Don’t Say the ‘A’ Word!

When doctors diagnose you with Arthritis, the majority of people will have something like this go through their head: “I can’t do as much anymore” or “I’m getting too old”. What people don’t realize is that everyone, at some point in their life, will be diagnosed with Arthritis of some kind.

Gravity puts a lot of pressure on your joints and bones and this will cause wear and tear after a certain amount of time. The most important thing you can do if you are diagnosed or fear to get arthritis is to take good care of your body. Be educated! Exercise and stretch! By being healthy and doing these things, you can help your body last longer, remove some of that extra stress on your bones and decrease the pain that you may be in.

Massage can also help! It relaxes your muscles, which takes stress off of your joints. It also can help you maintain range of motion in your joints if you already suffer from arthritis. Keeping mobility is very important for an arthritis sufferer. Teaching home care is also important and done during treatments to maintain healthy tissues.

Don’t fear Arthritis, get educated! Book a massage today!

The Art of Breathing

Stress and pain can have a deep impact on a person’s life and health. Breathing is a huge part of dealing with life’s wicked ways, but many people do not know how to breathe properly. Neck muscles are tight, shoulders are at the ears, and muscles are tense and ache. This can all impact your breathing and cause you to be taking shorter breaths than you should. Most people breathe shallowly through their upper chest so it’s no wonder they are achy and can’t seem to relax. A deep breath in through your nose starting at your stomach, filling the sides of your ribs and your upper chest can go a long way in helping you drop those shoulders and relax those muscles. Deep diaphragmatic breathing can help reduce stress and manage pain. Remember to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Practice doing this technique at home while either sitting or lying down and place one hand on your stomach and one on your upper chest to help you with the rhythm. Next time your massage therapist is working on a tight and achy muscle, incorporate this technique into your regular treatments. It will help you manage the pain and keep you relaxed throughout your treatment.

COVID-19 Update

Due to the State of Emergency announced in Waterloo Region this past week and the mandate put forth by PHA and my governing college (CMTO), I will be temporarily keeping my Massage Therapy Clinic closed at this time. As I am unsure as to when it will be safe to reopen, I will be contacting clients on a weekly basis who have an upcoming appointment to cancel their treatments and will be placing them on a rebook list for when this outbreak has passed.