Dawn Hege

Dawn Hege

Massage Therapist

I enjoy working with individuals who are looking to improve their access to and knowledge of self care. Many people who are seeking ways to stay healthy find that we therapists make a great resource for learning more body awareness and the benefits of bodywork for staying active and feeling fully alive. I also like to focus on addressing compensatory issues that develop when people are recovering from injuries, surgery, or the demands of life! My years in the orthotics field prior to repurposing my skills and joining the massage therapy profession have helped me key in to the orthopedic and functional aspects of bodywork. If you bring me your knee to take care of, I will not only address muscular issues associated with the knee, but I’ll address the hip muscles that may be causing the issue in the first place. My work doesn’t stop at the knee and hip, I’m happy to keep you feeling your best from head to toe.
EDUCATION
  • 2013 – NC Massage Therapist Certificate – Body Therapy Institute
  • B.S. Zoology – North Carolina State University
  • B.S. Sports Medicine and Athletic Training – University of Connecticut
  • Certified Athletic Trainer. 1997 – present
  • Certified Orthotist. 2003 – present
  • apy rehab setting
CONTINUING EDUCATION
  • Medical Massage: Assessment and Treatment of The Cervical, Lumbar, and Pelvic Regions with Ralph Stevens. 21 CE hours.
  • Cupping Principles & Applications. 4 CE.
  • Acupressure: Top 10 Point Combinations
  • I-NMT- Neuromuscular techniques for Rotator Cuff/Upper Extremity with Treatment Planning. Bodywork Therapy Seminars. Instructor: Laura Landsiedel Ford
TESTIMONIALS

Dawn is a very compassionate healer who combines highly skilled hands, a perceptive mind, and physical therapy knowledge to provide immediate pain relief along with guidance towards long-term pain and impairment resolution. Through the art of medical massage and her related patient interactions, she assesses the underlying causes of muscular-skeletal issues and provides personal healing plans with appropriate home exercises and simple treatments such as heat or cold that people can undertake on their own. Dawn is as gentle or powerful with her touch as each situation dictates, dynamically adjusting her massage to suit the exact impact it is having at every instant. The professionals at Hand On Health in Cary have the slogan“Partners In Health. Partners In Healing”, Dawn is truly my partner is combating everything life sends my way.

~ John Yoakum

Dawn is highly skilled and very easy to interact with. When I first found Dawn, I had rather suddenly lost a lot of motion in my arm and could no longer reach behind my back. Having had mixed results with typical doctor-prescribed physical therapy for some past issues, I decided to try medical massage first. Dawn provided the best of both worlds with the pain relief and muscle conditioning from the hands-on work and recommendations on an expanding set of exercises as my treatment progressed. Today I have full use of my arm thanks to Dawn’s skill, encouragement, and guidance. I now turn to Dawn first for advice on any new muscular-skeletal issues that arise and trust Dawn to recommend if some other medical visits or treatments are advisable.

~ Cindy Y.

Dawn Hege is phenomenal. I am so glad I found Dawn. I’ve been an athlete my entire life and this year I’ve been plagued with multiple injuries that foam rolling, PT and chiropractic can’t seem to improve. After three 90 minute sessions I am on the road to recovery. I had improvements after the first session, more improvement after the second and today was the third. Dawn has incredible knowledge of the body, biomechanics and musculature. She knows what’s she’s doing! I highly recommend Dawn Hege!!

~ Victoria T on Yelp.

I came to Hands On Health seeking treatment for neck pain. Dawn Hege is a perfect example of what all LMBT’s should strive to be. In the months that I have visited Hands On Health (weekly), my doctor has noted continued improvement in the condition of my head, neck, and shoulders. He can see that my muscles are more relaxed. In fact, my appointments with him for trigger-point injections have been cut back from every other week to every third week. As a former UNC-CH faculty member, I trained primarily family practice MDs. Dawn’s keen clinical approach and professional work ethic is on par with the fine MD’s I trained. Personally, I think Dawn is fantastic! She manages to be professional at all times, yet, she is also warm, engaging, and funny!

~ Philip R. Diaz, Pharm.D.

Dawn Hege relieved my head and neck pain! 14 days of pain, today was my first without. Thanks Dawn & Hands On Health.

~ Ruth Vienneau

I have suffered from chronic neck and facial pain since the summer of 2010. After being referred t a neurologist, I received a diagnosis of cervical stenosis later that year. I consequently worked with the pain management clinic to alleviate my pain. I took pain meds to a while and saw only minor improvements. I was then referred to a spinal clinic where I received spinal injections for the pain. Again, I only received no to minor improvements. I was told that I had to adjust my life to a new normal… meaning almost no physical activity. Bean active person who ran, swam, and biked I was devastated. I refused to accept this and sought help from a chiropractor. After years of treatment, I was able to regain the ability to do normal activities like working at a desk, carrying groceries, driving, etc. which I resigned myself to accept as being enough for the following few years.

Then in January of 2017, I decided it wasn’t enough. I gave physical therapy a try. Again, this helped but only took me so far. I was able to walk long distances and do some light weight training, but running was still an issue. My physical therapist then suggested that I try medical massage therapist. After doing some research, I called Hands On Health and was referred to Dawn after describing my condition. After seeing Dawn for the last year, I can honestly say, it is the first time since 2010 that I go through periods of being totally pain free. I have been able to start running again for short distances and am no longer plagued with the feeling of a vice around my neck during physical activity. She has taken me to a level of physical well-being I didn’t think would be possible again. I am very thankful for her listening ear and through knowledge to get me to where I am today.

~Catherine D.

Dawn is fantastic! I travel internationally for work and seeing Dawn after a long trip is a life saver. She is able to find ways to loosen the tight muscles that restrict my day to day work. I’m forever grateful when I can see her in between trips.

~ P B on Google 

I was advised by a spine specialist at Duke to seek out medical massage for back issues and scoliosis associated issues. Dawn has worked miracles! She is extremely knowledgeable on anatomy associated with muscular pain, trigger points, proper techniques, identifying problem areas and working to correct them. I cannot say enough positive praises towards Dawn and her expertise. She is a gem! Additionally, the office staff and the facility are both A+ and I would highly recommend.

~ Jill L. on Google

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
  • 13 years as an Orthotist in the Orthotics and Prosthetics Field – fit custom orthopedic body braces and shoes