World Massage Festival &
Massage Therapy Hall of Fame


Read our Philosophy - The Bridge Builder


Our Mission Statement: To honor those who built the bridges for our profession,
to educate the general public about massage, to educate therapists
about different types of massage and to have fun.


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>>>>>>>>>>>		 Previous Festivals * 2010 Festival * 2011 Festival * 2012 Festival





Nancy Porambo


Nancy M. Porambo, MS, CNMT, NCTMB is the owner/operator of The Therapy Option, Inc. in Jim Thorpe, PA for the past 20 years. She specializes in neuromuscular therapy and also utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy in her chronic pain practice. For many years, Nancy was on staff with Paul St. John, pioneer of the St. John Method of Neuromuscular Therapy.

Nancy has a Masters degree in Clinical Health Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and teaches psychology for Lehigh/Carbon Community College (LCCC).

Ms. Porambo was honored in the past with "Teacher of the Year" award. She also teaches psychology to honor students receiving college credits while still attending high school. She authored the book "Professional Practice Concepts" and incorporates it into her nationally certified business/ethics class.

Of the many classes she has formulated, she developed a class on "Fibromyalgia" that she teaches nationally and is based on her extensive graduate research on the subject coupled with her many years of experience working with chronic pain patients.

Nancy is an approved provider for the National Certification Board for Massage & Bodywork. She is licensed in the State of Georgia to practice massage therapy. Recognizing the importance of licensing to establish educational and ethical standards for massage therapists, she spent 16 years pursuing licensure in the State of Pennsylvania. She recently saw her efforts come to fruition with the passage of HB2499 licensing massage therapy in Pennsylvania. Nancy was also elected recently to serve on the National Board of Directors of the American Massage Therapy Association.

Nancy is currently the past-President of the American Massage Therapy Association, PA Chapter. She is also the past-President of the PA Bodytherapy Association in PA.

Website: The Therapy Option, Inc.






Fibromyalgia - Demystifying the Unexplained Disorder!
12 CE Contact Hours

Every massage therapist and body worker needs to be informed about Fibromyalgia (FMS), a disorder that affects an estimated 6 million people in the United States!

Nancy has worked in the field of chronic pain for the past 20 years as a neuromuscular therapist and more recently, has incorporated psychotherapy into her chronic pain practice. During her graduate studies at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, she intensively researched and compared the etiology and treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

During her presentation, the student will gain a better understanding of the chemical functions and dynamics of the brain, and how sleep patterns and stress effect the body. She also gives the therapist a thorough overview of psychological disorders that may accompany a diagnosis of FMS.

Therapists who have taken Nancy's class have remarked how informative the class is in helping them to understand the disorder, from not only a physiological perspective, but from a psychological perspective as well, something massage therapy education rarely touches. Nancy goes in-depth regarding genetic and environmental variables that may contribute to the development and maintenance of FMS and she promotes a whole-body/mind teaching perspective that also looks at individual lifestyle, motivational levels and attitude.

Nancy completes her class with a review of the traditional versus alternative treatment methods used today and allows plenty of time for questions and answers. Students who have taken the class have remarked positively about Nancy's energetic and thorough teaching style and concise teaching techniques. This is a "must take" course for the massage therapist who seeks a deeper understanding of chronic pain conditions like FMS and treatment or for therapists who would like to learn new information about contributing factors that may lead a chronic pain condition to develop into a long-term, disabling disorder.