Scheduling and a long overdue hello!

I just wanted to drop a quick note in here regarding my scheduling system. Its been a long time since I’ve done any blog post, and I am learning that I have a reputation of “the person you can’t ever get an appointment” or “booked a year in advance”. Its true that my morning schedule is booking about 8-9 months in advance, but I do add afternoon appointments about a month out once I know what my personal schedule looks like and how my energy is. This has worked rather well to keep my cancelation list manageable and be flexible for those clients that need to reschedule. Just shoot me a message or email if you can’t find something that suits and I’ll see what sort of magic we can make happen.

I hope that clears things up!

Biocell and why bother?

So one of the biggest problems I've encountered over the last couple years is too many patients and not enough Alicia. While I do everything I can to get people in as quickly as I can sometimes its not enough. Treatment is only 1 part of your health. The other is what you can do at home. 

Supplements are wonderful tools we use to make up for something lacking. We don't buy a car and expect to never change the oil or fuel filters. One of the key principles I follow in my practice is that Given the right tools, the body can take care of itself rather well. That means eating good quality food, drinking plenty of water (not coffee or tea, just water), and providing it with supplements when necessary. Powdered greens, protein, vitamins, and Biocell are my go-to's. I select ones that are easy to digest, bio-available (meaning your body recognizes the supplement on a molecular level), and tastes good. Promasil protein (from GNC) I like because it mixes so smooth with water and my current greens are VegeGreens (from Popeyes). My vitamins fluctuate as I need according to a Live Blood Cell Analysis (feel free to contact me about this further). My new favourite is Biocell, a mix of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin with a dark fruits base. Wonderful for rebuilding connective tissues, cartilages, repairing damaged skin, and improving the health of your fascia. 

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions about what is right for you. Sometimes this is something you can be proactive about while waiting to get in for an appointment. 

Student Massages

One of the beautiful things about having a massage therapy practice is the ability to help the up and coming massage therapists. A student clinic is the best way for therapists in school to see how a clinic runs, see different people and how different conditions present. As it is said, real life is not like the textbooks. Or the movies...

If you are interested in being a body for students to practice on feel free to inquire as these are not available through the online booking calendar. They are, however, only open to existing clients  at this time. 

Supplements...

Oh boy, what a huge topic this is. And a confusing one. 

There are so many things a person can take to influence their health; proteins, greens, fats, ketones, vitamins, the list goes on and on. The challenge is knowing what to take, when to take it, how do you know if its working.

My golden rule is if you can get it through your diet that is best. But I'm not about to stand over a stove for 2 days making bone broth soup for its collagen, or eat pounds of spinach for my greens, or massive amounts of fish for its clean protein just to meet the bare minimums. Fasting is a great way to get yourself into ketosis though this seems to work better intermittently. So this is where supplements come into play. If you can't get it through your diet, if your body needs more than you can consume, you need to support your body's needs with supplementation. 

Quality, get the best you can afford. Good quality supplements are more bio-compatable with your body, have less by-product for your system to filter out and are typically more potent and reliable. If you're not sure, ask a reputable professional like your naturopath, doctor, etc. In this day of online shopping we are no longer restricted to just what is available at our local shops. 

Pay attention to your body, if your instincts say you feel better taking something, then you're probably right. Stick with something, it takes time to replenish a body's stores of nutrients before most external symptoms are seen. Notice the small changes, while the pain may be marginally better maybe the knee that used to click all the time doesn't. Maybe your daytime energy isn't quite there yet but you can fall asleep better. Don't give up right away, it took time to deplete your body, it won't refuel immediately. 

Sometimes talking to a nutritionist or naturopath is the best first step. Having a live blood cell analysis done is one way to see how healthy your body is and where it needs help. Doing this in conjunction with your medical tests can paint a much clearer picture of your overall health. Our goals as health professionals is always to help you become the healthiest you possibly could be. 

What can I do at home?

Clients are always asking "What do I do until next time?" and I love this question. 

Everyone's case is so unique it is impossible to give a "standard set" of exercises or suggestions, there are however, certain things that provide general benefit to most of the population. 

1. Pay attention to your body. Note the subtle changes and ask yourself, what was different in the last 24 hours? The last week? The last month?  Is it consistent? Is this a positive change? Putting together layers of information makes figuring out the underlying issue possible. 

2. Stay Mobile. Keep moving with respect to your body. If you can't walk then bike, stretch, do seated exercises, etc. Be creative but keep moving. Pay attention to How you move; are your feet straight? Do your knees buckle when you stand? Focus on your basic mechanics and train your body to execute proper mechanics. The body wants to be healthy and move correctly, sometimes you have to help it. Meeting with a trainer, doing yoga, videoing yourself are all ways of doing so. 

3. Try new things. Make small changes. Keep track. Part of preventing a problem is identifying your triggers. If you cut out bread, how do you feel? If you add green veggies what does the body do? Do you sleep better if you read a book instead of a screen? Maybe there is a pattern and maybe there isn't, each tells us something. Be honest and truthful with yourself as you discover what works for you. 

These are all things your therapist cannot do for you, your massage therapist is limited by the information you provide and what you do in-between appointments. Getting healthy is a journey, it takes time, experimentation and a team to progress. You never know what you may discover along the way. 

The Protocol Presentation is completed!!!

So there haven't been many posts on here lately as I've been elbows deep trying to write a presentation, not my strength. Ok so talking is, but an organized presentation with a time limit? Not so much. 

Needless to say the day arrived last Saturday and the presentation was given. I surprised myself and it was actually a lot of fun! I meditated and hit the gym hard the morning of and night before to burn off any physical energy, took some ketones and was on a roll. I had a fantastic jury who were interested and positive, with great suggestions and ideas. So I am officially a 'Thesis writer" now. There are a few minor revisions that have to happen, another approval and then the data collection can start. I am super excited to see what sorts of injuries my fellow riders suffer with!

As with any large endeavour there are many people to thank along the way. My thesis advisor for volunteering, my parents for taking care of the horses at home, my brother for checking on the house. Colleagues for a great evening before the trip, getting grounded with such a great group of people is a necessity. Gratitude is the key to any success, I am very grateful to all those who helped. 

Bladder problems...

Bladder health covers a range of issues. Changes in frequency, small volume, pressure and initiation changes, bed wetting as well as control can all be a result of a bio-mechanical issues putting too much pressure on the bladder. 

Poor bladder control is not something one needs to live with. Many bladder control issues can be helped by proper management of abdominal muscle tone, pelvic floor tone, bladder position, diaphragm function and movement and adhesions in the abdominal wall. Many people come to me believing their bladder problems are not a problem, its "just because I'm old" or "these things happen". These theories get thrown out when I see bladder control issues in all ages.

Please don't feel that just because many people have a symptom that its healthy or normal. Common? Yes. Normal?? I don't think so. 

Osteopathy...

Osteopathy has become a very popular word in the last few years. I am constantly hearing about people seeing their osteopaths. Part of me wants to be ecstatic about that, it is a beautiful art and it is growing, both are wonderful. The other part of me is frustrated. I know most of the therapists these people are seeing and most are not osteopaths. I, like most of my colleagues, are students of osteopathy. Not graduated Osteopaths. Some of us are in classes, some of us are writing protocols or theses. Only a few (literally, 3) in Manitoba have finished their thesis, defended it and received that hard earned piece of paper stating they are an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner. You will know your therapist is a graduated practitioner by the DOMP behind their name. If there is no DOMP behind their name they have not graduated from the CCO or the CEO and do not meet the high expectations of these schools. Some may say "Thesis Writer", "Protocol Writer" or "Student of Osteopathy", all of which are student designations. 

 I am a massage therapist. I am proud of my foundation. Massage therapy taught me so much, how one can stretch a hamstring to change pelvic movement, how to see where a body gets stuck, how appropriate touch can reduce stress and provide a connection that all humans need. It taught me to care and to show people how to take care. Massage therapy types and styles are diverse and vast, therapists can take extra training and courses in any area they feel weak in, are curious about, or they feel will benefit their patients. Fascia work, joint mobility, somatic work and hydrotherapy are all pieces of the massage therapy toolbox. 

Please don't mis-represent us. That paper is hard to earn and throwing around phrases like "I see an osteo" or "my osteopath said" misrepresents the profession, your therapists background profession and the reward at the end of the process. Once we've presented the thesis and received our final paperworks we will be more than happy to be called Osteopathic Manual Practitioners but until then, please let us be students. 

Scars and what they do...

So you've had a procedure that ended with a scar. Its healed and now you're good to go right? Almost, but not quite. 

The purpose of a scar is to hold things together. Great, that's exactly what we want, when we've been cut/torn the goal is to stick the edges back together. The thing about scars is they don't ever stop holding things together. Like tree roots they just keep growing, they don't care what they attach too or grow around. The fibres are relatively sticky and binding. Scars will stick the incision edges together and then the surrounding fascias, the organs and other structures too. Over time scars can create pulls and restrictions to proper movement. This is especially key when a scar starts to pull a non-weight bearing structure into a position that causes pressure on it. Example, Caesarean or heart surgery scars. 

Having these scars treated and gently unwound as well as self treating is key to freeing the fascias and structures up. 

Castor oil has a unique ability to soften scar tissue below the skin surface, allowing the scar to slide and behave like the surrounding tissues. Cover the scar with oil, cover with plastic and a heat source. The plastic protects materials from the oil and ensures better absorption, a hot water bottle is ideal as a heat source. Leave this on for 15-30 minutes and repeat daily. You don't need to rub it in, just let it absorb. 

Oh the Pain...

But it hurts over here...

This is something we hear and see often. A typical scenario? An area hurts. So we try heat, or ice, then pressure, or stretching. We push and pull on the area, trying anything to get rid of the pain. I think we've all been there at some point. Often, those things mentioned above do the trick, a day or two later the area is better. 

But what about when those things don't work? A joint is painful, irritated, inflamed, but it moves normally.. This is the thing that used to drive me crazy in my early years as a massage therapist and prior as a patient. How can something that moves normally, fully, seems healthy, have these symptoms?? It made no logical sense.

We start by cross-referencing a pain pattern with referral pain areas, movement restrictions, patient history, minor symptoms and little details. We figure out if the pain is local or secondary.

Often the body functions like a moving party, there's usually one person who only picks the lightest boxes, takes more breaks and eats the most pizza. All the others who are doing extra work can't help but complain. Its the same in the body, when one area of the body isn't doing its job, other areas that have to pick up the slack start to complain. The complaints are registered as Pain. 

So when something hurts, take a moment to check all its neighbouring areas, joints, opposite limbs and other end of the spine. Does something feel stuck, restricted or have an old injury to it? Take a few moments to stretch these tissues and areas, very gently of course, as see if that changes anything about the pain. Even if the problem isn't there you will give your body a way of adapting until you can get treated.