Covid-19
As many of you are already aware, restrictions were lifted earlier this week by our Provincial government for medical practitioners in healthcare fields such as Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, and Massage Therapy to allow us to reopen our practices. I will be slowly reopening my practice starting on June 8th.
...read more...
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degeneration of the vertebral discs is a natural process as a person ages. The discs undergo slow wear and tear over many years, as a side effect of normal daily stresses. As this process continues the size and shape of the discs change, the discs loose vertical height, therefore leading to less space between each vertebra. Though not always symptomatic, Degenerative Disc Disease(DDD) can cause acute or chronic pain.
...read more...
Does the Weather Make our Muscles Stiff?
It’s May 16th and the weather in the Kitchener, Waterloo has been miserable. We had a few weeks of warmish weather but now we are right back to cold and rainy. You might ask why a massage therapist would care about the weather. It’s been good for business, that’s why I care. Our muscles get tight and stiff, old pains come back to the surface, and new ones come out. When this happens, we need to see our massage therapist.
...read more...
Massage Therapists in Kitchener and Waterloo
You might have noticed that there are over 300 Registered Massage Therapists in the Kitchener- Waterloo area. This is due mainly to the fact that one of the major massage therapy schools, the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy is located in Kitchener. This high volume of massage therapists means higher competition between massage therapists. It also means higher levels of service for you, the massage therapy client. Your massage therapist needs to be good to stand out and attract clients.
...read more...
Epsom Salt Bath
Because of the high magnesium content, Epsom salts bath can be helpful any time you are suffering from muscle achiness or strain. Please set aside 40 minutes and run a full bath, the temperature of the water should be as hot as you can comfortably tolerate (though please do not exceed 40 degrees Celsius). Place the Epsom salt bath crystals into the water and spend at least 20 minutes soaking and relaxing. </br></br>
...read more...
Back Pain and How to Massage at Home
I have been treating back pain successfully since 2005. My first clients came to me because of back pain. Over the years, I have found that the overall outcome of massage therapy treatments for back pain has as much to do with the client as it does the massage therapist. The more a client is willing to do on their own, the better their recovery will be. If a client is willing to do the stretches, exercises, and other home care recommended by their massage therapist, they get better sooner.
...read more...
Tension Headaches
Your headache can leave you feeling helpless. You might be surprised to learn that there are things we can do to improve or prevent the crippling pain of a headache without the use of Tylenol, Advil, or other pain controlling medications. Regular stretching, exercise, and massage therapy can bring so much relief you would wonder why you never tried these simple ideas before.
...read more...
Governance of massage therapy in Ontario
Massage therapy is a regulated health profession. The College of Massage Therapist of Ontario (CMTO) is the governing board that oversees and regulates massage therapists in Ontario. If you have any questions related to the governance of massage therapy in Ontario, <a href="https://www.cmto.com/"</a> is a great resource.
...read more...
What is Deep Tissue Massage?
Deep Tissue massage is similar to the most common type of massage, Swedish massage, in that your therapist uses long, smooth, and kneading strokes to achieve healing changes in the body. The two forms of massage differ in that Deep Tissue massage aims to affect the deeper structures of the body and have a deeper level of healing. Deep Tissue massage is very effective in treating chronic muscle and connective tissue injuries.
...read more...
Trigger Points and Trigger Point Therapy
After studying and treating Trigger Points for many years, I describe them to my clients as a part of muscle that has become hyper-sensitive and irritable. Trigger Points are found in a tight or stiff band of muscle, and they can be found in muscles throughout the body. The following video shows me describing a Trigger Point to a client:
...read more...
Low Back Pain
Does Deep Tissue Massage Hurt?
Often Deep Tissue massage therapy will cause some tenderness when your massage therapist is working hard to work out the tension, scar tissue, and trigger points from your muscles and ligaments. And yes, sometimes you will feel a little stiffness the day after. Most often, this soreness is welcome relief as your therapist has the skill to pinpoint the source of your pain and work it out.
...read more...
What Can Deep Tissue Massage Therapy Treat
Deep tissue massage can treat man things, including:
...read more...
A New Way to Make a KW Massage Therapy Appointment
I am making another change to the way I do business. I have registered KWMassage for a CliniKo.com account. Cliniko will allow me to take appointments online, control my schedule, record clinical notes, write receipts for my services and do my bookkeeping all within the same software system. The only change you will notice is the online scheduler will look and operate a little different and hopefully you will get better service.
...read more...
Massage Therapy Music
I’m not the kind of massage therapist that plays nature sounds, new age music, or any of the other typical spa-type music for my clients while I’m working. My primary goal as a massage therapist is not relaxation; relaxation is a side effect of my style of therapy and sometimes sleep does come for some of my less rested clients. I’m more concerned with your muscular dysfunction; I don’t feel I need to play music that’s going to put you to sleep. This doesn’t mean I play punk or heavy metal; you’re likely to hear anything from jazz and classical to folk or blues music.
...read more...