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Business spotlight: Center of Rehabilitative Education Massage Institute

By Ed Marcum (Contact)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Center of Rehabilitative Education Massage Institute
• Owner: Gary Genna
• Location: 11320 Station West Drive, Suite 101
• Contact: 865-671-4488
• Web site: www.coremassage.com

A nasty injury when he was a cabinetmaker in Tampa, Fla., set things in motion for Gary Genna to eventually found his own massage school in West Knoxville.
It happened when he got hurt trying to carry a heavy cabinet.

"I ended up rupturing three discs in my neck from carrying too much weight, and I lost the use of my right arm - and I'm right-handed," Genna said.

A trip to the emergency room, then visits to a chiropractor helped, but not enough.

"I'm thinking, 'I've got this injury, I am in trouble. I can't make a living, and I don't know what I'm going to do,' " he said.

Someone suggested massage therapy, and Genna decided to give it a try. He was surprised when the massage therapist managed to get most of the use of his arm back in one session.

"This poor girl worked on me for two hours, but she fixed it. And I went, I have no idea what you know, but I need to know it," he said.

That led to Genna studying massage and making a career change. Now he has been teaching massage therapy for 21 years and is the owner of Center of Rehabilitative Education Massage Institute.

Genna just moved the school to Campbell Station Road after operating it for about 10 years off Cedar Bluff Road. C.O.R.E. is now in the same building as Appalachian Log Homes on Station West Drive just past the Cracker Barrel restaurant from Interstate 40/75. Though the new location is actually smaller than the old one, it allows better use of space and is in a more visible location, Genna said. There are now six rooms for students to practice their skills instead of four.

The school not only has a new location, but a new route of study.

Normally it takes 652 credit hours of study to complete schooling at C.O.R.E., at which time the student can apply for a state license as a massage therapist. However, the C.O.R.E. curriculum is more extensive than what the state requires, so the school now offers an express training program that gives students the basics they need to get their certification in 551 hours, if they want to save time and money.
Like the standard program, the express program covers subjects such as anatomy, massage theory, massage ethics, Tennessee rules and regulations and so on, but leaves out such electives as intuitive massage, business practices, hydrotherapy and others.

"And if they want, students always have the opportunity to upgrade to our professional track," Genna said.

Many people think in terms of a relaxing rub at the spa or health club when they think of massage. C.O.R.E. students are trained to provide that, but their studies go beyond that as well.

"Our program is unique in the whole Southeast region in that we are a very medically oriented program," Genna said. "Our students are trained in orthopedics and pain management. Because of my background in orthopedics, I've had the unique pleasure of working with world class and Olympic athletes, so we have a very strong reputation for sports massage."

This is born out in the relationship C.O.R.E. has with the men's and women's athletic departments at the University of Tennessee. Both departments use C.O.R.E. students to provide massages to their athletes. C.O.R.E. students also often find work at Blackberry Farm in Walland, ranked among the top five small resorts worldwide, and at Blount Memorial Wellness Center, Genna said.

The C.O.R.E. curriculum places a strong emphasis on learning myofascial integration. This form of massage is meant to improve the performance of athletes by loosening and unbinding their muscle tissue, increasing flexibility and range of motion.

This emphasis on sports/medical types of massage comes from Genna's background. Before his injury, Genna had tried different career paths. He got degrees in biology and education from State University of New York at Cortland with the idea of being a biology teacher, but opted for a career making high-end, custom furniture instead.
His injury and recovery gave him a focus on the health possibilities of massage, and Genna completed study at the Suncoast School of Massage Therapy in Tampa. Besides working as a licensed massage therapist and licensed instructor, Genna spent four years on the board of the National Certification of Therapeutic Massage Bodywork. He also served as head coach of the massage team for the British Olympic athletes in 1995 and 1996.

Genna said he is eager to work with those who want to learn massage, but students should expect to be held to high standards.
"I have a background in cabinetry, and craftsmanship to me means a lot. I take that into my teaching, and I'd rather produce fewer but higher quality students, and that's what we're known for doing," he said.

C.O.R.E. is open 9 a.m.-7:45 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Ed Marcum may be reached at 865-342-6267.