Massage Therapy
WE ARE HIRING!
Registered Massage Therapist (RMT)
A post both here on our website and on our facebook page will be made when this treatment becomes available at our clinic.
If you are a registered massage therapist and you wish to apply, please send your resume to wellness@grantphysio.ca addressed to Alex and/or Taylor.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
What is Massage Therapy?
What is Massage Therapy?
Massage therapy is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, specifically, the muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and joints for the purpose of optimizing health. In Ontario, massage therapy treatments are provided by a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT). Massage therapy helps to increase relaxation and reduce muscle tension to improve your overall well-being. It also has therapeutic effects on the body to alleviate musculoskeletal disorders associated with everyday stress, mental distress, repetitive muscular overuse and chronic pain syndromes. If applied early enough, such as post-surgery or after accidents involving trauma and injury, massage therapy can help to relieve or prevent physical dysfunction and pain. Regular massage treatment is also beneficial for your preventative care and health maintenance.
The Benefits of Massage Therapy
The Benefits of Massage Therapy
· Increase muscle flexibility
· Increase joint mobility
· Alleviate or prevent pain
· Better body posture
· Relieve or prevent physical dysfunction
· Improve recovery of soft tissue injuries
· Improve circulation
· Improve lymphatic drainage
· Increase relaxation
· Reduce anxiety, stress and depression
Risks of Massage
Most people can benefit from massage. However, massage may not be appropriate if you have:
- Bleeding disorders or take blood-thinning medication
- Burns or healing wounds
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Infections
- Broken bones (fractures)
- Severe osteoporosis
- A very low platelet count (severe thrombocytopenia)
Discuss the pros and cons of massage with your doctor, especially if you are pregnant or if you have cancer or unexplained pain.
Some forms of massage can leave you feeling a bit sore the next day. But massage shouldn't ordinarily be painful or uncomfortable. If any part of your massage doesn't feel right or is painful, speak up right away. Most serious problems come from too much pressure during massage.
Massage therapy is beneficial to many conditions, including but not limited to the following:
Massage therapy is beneficial to many conditions, including but not limited to the following:
Questions and Answers of Massage Therapy
Questions and Answers of Massage Therapy
Q: Does massage therapy hurt?
A: Generally, massages are not supposed to be painful therapy. However, as with many treatments affecting the soft tissue, there are times that certain types of massage therapy, such as deep tissue massage, are more likely to cause post-massage muscle soreness. Deep tissue massage can stimulate those muscles that you may not use recently. Just as you may feel sore after an intensive workout, you might experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This can happen if your muscles haven’t get used to massage or there is lactic buildup in those muscles of your body. Just like exercise, it takes time for your muscles to get used to being manipulated in certain ways.
Treatment will be provided only after the RMT discussing it with the client and obtaining their consents. Your massage therapist will check in with you during the treatment to ensure it is within your comfort level. You can always withdraw or change the treatment at any time and the RMT will modify the treatment plan to meet your needs.
Q: Do I have to remove all of my clothing?
A: No. Your comfort as a client is of the utmost to all registered massage therapist. RMT can provide treatment whether you decide to remove any, some or all of your clothing. All RMTs are trained professionally in proper draping procedures to ensure that your privacy is completely respected at all times during treatment. Your comfort and ability to relax is very important to an effective treatment. Certain sensitive areas of the body such as Buttocks, breast, chest and groin area will be required for your specific written consent before the treatment.
Q: How often should I have massage therapy?
A: It will depend on the client’s individual needs and goals. If pain management is the goal for your massage therapy, you will need an individualized frequency and technique because each individual’s injury and pain of body parts varies. For athletes, you may want massage therapy as frequently as needed according to the specific sports you are in. If your main goal is to reduce stress that you currently have in life, one treatment may be enough. Therefore, we highly recommend to discuss your treatment goals with your massage therapist. Through mutual discussion, your RMT can help you establish a treatment plan to fit your needs.
Q: What happens on the first visit?
A: On the first visit, you will complete a detailed confidential health history as part of your assessment. This is important as it helps your massage therapy to get an overall picture of your current health to design an appropriate treatment plan to ensure it is right for you. If a massage therapist determines that your condition would be better treated by another healthcare professional, they will make the appropriate referral.
Q: Who pays for massage therapy?
A: Massage therapy is not publicly funded by the government in Ontario. Individual clients, either directly or through an insurance plan, pay for massage therapy services. Some insurance plans may require a physician’s referral prior to the start of massage therapy treatments while others allow treatment without referrals. Most plans have a maximum amount available. Please consult with your extended health benefit plan. Currently, massage therapists are one of the only health professionals required to collect and remit the harmonized sales tax (HST). Clients will be informed that taxes will be charged in addition to their massage therapy services fees.
Acupuncture and adjunct Modalities
Acupuncture and adjunct Modalities
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncture?
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncture?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient medical and wellness system originated in China for over thousands of years. It has been used not only to treat acute and chronic diseases, but also has been applied broadly for health and wellness to prevent diseases. The foundations of the TCM are Yin Yang balance, Wu Xing (five elements), Jing Luo (meridians and collaterals) and Zang fu (internal organs) theories. TCM Acupuncture is a modality using very fine needles to insert through skin to specific acupuncture points on the body. It helps to regulate Qi, which is the flow of energy, in the meridians and internal organs to improve physiological functions.
Does TCM Acupuncture hurt? Is it safe?
Does TCM Acupuncture hurt? Is it safe?
Acupuncture needles are very fine; the gauges commonly vary from 0.12mm to 0.50mm. Generally, needle insertion should not be painful. Most of the time, patient may feel like a mild pricking sense from a mosquito bite. After needle insertion, each patient can experience different sensations. Some clients may feel heaviness, distention, others might have warmth, tight or tingling sensation. These are considered as the “De Qi” response. If any discomfort arises during the treatment, patient should inform the practitioner immediately.
Acupuncture may also benefit conditions such as:
TCM Acupuncture can treat a variety of diseases and disorders. It also can be used for individual’s health and wellness maintenance. The World Health Organization (WHO) published a list of over 40 health conditions that were proven to respond to TCM Acupuncture treatment. Current science and researches also have shown that acupuncture can effectively treat conditions such as: allergies, adverse reactions to chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer patients, infertility and overdue labor induction, etc. Conditions that can be treated through TCM Acupuncture include but not limited to the followings:
| System Disorders | Examples |
| Respiratory System | Common cold, acute rhinitis/sinusitis, bronchial asthma, etc. |
| Digestive System | Constipation, diarrhea, gastritis, hiccough, etc. |
| Mental-Emotional | Anxiety, insomnia, stress, depression, etc. |
| Neurological System | Headache, Facial palsy, peripheral neuropathies, etc. |
| Musculoskeletal (MSK) | TMJ disorder, paresis following a stroke, etc. |
| Pain Disorders | Low-back pain, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, sciatica, etc. |
| Eye Disorders | Myopia in children, acute conjunctivitis, etc. |
| Gynecological | Dysmenorrhea, menopause syndrome, menorrhagia, etc. |
Reproduction System | Infertility, nocturnal emission, sexual dysfunction, etc. |
Are there any risks of TCM Acupuncture?
Are there any risks of TCM Acupuncture?
TCM Acupuncture is a relatively safe technique performed by competent licensed acupuncturists or traditional Chinese practitioners. Nowadays, single-use disposable needles are the professional practice standard, so the risk of infection is minimal. Although it is relatively safe, acupuncture is not for everyone. Please consult with your registered acupuncturist or traditional Chinese medicine practitioner before receiving treatment. There are certain circumstances require specific precautions.
· Bleeding disorders or if you are on blood thinner medications: it could potentially increase the risk of bleeding near the acupuncture points area.
· Current infectious diseases: acupuncture is not recommended.
· Pregnancy: some acupuncture points are contraindicated for pregnant clients because it could stimulate labor and increase the risk of premature child birth.
· Alcohol or drug intoxication: No alcohol or drug use before and after treatment.
· Extreme frailty: Individuals with a weak body constitution after prolonged chronic illness might not tolerate acupuncture stimulation. It is not recommended to take acupuncture treatment under this condition.
How long shall I book for my appointment?
TCM assessment and diagnosis are based on a thorough intake by using four major methods: health history intake, observations, pulse and tongue diagnosis. For acupuncture treatment, it typically takes 15 to 30 minutes to manipulate needles on the acupuncture points and another 30 to 60 minutes of retaining the needles after insertion. Therefore, for the initial visit, we recommend a 75mins appointment so that you can get a thorough intake and assessment following with a treatment. The follow-up appointments will be based on the initial assessment and patient’s goal for treatment. It usually varies from 45minutes to 60minutes.
How many treatments will I need?
How many treatments will I need?
The treatment plan will depend on the nature and severity of your chief complaint, each treatment duration and your general health constitution. For some acute disorders, you might need only one single treatment; some conditions might get resolved through 4-6 treatments, while other chronic conditions you may need over fifteen treatments to see the results. Hence, please consult with our acupuncturist for more details.
What is Cupping Therapy?
What is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy is an adjunct traditional Chinese medicine modality using cups on the skin to create a vacuum suction. The purpose is to disperse stagnated Qi or Blood stasis and draw them to the body surface. In ancient China, cupping was originally applied by using bamboo jars. Nowadays, cups are generally made of glass, plastic or silicon materials. Firing cupping uses glass cups by lighting a small flame to create a better suction. Side effects of cupping are considered very mild. Following cupping therapy, you may see red, purple or dark purple dots on the cupping area. They usually disappear within 7 to 10 days and skin colour will return to normal.
Cupping therapy is proven to benefit various conditions. It helps to reduce muscle resting tension, relieve pain and improve the range of motion of joint movements. In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying: “Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, the pain will be alleviated”. In addition, facial cupping now is popular and commonly used in facial esthetic to rejuvenate facial energy for anti-aging.
What is Tui Na Therapy?
What is Tui Na Therapy?
In Chinese words, “Tui” literallymeans “to push (推)” and “Na” means “to grasp (拿)”. Tui Na therapy is a traditional Chinese massage therapy that has been used for over 2,000 years. It is based on the Jing Luo (meridians and collaterals) theory and acupuncture points. Tui Na therapy combines with acupressure can facilitate the flow of Qi and improve Blood circulation along the meridians of the body. Therefore, it helps to balance Yin and Yang and internal organs to improve their physiological functions.
Tui Na is commonly applied to treat musculoskeletal disorders such as neck pain, low back pain, headache. It is also beneficial for patients with constipation, insomnia and stress. In China, pediatric Tui Na is very popular and helps to treat children’s digestive and respiratory disorders. For example, food stagnation, diarrhea, constipation, allergies and asthma, etc.
What is Gua Sha?
What is Gua Sha?
Gua Sha is an ancient TCM technique using a tool (usually made of jade, water buffalo’s horn or Chinese soup spoon) to scrape on the skin to create red or bruised marks. Gua literally means “to scrape (刮)” and Sha means “skin petechiae (痧)”.
Gua Sha treatment can improve the blood circulation to treat various conditions such as chronic pain, muscle tension, heat stroke, high fever and common cold. It is believed that by bringing heat to specific areas of the body, Gua Sha releases the excess heat and toxins through the surface. Gua Sha is also applied to remove the blocked Qi or blood stasis to facilitate a free flow of the energy and to regulate the Zang Fu (visceral organ) functions. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, Qi flows in the body through meridians and collaterals. When there is a free flow of Qi, there is no pain; when there is stagnated Qi or Blood stasis, pain will exist.
What is Moxibustion?
Moxibustion is a form of traditional Chinese Medicine therapy which is applied by burning mugwort (moxa, a commonly used herb) to facilitate healing. The purpose of moxibustion is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow ofQi and therefore to maintain general health. There are two types of moxibustion: direct moxibustion and indirect moxibustion.
The direct moxibustion burns moxa directly on the skin and is divided into two sub-types: scarring and non-scarring moxibustion. For scarring moxibustion, the mugwort is placed directly on an acupuncture point, burned and remained on top of skin until it burns out completely. This procedure creates a scar on the skin. For non-scarring moxibustion, moxa is placed on an acupuncture point, burned and removed without burning the skin.
Indirect moxibustion includes several types. One type is to burn a moxa stick and hold it close to the acupuncture point for a few minutes until the area turns red. Another method burns moxa and put it on top of insulations such as ginger, salt or herbs, then remove moxa when it burns out. There is another type which combines acupuncture with moxibustion. A needle is firstly inserted into an acupuncture point and retained, then the tip of the needle is wrapped in moxa and burned. The moxa then is extinguished and the needle is removed.
What conditions do Moxibustion treat? Is it safe?
What conditions do Moxibustion treat? Is it safe?
In traditional Chinese medicine, moxibustion is used to treat individuals with a cold pattern or cold stagnation. The nature of the mugwort herb is considered as warm, burning of moxa is believed warm the meridians and collaterals to expel cold and disperse the blocked Qi. Moxibustion also has been used safely and successfully in pregnant patients to turn breech fetus into a normal head-down position prior to delivery.
Moxibustion therapy requires a ventilation facility in the treatment environment. The potential risks include allergies, burns, blisters and scarring on the skin. Indirect moxibustion is more commonly used to reduce the risk of burning. During the treatment, please inform your practitioner immediately if you experience a strong painful sensation.