BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
LAKE BUTLER— Libby’s Art of Healing Massage and Wellness held a grand opening at its new location in Lake Butler on Thursday, Sept. 30.
The open house included complimentary chair massages, refreshments and door prizes, including gift cards from other Lake Butler merchants and restaurants.
Owner Kristina Libby Crawford said that after operating in Starke for 10 years, the time was right for opening a second outlet on Lake Butler’s Lake Street.
Crawford opened her first location within the Shops of Thompson Street in Starke in 2010, drawn to downtown by the Great Pumpkin Escape held near Halloween.
“At the time I was working full time for a chiropractor, so I started off just doing it on the weekends,” she said.
Within one year, she was operating her new business fulltime, hiring her first employee in 2016.
As the business continued to grow, she expanded from one room within the Thompson Street shops to three, moving around the corner to Call Street in 2018.
She said the prosperity of her business is a reflection of the growing need for relief from back pain.
“Our main focus is pain management,” she said, “to get people out of back pain.”
“We see people that have been dealing with chronic back pain for months or years,” Crawford continued. “Through a series of massages, we’re able to give them their life back.”
“It’s not just about getting somebody out of pain,” she added. “It’s about being able to get that grandma back on the floor with her granddaughter and playing games again. You’re actually restoring somebody’s quality of life.”
