Monthly Challenge – Move Your Body

This months challenge is to get your body moving consistently throughout the ENTIRE day. This challenge is for those of you who are stuck in front of the computer, or perhaps you are moving throughout your work day, but your bodies biomechanics are put at risk. This challenge is also for those of us who find it tricky to get into a regular exercise routine or are wanting to add some extra movement into the week.

Getting motivated to move is half the battle, after that, you need to figure out read more

Deep Tissue Massage

 

Deep Tissue Massage

What is deep tissue massage? 

The term can encompass several different techniques such as trigger point therapy , myofascial release, shiatsu, and neuromuscular therapy to name a few. Therapists often apply deep pressure with their fingers, knuckles, forearms and elbows. The techniques should be performed with intention and at a slower pace.

With these techniques, not only are the superficial body structures addressed, but the therapist also accesses deeper structures of read more

Proper Workstation Ergonomics

Proper Workstation Ergonomics

An average working day is 8 hours long. For an office worker, the majority of that time is spent at a computer. With the advancement of technology, we are also spending our spare time interacting with screens. Poor ergonomics and lack of movement negatively impacts our body, from our muscles to our organs. Many people suffer from headaches, neck and shoulder pain, wrist and elbow pain, low back and leg pain….all from sitting too long in one position! What is even more intriguing, is that read more

5 Common Massage Therapy Techniques

5 common massage therapy techniques

Registered massage therapists here in British Columbia have been trained to use many diverse techniques. There are dozens of techniques to be learned and variations of each of them. As a therapist grows into their training, they typically drift towards the techniques that they feel to be the most effective for their practice. Therapists often combine several techniques within one treatment to address the concerns of their clients. For example, if a client presents with a swollen ankle, the read more

Breathe Like A Kid

Breathe Like A Kid

Breathing is a fairly simple act. You rarely need to think about it. You inhale in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide effortlessly from the moment you’re born. In fact, newborns are probably the best breathers out there. Infants and young children seem to effortlessly use their main muscle of respiration, the diaphragm. When you watch kids breathe, their little tummies move outwards when they inhale and move inwards when they exhale. This is because our diaphragm, which is a dome shaped read more

Top 3 Running Injuries and Treatments

Top 3 Running Injuries and Treatment

Running is one of the oldest and most rewarding sports. It’s relatively cheap to do and there are a variety of ways to run! You can run short distances, long distances, sprints, on treadmills, roads or trails.

There are many benefits to running, from burning calories and increasing your metabolism to cardiovascular health and strengthening your lower body muscles, and it elevates your mood and helps conquer stress.

Along with the vast benefits of running comes a risk of injuries, read more

Ask A Massage Therapist: When To Apply Heat or Ice?

When to Apply Heat or Ice to Muscles | Massage Therapy | Brentwood Bay BC

As a registered massage therapist, under certain circumstances, I will suggest that my patient(s) apply heat or ice after their treatment and/or between treatments. In response I often get asked, “Why heat?” or “Why ice?”. Let me explain.

Muscles have a range of motion, contracting and expanding. An unhealthy muscle loses its full range of motion due to injury, tension, stress, poor posture or a host of other reasons. Massage therapy in combination with home treatments, such as heat and read more