Make Art Not War 🎨

This April 15th on World Art Day, we honour the fine balance between the scientific process & the artful approach in which massage therapists can interpret a healing connection to the canvas that is your human body.  

UK Artist, Amber Griffiths has blown my mind with her anatomically minded approach to the classically traditional, textile craft of embroidery. Simply gorgeous. Find her instagram here.

Art nurtures our creativity & innovation & is what inspires us on the daily to keep kinesthetically exploring the layers of tissues enveloped by patterns of tension that disrupt & yet also, serve purpose.

Maria Doering is a local, multidisciplinary fine artist and printmaker with an intense focus on the human body. The piece above, entitled ‘cell soul & personalities’ stems from a curiosity of the body & soul, the intangible mind & the physical vessel of our bodies. Together they make us who we are. If we could visualize both, what would they look like? What would we find if we viewed our personalities, minds and souls through a microscope? What does confidence, ambition or courage look like on a cellular level? What is the cellular make up of a soul?

We share this kinetic, ‘hands-on’ art form with our community of clients whether that’s on a blog, social media post or of course, in the treatment room.  This allows us to share knowledge & engage with your curiousity about how you move, how you feel & how you posture yourself in the world. 

While art has the ability to reveal layers of awe & understanding, it can also lighten our minds’ perspective. We’ve thought very carefully about the art work on display in our clinic.

One of our colleagues & clients’ favourite pieces is this popsicle print by Teo Zirinis who has such a light-hearted, illustration approach that we couldn’t help but tuck it into this series.

The links between artistry & society help us find commonality, bridging connection despite differences in a world that perpetually divides.  There is a quiet exploration of artistic freedom that plugs us a little closer to a peaceful world & we want to help fuel the drive to that destination.  

Raija Jokinen is a Finnish artist whose work is focused on the everyday feelings, situations & thoughts we all have as well as the observation of the emotional & physical surrounding, including the body & mind. Incredibly dimensional & poetic. See more on their website.

While not a formally trained artist, maker Ali Harrison from Light + Paper (Toronto) has a flare for intricate paper cutting designs & we find her anatomy inspired line absolutely adorable.

The mysterious work of Kit Paulson forms impossibly fragile objects from glass. There’s an intricacy of glasswork here that just boggles the mind. See her Etsy account here.

It’s with this spirit in mind that we share a small, curation of pieces in the realm of the human mind, body & spirit.  We' hope you’ve enjoyed this small selection of art work from around the world & that it’s inspired a quiet moment of contemplation & appreciation for being alive, being in community as well as simply & sweetly being in the present moment.

Wellness at Work

One of our favourite ways to work is to meet people exactly where they are in life, both figuratively & literally. 

That is why you’ll often see our clinic team offering our massage therapy services off-site.  Meeting people at gyms, tradeshows & offices lets us connect with people in their spaces of work or play.  In particular, when we work in an office, it allows us to bring elements of comfort in people’s daily life that builds good will & fills up the well of feel-good energy.

In a post-pandemic world, it’s been trickier than expected for some employers to bring people back into the workplace.  For employees, working for 8+ hours, 5 days a week, may pass by more comfortably in the ambiance of their own personal space. Arguments have been made to support the need for workplace health programs following the pandemic more than ever. With such a large percentage of North Americans experiencing an increasingly sedentary lifestyle throughout the duration of the pandemic, we are seeing the decline of physical health at an all time high. Initiatives within the workplace could contribute positively for the working population. Wellness may seem like a luxury concept to emphasize at work, but for some it could be the difference between wanting to go to the office & wanting to stay home. 

We spend a huge chunk of our life working. It’s where most of us spend our days, where we find meaning or what we use as a means to give our life meaning. Working may simply be a gateway to fuel life’s adventures. Work is community & it is part of our economic landscape where we weave elements of culture, connection & change into the fabric of society.

Employers are already reformatting away from cold, cubicle settings. How as an employer do you rebrand the workplace to be where employees want to spend their time?  How do create a hospitable ambiance of productivity within your team? How to welcome back staff to the office in a way that makes them want to connect to their work, at work?

As one person, how to mould the time we have at work to the greater good of not just a company’s mandate but for ourselves? In an ideal world, we go to work as an opportunity to productively contribute to the service or product behind a company’s mandate, but what if you’re feeling torn between living at home to work versus living at work to work?

What can the individual do to contribute to their own workplace wellness? And what can their leadership do to support them? Wellness is part & parcel to our life’s work whether we give it an organized platform or not.  Making time for our wellness on an individual level prevents need for drastic health measures.  On a macro level at work, wellness policies can uplift & nurture a workforce in a way that prevents reactionary measures.  These wellness plans for work need to be accessible, of interest (catered to your team), & aligned. 

We would love for all work environments to bring a Massage Therapist on site; however, that might not be the place to start. Consider all the following before looking at your workplace’s ‘big picture’ wellness landscape.  What’s of most value to your team? What will engage on an individual level from a leadership perspective as well as to the company as a whole?

Wellness is not a modern idea & its concept seems universally understood & yet, not universally applicable. It means different things to different cultures not to mention, individuals & that should always be a reflection for the person & an opportunity for a place of work. A well designed & active workplace health program is not just good for community, it’s good for business.

Considering the thoughts above, what would you do to improve the wellness of your workplace? Would you invite wellness days into your space while welcoming all employees to participate? Would you encourage your team to think outside the box and plan outdoor or walking meetings? Your action could be the difference between a majority work-from-home office, and a wellness-activated workforce. Not sure where to begin? Get in touch. We offer workplace massage and wellness activations such as Pilates, yoga, and health fairs.

Read more about how we can add to a day at your workplace!

Mobility, Massage & Strengthening

a class series inspired by yoga, massage therapy & pilates

We’re coming up to the month of love & in celebration have organized a few therapeutic mobility classes to support a practice of ‘self-love’ in collaboration with our friends at Decathlon Dartmouth.

What to expect? A guided restorative approach to self massage, assisted stretch & gentle muscle activation to help support a well rounded exercise program or simply to help loosen tight tension patterns in your body. In a nutshell, these classes include a mix of stretching, self massage coaching & gentle activations techniques (think yoga &/or pilates on this last element). 

Tips: Dress as if you were attending a yoga class. Massage supplies/balls/rollers will be provided but do BROYM (bring your own yoga mat).

Who is offering? This February series is offered by a Registered Massage Therapist & Certified Yoga Instructor from Sore Spots Massage Therapy, Jamie Lynn Chediac.  

Who is this for? Every body that is capable of moving from a seated position on the floor to a standing position without pain &/or with relative ease.

Head to Toes Mobility Workshop

Happy feet are often the key to feeling better overall.  Here, we’ll work on foundational foot & ankle release work to bring balance & happiness from the ground up.  Expect alignment tips & tricks that translate to easier moving, buttery feeling joints from the toes to your nose. 

Restorative Core & Hip Mobility

A core & hips focused class that will give good medicine to a sore lower back, tight hips or anyone wanting to work on core strength & flexibility.  We’ll explore the relationship between our breathing muscles & hip flexors as well as work equally on our trunk awareness, strength & mobility. 

Head & Heart Workspace

This one’s for anyone wanting relief from chronic head, neck & shoulder tension.  We’ll stretch & strengthen to soothe & stabalize nagging pain patterns. Space will be given to show self massage guidance for the neck & shoulders particularly so you’ll have tools to take home for self care & treatment. 

honey, lemon, ginger

Winter months invariably bring us sniffles, coughs & colds. While all the preventative measures in the world will certainly help stave off cold & flu germs ~ it’s sometimes just an inevitable fact of life that the season’s germs get the best of us.

Are you physically achy or sore from a cold this past month?

Lately, in clinic we are seeing quite a few patients who lament of aches & pains associated with uncontrollable coughs that have stiffened their neck, clenched their back muscles & leave them weary with fatigue long after the cold or flu has fled their immune system.

Reclaiming your vitality after a particularly harsh wave of illness can seem slow-going. As massage therapists, we really empathize over the winter months with our patients who struggle to get back to neutral. Sometimes, the best we can offer is a reminder that the simplest remedies may prove to offer the best results.

Why honey, lemon, ginger?

An immune boosting trio of ginger, lemon, honey heated to a sipping tea soothes the throat. Each element of this concoction helps quiet the noisy symptoms of wheezing, sneezing & coughing.

We live in a world where we are fortunate enough to be able to source fresh ginger & lemon year round - so when you can, go fresh. Ginger has a myriad of benefits but is especially known for its anti-bacterial & microbial support. Lemon is packed with vitamin C & can help boost the immune response as well as loosen congestion. Adding honey to the mix will soothe &. calm an irritating cough reflex. Aim to support local farmers by sourcing your honey close to home. Not only is this ideal for our economy, some say that eating honey from local bees reduces our sensitivity to allergies.

Local bees collect their pollen from local plants. Let’s say your allergies are aggravated as a result of some of these same plants. Eating the honey that was made from that pollen may potentially fight those allergies. It’s the idea behind trace-exposure that’s being used by allergy specialists & various health care practitioners & it’s gaining traction. While there are not currently formal studies, you can find research regarding honey generally & its ability to reduce inflammation.

Precaution:

Honey is safe for children over 1 years of age. Children under 6 should not be given typical cough syrups, but honey can offer a soothing coating & is a tasty option for those young & old who are keen to soothe an irritated throat.

Recipe for a honey/lemon/ginger stew that will quell the crankiest of coughs…

• First, cut up 3-4 inches of ginger root and leave to simmer in a medium size pot on the stove. Keep covered.

• After about 5-10 minutes, add the juice of a ½ lemon & a tablespoon of honey.

• Stir & sip slowly throughout your day. This should serve you 3-4 mugs full.

• You can keep adding more water to your ‘tea’ pot and re-steep your ginger root to take full advantage of expressing the ginger root essence.

• Sometimes I will keep the same pot of ginger root on the stove for a few days at a time, continuously adding more ginger or re-steeping (simmering on a boil) for longer periods of time.

make our muscles melt, yes we can

Use our muscle melt to soothe & smooth out your sore spots with our easy gliding, absorbable & minty muscle rub.

Our sore spots muscle rub formulation makes our hearts sing & of course, our muscles melt!

We’ve artfully crafted & curated a blend of carrier & essential oils for you to relieve your own sore spots in the comfort of your own home.

We hope you enjoy this buttery blend of natural oils to melt into your tired & achy muscles.

Our base ingredients:

Oat Oil - Jojoba Oil - Cocoa Butter - Shea Butter – Beeswax

Oat oil ~ a carrier oil sourced from North America that’s incredible for the skin.  Oat oil is a wonderful hydrator, rich in antioxidants & a non-greasy finish when used alone.  I personally love the rich, nurturing-feel that this oat oil adds to our muscle melt.

Jojoba oil ~ technically classified as an actual ‘wax’, jojoba allows for a ‘sealing’ like action on the skin.  Jojoba also mimics the skin’s natural oil production which makes it a wise choice for anyone with oily skin concerns.

Cocoa Butter ~ helps to softly solidify our product & has been touted as a wonderful anti-aging, skin smoothing emollient.

Shea Butter ~ deeply nourishing. Shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties & is a gentle skin protector with a natural SPF of 4.

Beeswax ~ a small amount of beeswax is added to our product to slow down the application glide allowing for better workability. 

Our essential oils:

Camphor - Cajeput - Copaiba - Labrador Tea - Sweet Fern - Helichrysum - Rosemary - Juniper - Wintergreen - Clove - Peppermint - Tanacetum Annuum - Menthol

Camphor ~ this oil has a cool, clean & penetrating aroma that’s similar to menthol & is often used in other decongestant brands. 

Cajeput ~ a herbaceous, lemon-woodsy aroma that offers enhanced relief from muscle pain by way of it’s potential analgesic properties. 

Copaiba ~ this oil is distilled from it’s plants resin.  A very well researched oil for it’s therapeutic potential in arthritic pain relief, anti-microbial as well as anti-inflammatory benefits.

Labrador Tea ~ Farmed & distilled in Quebec. This oil helps calm & harmonize the nervous system as well as offering an earthy aroma supporting sinus relaxation.

Sweet Fern ~ Known to have an astringent quality which helps in the case of bruising. Our source farms & distills this oil in Grondines, Quebec. 

Helichrysum ~ a buttery scent that has been studied extensively.  Studies suggest anti-inflammatory properties that  may help muscle & joint inflammation when rubbed into the affected area.

Rosemary ~ celebrated for both it’s benefits to the body & mind, Rosemary has an earthy-sweet, herbaceous & lightly floral aroma. 

Juniper ~ a reputable anti-septic but in aromatherapy, this oil is believed to have a grounding & calming effect that can help balance emotions & support mental health.

Wintergreen ~  a sweet minty & warming woodsy aroma, wintergreen is thought to have an uplifting affect on mood.  Wintergreen is often included in muscle rub formulas for it’s ability to both numb painful areas while contributing to a sensation of warmth.

Clove ~ antimicrobial, clove may also relieve cough symptoms.  One of it’s chemical constituents, Eugenol is commonly used in dentistry for it’s analgesic effects.

Peppermint ~ known for it’s ability to relieve headache-like symptoms, digestive upset or soothe nausea.  Peppermint is a caffeine-free alternative to an afternoon pick-me-up for a little energy boost & enhanced focus.

Tanacetum Annuum ~ also known as blue tansy oil.  This is actually a little yellow flower that when distilled chemically releases a blue oil.  Skin & muscle soothing, we use a very small amount of blue tansy in our small batch formulations of the sore spots muscle melt.  

Menthol ~ a crystallized derivative of peppermint oil.  The menthol crystals help amplify the pain-numbing quality of all our other therapeutic-grade oils.

A PORTION OF OUR MUSCLE MELT PROCEEDS WILL GO TOWARDS THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF NS.

sore spots swag

Whatever it is that’s got you stressed, we want you to know that we are here to help & ’we can work it out’.  🙏 ✌🏽 💛

Literally & figuratively.  Stress at work? Lower back pain? Headaches?School stress? Postural pain? Emotional tension & grief? Feeling the weight of our community strife & hardship ~ seen & unseen? Tensions in life translate to what we feel in both the physical & emotional realm. Whether you follow the news closely or not, it’s also hard to not take pause on the worries of the world both locally & globally.

As it is with our work as massage therapists, we wanted to use our hands to delivery positive, supportive messaging that could be interpreted by anyone wearing this shirt.  It is our hope that this simple messaging easily amplifies mindsets for the better. 

We can all have a hand in contributing to a ‘we can work it out’ attitude. 

In this world these days, we wanted to offer a soft reminder about the good stuff & if our company can help balance the narrative of tension in everyone’s everyday…..than I’m good with that. 

About the design & designer

A very special thanks to our dear friend & artist, Anna Ramsay with whom brought our ideas of positive messaging to life with these hand-drawn, hand gestures. Anna is an artist, mom & skillfully creative in so many ways that I lack capacity to describe in written form.

For now, I will link to all her professional endeavours so that you may have a chance to chase for her bespoke arts.

Anna & family deep in botanical meditation: www.haomaselections.com

Anna & partner creating timeless functional pottery: www.ramsayceramics.ca/info

Anna’s direct Etsy site for cards & crafts: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ramsaystudio

We truly hope these ‘we can work it out’ tees gesture a message that resonates with you.  Simply put, this ‘catch-all’ motivational phrase could be applied to many areas of life. 

These shirts could be for ‘working out’ as well as a casual addition to your lounge or work wear.  Our tees are lightly branded with 4 hand signs that speak for themselves.

More about these shirts!

Our blue & pink models sport a crew neck, a side-seamed & modern fit. This tee is crafted from exceptionally soft & lightweight, proprietary triblend fabric, offering unparalleled smoothness and comfort. These casual tees offer a luxurious look and feel.

Fabric: 50% polyester, 25% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 25% rayon & 3.8 oz. These BELLA+CANVAS shirts offer us a standard of quality that’s built upon a foundation of respect for both people and planet. This starts with a supply chain we can trust. We are keen to use suppliers that promote transparancy and ethical practices in their chain of production.

Our white tees are a cotton base & have a relaxed streetwear vibe with a heavier weight allure.

Built to last & easy to maintain. Exceptionally durable, designed to retain its size and shape even after countless machine washes.

We have small, medium & large.

Staff Inservice

Earlier this month, we closed down for one day to enjoy a learning day between our team & community partners. We’ve got so much good stuff to unpack for you from that day.

Quick ‘behind the scenes’ video montage of the day. We infused play moments by crowning Chareen ‘Head of Barefoot Pickeruper’ & Nick, ‘King of Massage Percussion’.   Plus a quick visit from our newest little ‘sore spot’, baby Willow (we miss you Grace ❤️).

The day started with puppy snuggles (see montage video below) & learning from Speech Therapist, Pam Coulter from Shoreline Therapy in the lake banook area.  We chatted about everything from laryngeal (basically, your throat) massage to how speech issues relate to neck pain or show up as result of neck pain. We are also seeing some voice, neck, chest & back pain issues show up long after something like a chronic cough may be remedied.

In the afternoon, we had a visit from Halifax Kids Physio Group (KPG) to talk about physiotherapy & massage for children. There is a dynamic demand for paediatric physiotherapy in Nova Scotia. Often an under serviced age group, we are treating more & more kids with massage & physiotherapy. KPG sees a variety of babies (i.e. torticollis), young athletes, disability as well as general growth & development support. Similar to our work here at Sore Spots, their group is helping to close the gap of physical therapy care needed for younger ages in our province.

Ear seeds promote relaxation & comfort. They’re a form of acupuncture & Veronica often uses them when treating kids.

Continuing on the youth care theme, we had an informative talk with our resident Acupuncturist, Veronica Tomlin about Acupuncture for Kids. Kids benefit from acupuncture much in the same way adults do & it can be a useful adjunct therapy in helping soothe the stress response, enhance mental focus & balance energy. The approach, similar to massage therapy & physio is very much adapted to the child, their attention span, interests & goals for care.

The day ended with an informative discussion led by Venus Envy Halifax that thoughtfully grew our appreciation & understanding of trauma informed care and gender journeys. As a community of practitioners here at Sore Spots, I can speak for everyone when I say when are striving to be gender sensitive & affirming for our community.

I’m so grateful to have these moments where our team can slow down & change up the working & learning dynamic. As a clinic, we try and have these types of inservice’s twice a year & host internal skill building a few times a month. The world of health care continues to evolve around us and as it does, so do we 💙.

Jaw-ful pain?

Does your jaw pop, click or grind? Do you have frequent headaches, neck pain or stiffness? Tooth aches? Ringing or pressure in your ears? Do you play a wind instrument?  History of anxiety or anxiety related disorders? 

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (aka joint disorders of the jaw) causing head, ear & neck pain have been plaguing humans for centuries. Hippocrates noted a relation between irregular & crowded teeth with headaches. His influence on jaw pain was so great, the Hippocratic Method is still used today in reducing jaw dislocations.[1] As the structures & soft tissues have evolved, so has our understanding of how to deal with associated pain patterns of the jaw.

Why has jaw structure evolved & changed globally?  

Theories include the advent of soft foods.  Essentially, softer foods = jaws don’t work as hard.  To explain, we look to ‘Wolff’s Law’ that says our bones are thicker & stronger over time to resist forces upon them. With less action, the jaw structure weakens. The dietary shift towards softer foods has gently ‘softened’ our need for a pronounced, wider jaw.  

Our narrowing facial features leave less space for sinuses and teeth. These evolutionary changes can contribute to an ecosystem of tightness from the neck up.

What can happen if jaw asymmetry goes unchecked?  

• One sided jaw imbalances can inflict issues on dental tissue & contribute to lock jaw or painful chewing & speaking.

• When one side of your jaw tightens it can over stretch or irritate joint capsule. These factors cause a joint to lose its integrity, which can be very difficult to self-correct.

Clenching issues? 

• Mindfulness around tension holding patterns helps alleviate daytime clenching stress. When noticing active clenching, lightly rest the tongue to the roof of your mouth. Allow your low jaw to soften towards your chest. Breathe gently, holding this jaw position to naturally unwind ashiness or tightness felt. This exercise is taken from a yogic form of breath work.

• Night time clenching should be managed with a well fitted bite plate from your dentist.  Bite plates act to protect our teeth but they can also prevent our jaw from tightening to a close-packed position. Sustained clenching can refer tightness from the muscles of the jaw to the joints of the jaw.  Overtime, this can lead to wear and tear on the joints, potentially translating into headaches, neck pain & general fatigue.

How can we help here at Sore Spots?

Our RMT approach may include deep tissue massage, fascial & point work to the muscles of the jaw, scalp & neck.  Your RMT may also suggest internal jaw work.  In this instance, your massage therapist will wear a latex glove to apply precise pressure work to the muscles that are best accessed from the inside aspect of the jaw. 

Other techniques we may use to treat is isolated hot &/or cold hydrotherapy, cupping, breathwork & vocalization of various sound patterns that can be helpful exercises to relieve stress and achiness in the area.  Massage therapy can help release jaw muscle tightness and joint compression by assisting with mechanical symmetry & to help improve the quality of movements.  

Acupuncture is another in house offering that works wonders for jaw tension, headaches & neck pain.  Other modalities we have suggested in the past for jaw pain include vocal coaching &/or speech therapy, hypnotherapy as well as physiotherapy.  If jaw pain is on your mind, book an appointment to help heal your mind, spirit & sore spots too.

[1] Oliphant, Key, Dawson, Chung (2009). Bilateral temporomandibular joint dislocation following pulmonary function testing: A case report and review of closed reduction techniques. National Library of Medicine. DOI: 10.1136/bcr.10.2008.1130

A meeting of minds

I was recently invited to speak at our provincial association’s gathering of Nova Scotia RMT’s for the semi-annual general meeting.  

Our massage therapy association – MTANS – organizes two annual meetings for its 1300+ active members.  The RMT community in Nova Scotia is fairly substantial. To compare, there are 880 Physiotherapists & just over 200 Chiropractors. During the meeting, I spoke to a crowd of 30 plus RMT’s & over 120 virtual attendees to field questions on best career-building practices for RMT’s. Coming to these meetings is such a lovely way to share & receive pearls of wisdom from other thought leaders in our profession.

I’m forever grateful to have been invited to the table to discuss. The dialogue that ensued from each of the panelists seemed to touch on some very parallel and organic themes such as the importance of community outreach, education and patient communication.  These themes became central to how all the participants viewed a successful, well-balanced approach to building a massage therapy practice.  

Here were the questions & some of what I answered. 

please describe for us how you built your massage therapy practice? 

In my case, I actually bought Sore Spots at its 6th year in business.  You would think as an established business, that my first month would be fairly booked up, but in fact in my first month of operation, I had only  five appointments pre-booked.  Imagine you bought a house, but could only stay in it five nights of the first month?  Albeit not quite an even comparison but you get the idea.  In any case, the early days had me scouting and installing various chair massage events to build up my personal name as an RMT and speaking to groups about the benefits of massage therapy.  There was a myriad of volunteer and networking events that occupied my ‘off’’ time and slowly but surely, I was able to find a sustainable balance of client intake.  Within six months, I realized I would do better to have an associate work with me (I personally prefer working within a team vs being a solo practitioner) and so began the journey of switching from a practice building focus to a business building focus.  The two are similar but the latter requires shifting the framework on how things operate in a clinic on multiple levels. Building a business for yourself is easy (so to speak), building a business for others, that is another animal in and of itself.   

In your practice building, what attitudes, or lessons you did you learn that you feel has contributed to created success?  What have you tried that you would not recommend or do again?

Early on, I worked fairly studiously, but I probably missed out on properly defining the values with which would be the foundation I would use to guide business focused decision making.

If I were to do it all over again, I would start with an evaluation of my mission and value set.  When faced with a problem or project, it is much easier to navigate solutions or frame steps forward if you can easily reference what matters most to you on a personal and professional level.  Now my personal mandate is to help as many people as I can and I realize I am bottlenecking that goal by only focusing on myself as a practitioner.  When I work with other massage therapists and help drive creative approaches that fuel their own treatments via skill building sessions, that in turn has a ripple effect on all the patients we treat.  Being a therapist centric clinic allows us as a whole to be more comprehensively, client centered.  

Our current values revolve around gratitude, creative collaboration and authentic communication.  Defining those values guide us in choosing the creative direction & projects that matter most within the framework of Sore Spots. When we look to troubleshoot a problem we can ask, how can I approach this opportunity to grow with appreciation? How do I respect both the art and science of bodywork? How can I hone and curate communication with respect that aims to give and receive honest dialogue and authentic support?  For me these values help guide treatments, trainings and balance our clinic flow and dynamics.

What is the single biggest piece of advice you have for anyone looking to build their practice?

Hands down, among the panelists; responses revolved around maintaining a growth mind-set as a practitioner. A growth mind-set might mean different things to different people, but being open minded & committed to life long learning via continuing education & mentorship were universal themes discussed.

When I first graduated from massage therapy, I always thought I would work in a multi-disciplinary clinic with a host of other complimentary providers – naturopaths, chiropractors etc.  – but as luck and timing would have it, I ended up in a little 164 sq foot boutique hotel-based clinic.  I started in a place that could not be more opposite to what I envisioned.  However, what became very clear to me early on is that when you truly love what you do, to a certain extent, the setting of your location doesn’t really matter too much.  Keeping an open mind with regards to where I would end up working early on lead to an unexpected work placement but in the end, that was a perfectly successful & fulfilling opportunity. When you bring your most curious, creative and caring self to the table, the work will always speak for itself.  To keep yourself in a state of keen curiosity that fuels consistent and connected treatments requires a commitment to growth, continued education and in my opinion creating a circle of mentorship around you.  That circle of mentorship may include those in our industry or in other business or community groups, but I believe when we share our expertise and listen to those around us, we deepen the collective circle of care.  Your mentors or colleagues need not be perfect or even expert in their arena of work but the act of collaboration, listening and brainstorming nourishes our professional perspectives.  We need not sensationalize any paradigm of care in particular or thought leaders, but rather use the ideas or techniques that best guide our individual way of connecting to the trail of tension in the body we are meant to provoke, disturb, connect and help heal.

The 5 W's of Wellness

Why should we consider our wellness a priority?

There are so many facet’s to wellness that make it impossible to write to all aspects without writing a small novel. In this piece, let’s focus on the physical as it is often the main point of convo when we are speaking with our clients in clinic. It may seem pretty basic, but being physical, like daily aerobic exercise or weight training actually changes our brain chemistry for the better by releasing feel good hormones.

For most people, being physical can reduce symptoms related anxiety & depression. The two are hand-in-hand. If you're struggling on an emotional level, it’s not always obvious on how to proceed forward & healing isn’t always linear so it’s nice to know that while, NOT a cure-all, getting outside for some fresh air or spending time in the gym can have a POSITIVE benefit for our bodies on a chemical level which can in turn impact the neural circuits in our brains for instant & long-term benefit.

What could go wrong if we always put our wellness last?

It can be tempting to let personal priorities like movement & fresh air activity fall by the wayside while attending to the needs of others or in the face of wave-like challenges that sometimes surface in life. There’s dialogue in the health community currently commenting that a sedentary lifestyle may be even worse for you than habitual smoking, ugh. Ignoring what we need on a physical or emotional level affects our enjoyment of life. Putting ourselves last too often can contribute to burn out & fatigue. There’s an expression that says…

In order to help ‘take care’ of others we have to first aim at ‘taking care’ of ourselves. EVERYONE is a ‘care-taker’ in our society. Perhaps for a child, parent, pet or partner, we ALL play care-taker roles. To take better care of the people we love, we have to start with ourself.

Why does prioritizing physical well-being help?

Prioritizing physical well-being is simply smart, PREVENTATIVE healthcare. The healthier we are physically, the more likely we are to maintain momentum as a healthy individual in our everyday, hopefully long-lived life. Many studies prove that physical exercise contributes to increased energy, improved self-esteem, greater strength, lowered risk of disease & improved digestive health. I know, it’s not rocket science, but sometimes we all need these reminders.

Intentional movement can improve attentiveness & productivity. Just like activity can jumpstart your metabolism, it can also rev up your mental focus. But what if I told you being physical could save you money? There's an economic advantage to prioritizing your physical well-being. There will always be a GOOD RETURN ON INVESTMENT when you make time to walk a little more, stretch often or fit mobility work into your schedule. This might look like fewer sick days or simply have a happier disposition that helps create a more harmonious life for you & those around you.

“Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what’s left of you ”

— Katie Reed.

Words of advice for your overall well-being, it would be this….move more, sit less.

The good news is that physical activity usually has immediate health benefits & cumulative long term gains. Small changes will always win over big. So start where you are, use what you have & keep it simple.

It can be tempting to go big when we feel motivated to shift our habits for the better but please do start with the simplest & easiest changes to your routine first. Often big changes or commitments, can set us up for burning out in reach for our goals, whereas small, bite size changes help reduce stress & offer incremental benefits. The reality is that sheer will power doesn’t really work for many people. Need more convincing? Lots of people subscribe to ‘Atomic Habits’ author, James Clear’s 1% theory around health habit formation.

Some ideas for starting small & helping healthier habits form sustainably:

• If you drive to work or school, try parking farther away so that you’re forced to walk an extra 5-10 minutes every day

• Or better yet, walk to work entirely if it’s a reasonable distance.

• Explore movements or activities you already enjoy or try a novel activity occasionally to try something new.

• Social supports like having a walking partner, running groups or regular workout classes add another layer of accountability.

• If you're keen on structure, organize your time for activity the way you would organize meetings at work or classes at school. Set a ‘physical meeting’ time up in your schedule even if it’s just for 5 minutes to stand up and stretch.

• If you sit a lot for school or work, try incorporating a stability ball at your desk to encourage an engaged posture to focus the body and mind.

Ultimately, ‘your best position, is your next position’ (full transparency, I stole this saying from a physiotherapist who works at a local hospital) meaning look to attentively change your posture every so often so as to avoid feeling overly rigid or fixed in your body. Frame your physical well-being as dimensionally as possible.

What can I do to prioritize my wellness, especially at work?

In my experience, no one is immune to some type of occupational strain & in experience, there is usually some type of ergonomic or self care work-a-round. Is your work hard on your body, mind, spirit? What can you do? Aim to avoid working at the expense of your body so that you still have energy & vitality remaining for your hobbies, family & at home life.

Look for ergonomic hacks wherever possible. Mentor with those in your industry who have maintained physical stamina & integrity as well as their career in equal measure. This type of mentorship is invaluable. Ensure that your working activities are not what conditions your body but that you are spending time conditioning your body to support your working & daily life activities.

If you are still feeling some work related fatigue or pain then do not hesitate to seek the expertise of one of our sore spots RMT’s. What’s your sore spot? We’re here to help!

A change of altitude. Hiking trip tips.

I have a Goldilocks sort of relationship with the weather, so for me the fall season provides that fine balance of those ‘not too hot’ & ‘not too cold’ temperatures that inspire cozier clothing, hot cups of tea & nights snuggled around an outdoor fire.  This season also motivates me to trip out to the forest more often in search of hiking experiences. 

Luckily, Nova Scotia is rich in offerings of local trails & paths curated for adventure by foot.  Walking in the forest offers a multitude of benefits for both the mind & body.  Fresh air, gentle movement & nature’s soundscape mobilizes our body & quell anxieties.  My best meditations happen while hiking in the woods.  Hiking provides an opportunity to disconnect from all of life’s moving parts, allowing time to journey through the woods invites an awareness of nature’s most basic elements.  There’s a myriad of studies out there to prove these points.   

Recently, I ventured the trail along the Chignecto coastline loop - 53km of backcountry paths bursting with cliffs, streams, rocky coastline & ocean views. 

Long distances have always appealed to me. I enjoy long-haul activities such as biking across provinces or training for ½ marathons.  I’m not an athlete, but with long-range, endurance-style activities I have a physical fascination that always gets me into exploring my limits, mentally just as equally as physically.  For me, there’s a layer of ‘flow’ that’s triggered at the 3rd or 4th hour that I love to curiously explore.

Chignecto is full of ups & downs, literally.  The hike itself is rated ‘difficult’ and throughout the 53kms one can expect to rise & fall for a total of 2400m of elevation gain throughout. 

The ups & downs of the trail that greet us on this hike are reminiscent of similar ebbs and flows in daily living.

As I tackle each switchback or mountain to climb, what kind of composure keeps me company? How does lightness find each footstep? And how do my most invasive thoughts travel with me?  With each step comes an invitation to be fully present in my body & mind.  Attentive & appreciative of what I am capable of experiencing in life.   

It was my 3rd time doing this loop, and this time we decided to complete it in a ‘leisurely’ 4 days instead of 3.  With pup & partner in tow, we were all tail wags starting out.  In recent years I would hear about friends doing Chignecto and with some inquisitive jealousy I would listen to their captivating stories.  After completing my first loop, this trail has become an obsession on how can I better travel into the wilderness.  The struggle of this hike is real….but also beautiful.  Training & planning for immersion into this type of trek should be well thought out, carefully considering supplies, nutrition & physicality.  

The sign at the start of the hike seems to tease slightly, indicating ‘It’s no walk in the park’.  This adventure has inspired me to curate a small list of ‘must bring’ suggestions & considerations for anyone who wants to explore the outdoors by foot. 

For long hikes, 1 hour+, here’s a small list of suggestions:

Weather ~ Keep it in mind & bring layers at the very minimum to your trailhead.  Here in NS, we can experience isolated pockets of weather that differ from the forecast in the area. A base layer (t-shirt or long sleeve), mid-layer (Fleece), and shell (a good rain jacket), are a great combo for fall in NS.

Proper footwear ~ Clearly, I’m biased but hiking & happiness go hand in hand….or rather foot in boot! Unless you’ve chosen poorly. On technical terrain, your sneakers might not cut it! Hiking shoes and boots offer more protection and support. They have tougher soles so you don’t feel sharp rocks and sticks, and they often have reinforced toe boxes so you don’t hurt yourself when you stub your toe. They also offer more ankle and heel support, especially mid-height boots. If you’re doing a trail with a lot of difficult and uneven terrain or elevation changes, this support can prevent you from getting injured while also extending the time you can hike without feeling strain. There is a bit of a debate about non-waterproof trail runners versus waterproof boots in the hiking community. Fans of the former argue that runners are lighter, and dry quicker. Waterproof boots will hopefully prevent you from getting a soaker, or at least allow you to step through water of certain heights before it gets in. They don’t dry nearly as quickly, though. It’s inevitable that you will encounter wet areas, especially in Nova Scotia. I personally wear waterproof, mid-height boots (I love Solomon’s & Keen’s and my partner swears by his La Sportiva’s) on most hikes, unless it’s a really easy trail when sneakers do the trick. The last consideration with shoes is sizing. For technical hiking, you should size up a half or full size to give your feet room to splay out. This really helps on declines and prevents your toes from being squished together. Take some time to try on lots of different shoes at The Trail Shop, MEC, or your favourite local shop. 

Socks ~ Wear technical socks, brands like Smartwool, Injiji, Darn Tough or Icebreaker are great investments.  Quality socks can help your feet feel & stay dry in wet conditions, and stay cool in hot weather.  Socks with a lower percentage of synthetic fibre & a higher percentage of wool fibre are best. 

Poles ~ Hiking poles are super helpful for full-body balance and stabilization. They can make the difference between finishing a hike with energy to spare or feeling wasted on your way home.   

AllTrails App and Map ~ You can download your trail map ahead of time using AllTrails so there’s no need to use your data.  Just in case your cell phone dies, print off your trail map and leave it in a zip lock bag somewhere in your hiking back or on your person. 

Snacks & Electrolytes ~ I always carry an emergency protein or energy bar as well as an electrolyte mix for refreshments.  An apple or two can’t hurt either.  Something refreshing to crunch into will be a welcome palate cleanser for the car ride home. And of course, always bring water. For one to two hour hikes you will likely be just fine with a snack stash on your person, but if your planning for 1/2 day, full day or more….consider & curate your enjoyment of food & nutritional needs with great care.

Bug stuff, sunscreen ~ Nothing ruins a beautiful hike more than trying to out-hike the blackflies!

Pup considerations ~ I keep an ‘AIR LIFT’’ for most hikes while I have my pup Cashew on the trails.  It’s mostly for peace of mind should we ever be in a position where she needs to get evacuated out of a trail.  Even though she’s only 40-45 lbs, if I needed to carry her even for a few minutes I may risk injuring us both, especially in technical environments (imagine porcupine quills in paws).  Air lifts will hammock the underbelly of your pup and you can wear them like a backpack.  I suggest practicing once or twice with your pup at home (with lots of treats), so that at least you’re familiar with the logistics of setting it up in an emergency.     

Keep yourself comfortable during your outdoor adventures.  Know your skill level & comfort for challenge and pick your path accordingly. Inform a family member or friend of your route and expected time frame. Remember to pack out what you packed in, and of course, whenever you are in nature, respect the plants & wildlife that occupy the surrounding habitats.

Happy trails & may the ‘forest’ be with you.

P.S. To learn more specifically about Cape Chignecto & plan an adventure for yourself, visit: https://parks.novascotia.ca/park/cape-chignecto

To be barefoot or not to be...

This is a question we often hear. Summertime is a practical choice for letting your bare feet land on the surface of your back yard, sandy beach or puttering around the house.  

So, is it ok to go barefoot? Is there an ideal amount of time to let our feet be free? Is there a risk to being shoe-free?  That all depends.  How do your feet feel?  Do you suffer with foot pain? Do your feet feel relaxed or squeezed tight while wearing shoes? Answering these questions may help in setting your feet & body up for success.

Let’s look at the anatomy.

25% of your body’s bones exist in your feet. 26 in each foot so 52 bones out of a total of 206 bones found in the body. There are just as many nerve endings in the feet as there are in the hands.  Architecturally, the feet are very similar to the hands. However, the natural frame of feet suggests that they are truly built to absorb & disperse pressure.  

Proof of their ‘pressure function’ lies in the fact that we’ve evolved to walk on our feet all day.  

Our feet have been structurally engineered by Mother Nature herself to support the weight of our upright, moving bodies.  According to science, the only difference is that we have lost our ability to grasp with our big toe.  ‘Since we are no longer tree climbers, our foot has lost its handling capabilities in order to become a platform for an upright body.  This does not mean, however, that the toes were designed to be inactive.  An infant’s foot has twenty times the toe-grasping capacity of a shoe-wearing adult.  And in shoeless cultures, people retain the prehensile abilities of their feet throughout adulthood, using them for sewing and even threading needles.’ ~ Trail Guide to the Body 

Our feet are often an afterthought in our busy lives. Many of us don’t consciously think or care for our feet until there is an ache in their heel, a pinch in the sole, or severe lower leg & foot fatigue.  For an area of our body that is so architecturally relevant to the wellbeing of our whole body, we often don’t give our feet, the time, space & rest they need to translate positive energy lines throughout the whole of the body.   

Movement of the foot & ankle or lack thereof can affect function further up the body. As RMT’s we will often look at your standing posture as part of our assessment.  Subtle resting states of the feet can tell us a lot about your body.  When you stand either ‘toes in’ or ‘toes out’, it can offer us insight into what is happening at the knees, hips & lower back. When we look at your feet, we take a whole-body approach, because the whole body is connected after all. 

As health care providers, we want to encourage our patients to literally ‘stand on their own two feet’ but we put our ‘foot down’ when it comes to this notion of barefoot being automatically good for everyone, all the time.  While going ‘barefoot’ can be intrinsically stimulating for strength and support within the feet, our modern way of living has not set our feet up for structural integrity at the base level.  We wear overly restrictive footwear causing the inhibition of our stabilizer muscles which will ultimately have made a profound impact on our global body structure by the time we hit adulthood. We must work slowly to rebuild the foundation that is our feet. 

Prior to adulthood, our babies & toddlers need to have a balance between footwear & going bare foot. In early life, kids are building balance which helps with body & brain development.  Wearing shoes too often can stunt that this evolution.  If this concerns you than consider consultation with a paediatric physiotherapist.

What to consider if you want to strengthen your feet & shift your wellness long term from the ‘ground up’?

• Too much, too soon: pace yourself, look to walk in a meditative manner with bare feet.  Avoid walking briskly or running.  Start with 5 minutes a day.

• Strength to support our frame: do we have the strength in our postural muscles (legs, core, back) to support our bodies? Incorporating strengthening exercises into our routines can help alleviate the stress on the joints in our feet from our body’s weight. 

• Circulation: in order for our feet to function optimally, they need the nourishment provided through circulation. We can achieve greater circulation with gentle movement, daily walking, warm hydrotherapy & massage.

• Osteoporosis: this is a bone density issue so care should be taken to strength train all areas of your body.  Having a physiotherapist follow you for a period of 3-6 months may also be of great value with this condition.  

• Current foot pain issues: there are a myriad of foot pain problems that can assault your body.  Big toe arthritis, bunions, gout, hammer toe & stress fractures just to name a few. A very common body-based pain we see in our clinic is Plantar Fasciitis.  An inflammation & tightening of the tissue on the bottom of your feet. Often self-massage can be of great value & is frequently recommended for our patients in clinic. 

Something for everybody!  Two simple & safe ways you can nourish the health of your feet. 

GROUNDING

Everyone can benefit from allowing their feet to ground into the earth.  While this may sound like complete hippy hodge podge, there are a ton of well-supported scientific studies out there to prove the myriad of health benefits of landing your feet directly into the earth’s surface. See this article to learn more.

HOLD HANDS WITH YOUR FEET

In ‘Every woman’s guide to foot pain relief’, Katy Bowman, suggests to ‘sit in a comfortable position where you can get to your toes easily (crossing one leg over your knee works best). Place one fingertip between the tips of each toe, starting as far away from your foot as possible. Just placing your fingers between your toes will give you a good stretch, but as these muscles begin to restore their length, you can work your fingers further down, until eventually, your fingers ‘hold hands’ with your feet.’ Think of ‘holding hands with your feet’ as Katy suggests in both the literal & figurative sense.  Staying mindful of our foot health & sensations can be a useful barometer of the global body.

Can’t use your fingers to intersect with your toes as Katy describes? You can always use small, smooth stones found at your favourite beach to gently stretch & mobilize.

We are here to help you tread lighter in your body & down the road ahead. Don’t hesitate to speak to your RMT about your foot health. We have a wealth of knowledge & a great external referral system to get your feet the care they deserve.

The Power of Community

I think there are times in all of our lives when we can feel disconnected from one another & it’s easy to overlook the power & positivity of community.

Sore Spots is a community-minded clinic in that we are members of the community & we also are care providers for our community.  Dealing with patients on an individual, in-depth level everyday gives us a unique bird’s eye view of the world & keeps us mindful of the social & economic elements at play when it comes to the collective health of our society.  

As many of you know, our clinic is next door to what was previously the DoubleTree Dartmouth Hotel which had been acting as a shelter since early 2020 for overflow from various shelter supports across HRM.  Now this facility has been officially transitioned to ‘The Bridge’ ~ a shelter facility with wraparound medical supports.  While a large shelter of 200 hotel rooms is not an ideal model to address the unhoused population in our community, it is a short term measure currently used to help fill the homeless & emergency medical gap by the province.  This facility aside, the lack of supports for houseless people has presented challenges for our business & neighbourhood as well as the surrounding neighbourhoods.  We are asking our community of clients to stay supportive of our clinic & engaged with your downtown districts. 

The growing unhoused population in Nova Scotia is an issue that is intricately woven into the fabric of our society. This is an expanding issue that hits very close to home. These are our neighbours, our family members and our friends. For this reason I feel it is important to speak up, as there is power in the collective voice. It is our hope that in spreading awareness, we can spread compassion.  

In 2019, Halifax started to see a large upward trend in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and home insecurity. As reported in April of 2019, 106 individuals were reported as being unhoused. This number has since increased to 930 individuals as most recently recorded on June 27th, 2023 (AHANS, 2023). That's an increase of 777% in 4 years.

Home insecurity is not going anywhere. As a community we need to keep this issue cradled carefully at the forefront of our minds & heart.  We know it can be so easy to walk past someone blindly or ignore a friendly hello while walking down the street or passing by to enter our clinic.  We want to challenge you to walk in warmth & whenever you may pass by someone affected to use these silent street exchanges as an opportunity for quiet reflection on the humanity of homelessness.  

Perhaps there’s an element of this "that makes me uncomfortable".   At this time, imagine yourself in outside shoes.  For many, being homeless was or is a slippery slope & closer than we think.  Showing up to really ‘see’ this issue may be uncomfortable, but being uncomfortable is part of how we grow. To see a change, we must be the change. We encourage you to spread awareness in your close circles of families, friends, and colleagues & maintain compassionate conversations. Read more and educate yourself on the topics that so closely impact our communities.

NDP Leader & MLA for Dartmouth South, Claudia Chender, speaks out about the changes in this newsletter and shares her concerns in another blog post blog post that you may find informative for continued reading.  From our perspective, to work towards healthier homing for all humans, there needs to be dimensional supports that go beyond blanket, short term measures.  36% of individuals across Canada have personally experienced homelessness or know someone personally who has. This issue is not something to glance past, but rather something to stay curiously informed about, seek opportunity to expand your viewpoint & support those with ideas that align with the health of the whole community.

Written by Jamie Lynn Chediac, RMT/Owner of Sore Spots Massage Therapy with contributions by Courtney Olmstead, RMT & Erica Cherry, AT.

Special thanks to Sue Siri for use of her photos in association with Shelter NS.

Fall in ❤️ with Dartmouth, NS

Hi Dartmouth, I love you. Let me count the ways…

First of all….

You’re a little city home to 23 lakes! Outdoor water fun all within walking distance from a ferry drop or a bus ride. Outdoor living at it’s best exists in your natural oasis of adventure. You’re the City of Lakes & a favorite for down to earth, family friendly, outdoor loving folk.  

Second of all…

You’re home to the oldest saltwater ferry in North America & the 2nd oldest in the world. Bragging rights indeed.

Third of all…

You are the artiest of them all. We can promenade your streets, wandering in & out of boutiques. Following a guided art walk, I feel like I’m on a secret scavenger hunt, never knowing what I’ll discover.

______________________

You need not take our word for it though…..the Globe & Mail recently (June 23rd, 2023) touted Downtown Dartmouth as one of 7 coolest neighbourhoods in Canada & no surprise to us 😜 ~ Downtown Dartmouth aka ‘the Darkside’ made the list! Referenced as the ‘little Brooklyn’ of Halifax, there are so many businesses, organizations & people that make this charming little city a vibrantly welcoming place relax, shop, walk & bop.

Barefoot VS. Hands-On

Barefoot Massage Therapy

While barefoot massage therapy CAN be a deeper form of treatment, it’s not always….

• barefoot work is broad, so it allows us to deliver more static pressure where you feel more of your tissue being engaged at once

• for some people who don’t love deep tissue, they simply love barefoot because it often allows them to feel pressure with out pain

• just like with any hands on treatment, barefoot RMT’s have a wash station that allows them to cleanse both their hands and their feet before & after every treatment

• barefoot is simply uncomparable to hands on therapy ~ you can expect depth to treatment but nothing like you’ve ever experienced before

Hands-On Massage Therapy

All of our therapists continue to skillbuild their hands-on strategy….

• hands on work can be ‘pokier’ for some

• techniques may incorporate work with both oil & dry contact

• within the context of hands-on work, hydrotherapy, hot stones as well as cupping therapy is more easily integrated for the working RMT

• hands on work is great for digestive, hip flexor strain issues as well as TMJ & scalp related tensions

a favorite DIY: bath bombs

Taking baths is a great way to unwind, soothe achy muscles & offer your nervous system a serious reboot.

Of course, an epsom salts bath is often recommended post massage here at Sore Spots. According to the Epsom Salt Council health benefits range from treating skin conditions, flighting off seasonal colds & flu as well as soothing tired & achy muscles. The general recommendation is to utilize about 2 cups of epsom salts in your bath water & soak for about 10 minutes.

One of our favorite ways to enjoy a touch of epsom salts & relax in the tub is by utilizing a bath bomb. They are super easy to make at home & can be a fun rainy day activity with kids.

Here’s a recipe we suggest:

Baking soda ~ 1 cup

Epsom salts ~ 1/2 cup

Cornstarch ~ 1/2 cup (you may substitute arrowroot or tapioca flour, but their ‘holding’ capacity is not as strong as cornstarch ~ so they are great for silicone moulds but not great if your shaping ball bombs)

Water ~ 2 tablespoons

Oil (olive, jojoba, grapeseed, almond or melted coconut oil) ~ 3 tablespoons

Essential oils ~ 2 teaspoons

Dried flowers (optional but if used should be ground up)

Citric acid ~ 1/2 cup

Optional: 4 cocoa wafers chopped up, these can add a creamy, hyper-moisturizing effect to your baths….a little goes a long way, just make sure you shred or chop finely so they don’t affect the ‘clumping’ ability of your bath bombs when they are curing.

Directions:

1. Whisk your baking soda, epsom salts & cornstarch.

2. Next use a small jar with a lid to add your water, carrier oil & essential oils then secure the lid on & shake for 10 seconds.

3. Add the liquid to the dry bowl & hand mix until you have evenly distributed the wet in the dry ingredients. At this point you should have a ‘crumbly’ sort of texture that feels more on the dry side.

4. NOW, add the citric acid. It is VERY important that you add the citric acid as the last step. If the citric acid is added before the liquids than the liquids could activate the ‘bubbly foam’ action to release and your bath bomb will dissolve with little fan fair when your ready to utilize for bath time.

5. Utilize a ‘bath bomb’ mould to make perfect rounds or try silicon moulds. If you are using silicone moulds than you will have to leave your ‘bomb’ mix in the mould for a day to allow it to cure before removing. Either way, bath bombs should air dry for a day before using. This will allow them to dry & stabalize their form to prevent breakage.

6. Take a bath & enjoy the aromatic & ceremonial element of adding a home made bath bomb to your time in the tub.

10 tips for your next massage

it’s all about the little things when it comes your massage therapy experience. we are keen as a clinic to ensure your comfort & therapeutic care here at Sore Spots is top notch. here are a few things for you to keep in mind when receiving massage therapy on our tables.

Breathe. Breathing from your diaphragm will be the minimum amount of work we require from you.

Breathing mindfully can alter your perception of pain, increasing your sense of well-being & enhances the circulatory effect of massage.

Feel tension while breathing deep? Tell your RMT. They can provide breath work coaching & treat tight muscles that restrict breathing with depth.

Pre-book & schedule strategically. Many of our RMT’s book 1-8 weeks in advance. We suggest shoring up your next appointment with your preferred therapist, day & time by setting something up on a monthly basis. If your not ready at the time of your appointment or find there is a conflict, rescheduling with a minimum of 24 hours notice is welcome. On a side note, often day-time appointments can be more available and evening spots harder to come by. So taking some time away from work for a ‘medical appointment’ is quite common among our client base. Many people find the medical benefits of massage therapy an integral part of their mental and physical health. So be sure to carve out time for your care when it is most convienant & realistic for you to a) receive the care you want & b) that you will be able to disconnect for a mini 1 hour vacation from either work life or home life.

Communicate. Your RMT will always prompt for feedback throughout your treatment. At any given point, you are also welcome to provide feedback on any specific technique or just generally how your feeling during a session. We are here to help you and your honest feedback is a practice in advocating for your body. If the pressure is too deep, please say so and if it’s not deep enough, yes….let’s have a conversation about that too. As massage therapists, we really do want to know how massage is affecting you during and after sessions. We want to ensure what we say & talk about during treatment is of service to your healing. While your massage therapist loves to hear about aspects of your life outside of your body based pain, we really are most interested in how to assist you therapeutically….so if your a talker, please do allow for a practice of quiet during your session. Your RMT will also guide you in breathwork at times which will make this easier to do.

our RMT’s will use an analog pain scale to gauge your perception of sensation during treatment

Food & drink. Ideally, you’ve eaten well the day of your massage….but not too well. It may be uncomfortable to lie on a belly full of food so play it safe in the meal planning & digest accordingly. While your at it, stay hydrated but watch that you don’t consume a marathon of water prior to your session. Having a full bladder for the last 10 minutes of treatment will ruin a good massage. On a side note, you can always ‘toga up’ and use the washroom during a treatment. On the subject of ‘drink’, please avoid over indulging in alcoholic beverages the day before your appointment and if your planning on drinking in the hours after a massage know that massage increases circulation and any alcohol consumed could hit the bloodstream a little faster than usual so do consume mindfully.

Mr. Sun. Please wear sunscreen & shade. It’s awful to see sunburns on our clients during the spring, summer & early fall months.

May is Sun Safety month & the Dermatology Association of Canada has guidelines for sun exposure & sunscreen application for everyone with specific notes for babies & seniors.

Please do take a moment before the hot sun of the Summer hits to review.

Drugs. Especially pain relief drugs like Tylenol or Advil that have not been prescribed by a doctor. If your coming to a massage treatment because of soft tissue or joint pain than it is ideal that you are coming with an unaltered sense of how that pain is feeling in the current moment. On a cellular level, your natural inflammatory response can contribute positive to your healing process - click here to read a recent CBC article about the latest research findings concerning the use of NSAIDS & current usage suggestions. Pain relief drugs alter your perception of pain and we need your ability to perceive discomfort to stay in tact as much as possible so as to ensure we provide a safe & of course, pain relieving treatment.

You don’t have to be naked. Essentially, we may only need to have bare skin contact to your areas of concern. However, we can also simply work through your clothing and in some cases, as RMT’s we may actually prefer working through the cloth of what you’re wearing for added grip or for the initial start to treatment.

Be sure that any clothing that remains on during a draped table treatment feels comfortable and unrestrictive (i.e. you can wear your jeans in the case of an upper body treatment, but don’t wear your belt so that it’s digging into your waistline etc). Also, feel free to undress entirely if that allows you to feel more relaxed.

Your therapist will still be following our industry standards & ensuring drape lines are secure as well as only undraping the area we are working on at any given time during treatment. In the interest of talking about clothing, there are other things on your body like watches and jewelry - don’t forget to remove those! Worried about greasy hair lines - be sure to let us know & if you are wearing a tight poney tail or lots of hair pins, please communicate to your RMT if it’s ok to loosen or release those accessories from your scalp. Effective scalp & jaw treatments that may be helpful for things like TMJ or the treatment of headaches require us to work through hair & having overly tightened hair fixtures in place may prevent us from thoroughly attending to this concern. & for the record, leg hair, arm pit hair, any body hair really….we don’t care! No need to apologize or even mention the fact that you did or did not shave etc.

Know your insurance. The good news is……you have health insurance that covers massage therapy treatment. The bad news…..you may not have the coverage that pays for all the treatment you need or would like to receive in the run of a year. So please do look into the details of your coverage. Do you require a doctors note for direct billing? Do you have a co-pay amount or an initial annual deductible? When does your policy year end? Is your massage therapy coverage lumped in with other extended health services (like chiro or physio)? Or is it seperate in it’s own category? Do you have a secondary plan that you can submit to after your primary plan runs out? You don’t need to know everything, but check in on the details of your plan every so often &/or call the 1-800 or 1-888 # on the back of your card. We have an extended information page around ‘direct billing’ for our clients so please do click here to read more.

Exercise. We recommend to take it easy after your massage session. Let us know if you plan on excercising afterwards. This may alter our approach & can affect your performance. There are sports related massage techniques that can enhance your physicality but the timing of these types of techniques is very important.

Generally speaking with massage therapy we are interested in triggering a deep relaxation response and some types of exercise can ask your nervous system to operate at the complete opposite end of that spectrum. So we don’t advise clients to go from one extreme to another. A little bit of yoga, some light core conditioning may be well received after treatment but we suggest staying away from running your best 10K or taking part in a kettle bell class immediately after a therapeutic massage. Your therapist may offer some prescriptive home care advise following your treatment so please do aim to integrate these suggestions in the days or weeks following treatment to ensure the benefits of your massage last longer.

Time. Most times your massage therapist will be on time to start your appointment & if not will come to greet you to let you know if there will be a delay. Otherwise, it is ideal that you come on time to your appointment. Any lateness may be included as part of the treatment time booked.

Sitting ‘dis - ease’ at work

It’s not uncommon for clients to ask how I keep up as a massage therapist. 

The commentary is understandable.  All day I push, knead, rub, mobilize, glide & traction the joints and muscles of the human body, and I usually do this 4-7 hours a day.  So I can see how, as someone feeling the depth of this work, it might feel hard to do. 

However, as a career massage therapist, you learn & evolve your practice to work for your body, and while occupational strain does exist, I’m here to tell you as a massage therapist, I have it good.  I get to move around all day.  I lunge, I squat, I lean, I stand tall, and sometimes I simply instruct for movement and breath. I’ve cultivated hand positioning and techniques using my feet so that I can offset the work the small joints of my hands do.  I move around a lot at work, and I love it.

What I don’t love are days that require me to stay locked into a seated position at work and as a business owner, unfortunately, they occur more than I would like. Anything that requires me to sit for long periods requires more strategy around my workstation. However, I digress….this really isn’t about me; it’s about you and specifically you at work.  So if you sit at work, then I’m thinking we need to have a little ‘sit down’ & review. 

Here’s what the research says….

One study from Australia referenced a pool of office workers who worked on average 9 hours, and when they calculated out of the typical work day, they were seated for approximately 70% of the time.  Another European-based study indicated that 1/3 of workers and 80% of managers in Europe are experiencing work-related stress due to intensity and time pressures.  A Canadian study published by the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics concluded that employees who use sit-standing work postures should rotate between sitting and standing at will to prevent discomfort development in any particular body region, but extending standing work beyond 30 consecutive minutes may produce unwanted physiological effects and related symptoms/discomfort.

Research now seems to conclude that sitting for too long but also standing for too long will produce unwanted pain sensations and therefore contribute to negative health outcomes.  With all this research, it’s helpful to look at the history of human movement and put it all in context.  After all, many seated occupations really came about at the start of the industrial revolution.  Our bodies have evolved to hunt & gather, chop wood, garden, and these processes required movement from our bodies. But these days, we don’t move. Want to feel warmer? Turn a dial.  Hungry? Press a few buttons on the microwave, and voila….your favourite TV dinner is ready in minutes.  In history, for heat and food, we may have chopped wood, stacked wood, fed a fire in the wood stove to heat the home and cooked a soup.  This process was much more involved and naturally required more movement from us in our day-to-day life.

Now the modern era provides us with many at-home efficiencies.  As well our working environment has just as many.  For the average desk worker, we just need to tap around on a keyboard & mouse around on a screen & sit for longer hours. Most likely more hours of stillness than nature intended.  For thousands of years, humans have evolved to use our bodies, and in the modern era of everyday life, we are de-evolving the use of our bodies.

So let’s re-evolve, or rather re-involve, our bodies more into the tasks we require of our work day.  Your mood will shift, your cognitive experience will change & more importantly, you will have energy left at the end of the day for what is most important - family, friends, & hopefully a few moments catered to your self-care.

Have you heard this expression? Sitting is the new smoking?  I’ve actually come across the term ‘sitting disease.’  Seems no matter what your work entails, for much of the week, many of our clients sit for long hours, be it at a desk or driving.  Let’s look to evolve this ‘sitting’ habit into something a little more sustainable. 

First off, let us re-iterate: sitting can really define our posture in our everyday life.  When we assume inefficient postural habits be they standing or seated, we slowly remodel soft and hard tissues.  So what’s happening at our desks?  How does posture affect our mood, energy & even our productivity? Or rather, how does posture affect our mind, spirit & sore spots too!?

Your sitting posture can be part of your personality.

The Slumper

Are you a Slumper? Here we cut off energy to so many areas of the body…tight hip flexors, tight chest muscles and loading strain into the muscles of the neck.  Slumped postures are also fatiguing, so try and avoid dumping your upper body into a forward-leaning position.  They strain the muscles of the posterior chain (aka upper back, lower back, neck).

The Neck Craner

Are you a Neck Craner? Shortening the muscles at the very top of the neck, often a computer screen needs to come closer, eyes could be straining (so be sure to keep up with regular eye exams). Your eyes always want to correct to the horizon, so be sure to lengthen the back of the neck.  This type of posture can also contribute significantly to tension headaches or headaches that present as migraines. 

The Leaner

Are you a Leaner? Crossing your legs can offset the alignment of your hips and lower back and create painful lower back tension patterns.  This can contribute to a global ‘zig zag’ alignment in your body where you might constantly feel ‘off center’ or often feel pain patterns on one side and then the other.

How do we begin to set our spine & posture straight?

Besides ‘sitting up straight,’ here are some helpful cues to remind yourself to straighten and soften your posture at work:

• Keep your core slightly engaged but not so tight that you feel breath or body restriction

• Roll your shoulders back and forth, end with softening the shoulders away from the ears

• Tuck your chin in slightly; feel long and lengthened in the back of your neck

Little things we can do at work:

• Use a keyboard tray

• If you notice yourself craning your neck forward, then perhaps bring your screen slightly closer to you or adjust the level of your screen to ensure that your working documents are at eye level.

• Move a little bit, often.  They say your best position is your next position….which means just move a little bit.  Standing up to sip some water, setting a timer to remind yourself to move about, perhaps using a stability ball as a seat for some intermittent, gentle core activation.

• Stand or walk a little for work tasks when possible.

• Goal post arms activation.  Bring your arms over your head, give yourself a big stretch and then, as if you're doing a lat pull, hold your arms at 90 degrees to activate your back muscles for 5 seconds.  While relaxing your arms back to work, stay mindful of integrating this new feeling of your back feeling stronger and longer.

Sitting is a stationary situation for your body, and your body loves movement.  Reframing your day in movement versus a fixed working position is better for your posture and has a direct effect on your nervous system.  Look for ways to take a ‘nutritious movement break’ the way you would perhaps take a snack or coffee break.  These little habits in our everyday life add up & accumulate into the sum of our experience as a whole.  Do not subscribe to any one working position for too long if possible. 

Remember, the best position at work (or really in life at all) is your next position, so keep moving.

P.S. we have a few occupational organizations that we refer to for either local HRM support in the office or more information so feel free to refer to the links below for more information….otherwise, consult with your RMT here at Sore Spots at your next appointment for more advice related to your working or everyday ergonomics.

Association of Canadian Ergonomists

Dempster Wellness

Ergonomic Works

keeping our therapists and clients safe

For the duration of 2022, the Sore Spots team spent many hours deciding what policies we wanted to adopt permanently following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we all know, COVID-19 is not the only illness we are facing in our community. We are seeing an influx in influenza, common colds, and RSV.

To keep our community safe, we have decided to permanently implement a masking policy in all our common clinic spaces. This will include our reception area and hallways. This decision has been given an immense amount of thought and was not made lightly. Protecting ourselves and our clients is our number one priority.

What if I cannot or chose not to mask?

Clients who cannot wear a mask or chose not to wear a mask will be asked to wait for their therapist to get them in the lobby of the building, our homecare room, or will be immediately directed to the treatment room they will be in that day.

What if I do not have a mask?

We ask that you please bring your own mask to your appointment to help us avoid unnecessary environmental waste. If you do forget your mask, we do have a small supply of disposable masks hanging directly to your right upon entering the clinic.

Do I need to keep my mask on during my massage?

No. Once you enter your treatment room with your therapist, they will let you know that you can remove your mask for the duration of your treatment if you are comfortable doing so.

What about Therapists?

Our therapists will continue to wear their masks at all times while in the clinic and in the treatment space. Because we are adopting this policy permanently, you may see therapists wearing surgical masks, silk masks, or cloth masks as we attempt to reduce waste.

so long so we can stay close by

Sore Spots is always in my mind, the ‘little clinic that can’.  Just as in the children’s book, ‘The Little Engine That Could’ it is always with this company that I’ve tried my hardest, kept my mindset to ‘I think I can’ and searched for inspiration to stay ‘on track’ when times got tough.  So while this pandemic has brought us challenges we could have never anticipated, like many businesses we are continuously assessing how best to pivot and ready ourselves for the adventure of growth that lay ahead.  It’s with this spirit and certainly some mixed emotions that I announce the closure of our Halifax clinic at the end of June 2021.

I was 24 when I first took over as the lead RMT and owner of Sore Spots.  I had just spent a Summer working on a dairy farm in New Jersey and previous to that working and living in Northern, rural Quebec practicing French and working at a health store.  Homesick, I knew I had to come back to Nova Scotia to properly launch my massage therapy career.

I lucked out.  The place where I had received my first-ever massage, before I had even started massage therapy school was looking for a new, spirited, entrepreneurial massage therapist.  Sore Spots started with a repurposed 164 sq foot linen closet turned cozy massage cocoon in a downtown Halifax hotel within the heart of the business district. A space where clients could retreat for 60 minutes or so from their hectic work day. On the other side of that 60 minute treatment is where clients find relief from pain, stress and greater ease in movements for all their daily activities.

I was grateful.  Our little starter clinic in that hotel gave me a bird’s eye view of the world.  I knew at the time what a gift it was to meet people from all over the world.  While most sessions are a space of therapeutic quiet, as a massage therapist I am honored to be a medical service that holds quality time and space with each person that seeks care.  It is inevitable that I learn a little and in a sense, get to travel to discover the landscape of tension patterns unique to each person on the table. 

This hotel based healing space delivered so many interesting stories.  Meeting indigenous persons from around the world and learning about their stories, similarities and parallels to that of our own Canadian climate.  Working with musicians and the marvels of how humble, talented & kind people can be in the midst of the chaotic charm that can come with being a ‘celebrity’.   Treating people from across Nova Scotia and indeed developing a cherished Atlantic Canada client base.

I am grateful.  Sore Spots has been nourished not just by me, but by the therapists with whom we’ve partnered and the clients we’ve shared space with.  I’ve been blessed to be mentored and welcomed into a space of growth from our hotel partners and on-site management team.  They’ve listened to my ideas, given me space to make mistakes, flounder a bit and of course I am also eternally indebted to them for the sum of our success over the years. 

I am blessed.  Sore Spots will continue to service HRM & beyond in the years to come.  For now, it is at our Dartmouth clinic that we will continue to act as a quality massage therapy provider and cultivate unique therapeutic experiences that broaden the horizons of healing & healthcare.  While we close the doors of our Halifax clinic, we plan to stay ‘on track’ and focused to continue the best version of ourselves and ‘our little clinic that can’ here in our beloved city of Dartmouth. There’s more growth ideas & development brewing, but for now we know that sometimes you just gotta ‘contract to relax’.

As we wind up our Halifax services, it’s clear that we are leaving behind a downtown district in the beginnings of what we hope will prove as a sort of resurrection. The downtown centers of our cities need the vibrant flow of office workers, city goers & travelling spirits to keep the urban web of community woven. Let’s all keep a keen eye on the businesses who live there, so that they can, in turn thrive in our city centers.

From Jamie Lynn, Cashew & the entire Sore Spots Crew, a very grateful thank you to all of our clients & colleagues who have allowed us to offer a helping hand in their health and wellness & of course, supported our own journey along the way. See you all at our Dartmouth clinic very soon.