieve those goals by going back to school and becoming a licensed massage therapist. After earning her certificate and meeting all other professional requirements, Koch opened Madison Massage and Wellness in 2023. Koch is the owner and sole practitioner at Madison Massage and Wellness, which is located at 840 N. Lake St. in Madison Village. For the past 1 1/2 years, she has provided clients with relaxation, deep tissue and therapeutic massages. “Every massage is catered to who that person is and what they need in that moment,” Koch said. “I have a general structure, but everything is customizable.” In addition, Koch holds a special certification to perform myofascial release for clients. This technique aims to restore motion and relieve or eliminate pain by “applying gentle sustained pressure into connective tissue restrictions over 3 to 5 minutes or more per positioning,” Madison Massage and Wellness stated on its website. Koch received her initial education on the health benefits of massage while studying to become a physical therapy assistant at Kent State University’s Ashtabula Campus. “We did a whole series of classes on massage,” she said. Koch earned an associate degree in physical therapy assistant technology at Kent State Ashtabula in 2009. After graduating, she initially worked for two years at a rehabilitation and wellness center in Jefferson Village in Ashtabula County. Koch then secured a new employment opportunity in Avon Lake, where she went into people’s homes to provide services as a physical therapy assistant. She ended up spending 12 years working in that capacity. Eventually, Koch’s desire to shift into a health-related field that emphasized hands-on care prompted her go back to school while working full-time and being part of a busy family. “My husband works two jobs, and we have three kids,”  she said. Koch studied massage therapy at Cuyahoga Community College. “It was a phenomenal education,” she said. After receiving her massage therapy certificate and completing state licensing requirements in 2023, Koch embarked on working in her new field. “I wanted to have my own space, where I could help people who weren’t getting helped,” she said. Koch didn’t have go far from her home in Madison Village to find a location to start a massage and wellness business. She signed a lease with Dr. Robert Barr, a podiatrist, for space inside his office at 840 N. Lake St. She said the atmosphere at Barr’s office is ideal. “it has just this vibe of ‘people first,’ ” Koch said. “And that’s what I wanted.” Although Koch launched Madison Massage and Wellness in August of 2023, she admits that it took a little time for “people to start trickling through.” “I didn’t really start gaining traction until about October of 2023,” she said. Since that time, business has continued to increase, a trend that Koch attributes to word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients. While some people just enjoy relaxation massages, Koch also said she has clients who request help in alleviating problems such as back pain, frozen shoulder, migraine headaches and plantar fasciitis. “I get a lot of people who have chronic pain,” she said. Koch said she’s happy with the decision she made to become a licensed massage therapist and establish a business that helps people achieve wellness. “I am at such peace,” Koch said. “It doesn’t feel like work.” For more information on Madison Massage and Wellness, visit its website or call 440-379-0779.