Plantar Fasciitis is a tough lion to tame, especially if it has been roaring for a long time. Most often this condition is due to biomechanical changes in the foot that continue to get worse over time. The Plantar Fascia is thick connective tissue (fascia) which supports the arch on the bottom of the foot. [...]
Wow! Is it my imagination or are there a whole lot of pregnant folks in 2013 – is there something in the water? Haha! The expectations around Prenatal Massage are confusing at times. The list of what “not to do” is far greater than the list of specialty things “to do”. It is strange how [...]
When do we pay attention to our intuition? How do we know it’s real? It’s sometimes difficult to determine when our intuition is real or just wishful thinking, especially when we’re concerned that our emotions might influence it. I know my intuition is “on” when I get consistent proof of it. After taking a detailed [...]
Have you ever noticed the cautionary street signs close to retirement homes that indicate that senior citizens are likely to be crossing the street nearby all look the same? They depict a cane yielding hunched over grandpa-type who’s stance resembles an upright fetal position. It’s as if the aging process reverts us back to how [...]
I had my knee replaced in May last year and I’m still experiencing pain. I’m feeling discouraged and wondering if something went wrong with my procedure. The road to recovery is sometimes a little longer and bumpier than we have patience for, my friend. Of all joint replacements, knee patients often bounce back fairly quickly [...]
SCENARIO: You’ve commuted to the mountains for a day on the slopes and now the cushy warmth of your car’s seats beckons to your buttocks. SCENARIO: You’ve taken the long diving trek home for Christmas vacation and have enjoyed the luscious perk of warm leather seats for the whole 2 hour+ journey. How could either [...]
I’ve been recently diagnosed with elbow tendonitis. The pain is so bad I can barely lift my cup of coffee. Medications don’t seem to help. Can you? Tendonitis is not just inflammation in the area but also actual fraying of the tendon when the muscle is repetitively over-loaded & torn more often than it ought [...]
My daughter has been suffering with headaches and a painful jaw for the last 2 years since being in an MVA with me. She’s now 7 years old. Can you help? Most likely, yes! There are several factors to consider with your daughter’s case: the mechanism of the initial injury, how much she has grown [...]
I’m an avid golfer and so far this season I have been experiencing some strange acute low back pain when I putt, however I’m pain-free in my normal swing. Can you help? The biomechanics of an aggressive tee-off are decidedly different than the more gentle putting stroke, so I am sure it strikes you peculiar [...]
The frustrations of going from one specialist to another, explaining your story again and again can be overwhelming. The human body is a complicated network of inter-dependent systems and processes. Like dominos, when the balance in one area is tipped, another one is affected. Unfortunately, some of these imbalances are subtle and are not noticed [...]
The time to pull the plug on what you’ve been doing and try something new is determined by your level of “sick-and-tired-of-being-sick-and-tired-ness” which presents itself at the most inconvenient times. There’s never a really good time to get sick/sore, but it seems when we are sick/sore enough we FINALLY take the time, find the money [...]
Few people do. Rest assured that if your Extended Healthcare Benefits Package came in the form of a cashable bonus cheque, you’d waste no time running to the bank with it.The sad reality is that there is likely a minimum of $2,500 in benefits for massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, physiotherapy and foot orthotics UNUSED [...]
Massage therapy most definitely can help speed recovery on several levels. When a limb is casted many compensatory challenges occur: The opposite limb gets over-used; How the person holds or moves their body changes; Pain can increase tension in unaffected muscles; Sleep is disrupted due to pain or cumbersome splints or casts. Treating the body [...]
Osteoarthritis (AKA “arthritis”) is characterized by chronic degeneration of the cartilage of the joints which occurs through wear and tear over time. Most scientific journals would suggest that there is no way to repair cartilage and there is very little evidence to support regeneration attributed to supplements like glucosamine or shark cartilage. When a joint [...]
The effects of a groin injury are not limited to the groin. The groin muscle group is active throughout the entire gait cycle, never getting a rest since it assists in hip flexion/extension/adduction and works reciprocally in abduction. In chronic injury cases I often see a triad of strain and chronic repair between the groin, [...]
KNOW THE LAY OF THE LAND: The term “Registered” Massage Therapist (RMT) is a slight misnomer as there is no Canadian registration process or national regulatory body, leaving each province responsible for their own rules. The interpretation of the term in Canada is more around whether the therapist has: Met the required education requirements in [...]
I “tweaked” my groin and I’ve been self-doctoring with the things I know like icing, stretching, and reducing my work outs. Is there a “Golden Rule” on the timing of getting professional help? Sadly, there is no simple answer. I agree with your home doctoring approach for the most part however there are some more [...]
Firstly, let’s address the difference between these two styles of treatment. Traditional Swedish massage techniques are smooth and flowing, focussing on pressure and increasing circulation, flushing resident toxic waste from congested areas. Myofascial Release gives attention to areas of adhesion caused by inappropriate scarring from sudden injury, surgical intervention, or chronic occupational / recreational repetitive [...]
Blessings come in the most unexpected ways and the opportunities to learn life’s lessons are always around us, but do we take the time to learn? I was blessed to survive an MVA rollover recently that forced me to take a break from working. I made the choice to “lie around and heal” rather than [...]
A client came to me at her planned appointment time to share that she had whiplash from being rear-ended at 70km/hr in an MVA while she sat in her vehicle at a stoplight 28 hours earlier which caused her to hit the car in front of her. Her neck movement was very guarded and her [...]
