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Hanson Holistics Opens Therapeutic Massage Practice in Grand Marais –

Philip Hanson opened his therapeu­tic massage practice, Hanson Holistics, in the Birch Alley build­ing at nine 1st Ave W., Suite #5, in Grand Marais last month. Ap­pointments are avail­able six days per week.

Therapeutic massage focuses on relieving pain and improving physical function. It uses various tech­niques to manipulate soft tissues, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

With more than 25 years of experience, Philip specializes in pain management, injury recovery, and overall wellness using a combination of mas­sage, myofascial re­lease, assisted stretch­ing, and craniosacral therapy. These tech­niques are designed to decrease pain, increase range of motion, and restore function.

“I’m excited to be­come part of this com­munity,” Philip said. “And I’m looking for­ward to contributing to the community and helping people with holistic health care.”

Philip was intro­duced to the North Shore as a young boy. He had a great aunt and uncle who lived in Schroeder. He spent many summer and school holidays visit­ing them and explor­ing Cook County’s outdoor opportunities.

Philip’s fascination with holistic medicine and diverse pain treat­ment methods began at a young age while still in junior high. “I found it absolutely fascinat­ing,” he recalls.

In 1994, at just 17 years old, he left the Twin Cities to pursue holistic nursing class­es in Colorado. After five years there, he moved to Santa Fe, NM, and spent two years advancing his skills at the New Mex­ico Academy of Heal­ing Arts.

Philip’s holistic healthcare approach is unique. “I assist peo­ple on multiple lev­els,” he explains. He takes pride in the long-term relationships he builds with his clients, often serving on their care team for years, sometimes even across three generations.

“One of the hardest things about our move to Grand Marais was leaving the people I’d see regularly,” Philip said.

Philip and his wife, Kelly Hanson, were married six years ago at the Summit Chalet on the peak of Moose Mountain in Lutsen. Four years ago, the family bought a town­house in Tofte and began spending more time on the North Shore. The Hansons intuitively felt that be­coming part of the life­style here was possi­ble, and the teens they had at home were okay with the change.

Hanson describes theirs as a Brady Bunch-type family. Each brought three kids to the marriage. The two oldest chil­dren, Dominic and Cindle, are out of the nest. Tobyn, Max, and Ella are all high school age, and 7th grader Faith is the youngest. All four have adapted well to a new life.

Hanson closed his practice in the Twin Cities in mid-June. In April, the Hansons purchased a Dev­il Track Lake home that belonged to the Gaylord family. Tom and Patricia Gaylord were long-time active community members who owned Arrow­head Pharmacy in the 1990s. By the end of June, the family had completed the move.

Kelly, a licensed re­altor with Songbird Realty in Grand Mara­is, and Philip spent the rest of the summer and fall updating the house and settling the family into its new home.

Philip is one of the lucky ones who found his calling early in life and still finds it grati­fying. “I help people because I care,” he said. “It’s an extreme­ly rewarding career.”

In conclusion, Philip said, “Hands-on work easing pain is my spe­cialty.”

Hanson Holistics hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 to 3:30, Saturday from 9:00 to 2:00, and Monday and Thursday by appointment only. Appointments can be made online at hansonholistics.com, by emailing philiphanson75@gmail.com, or by calling (612) 810- 9333.

Steve Fernlund
Steve Fernlund
Columnist Steve Fernlund is a retired business owner living in Duluth. He published the Cook County News Herald in Grand Marais at the end of the last century. You may email comments or North Shore news story ideas to him at steve.fernlund@gmail.com. And see more at www.stevefernlund.com.
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