September 2008 Newsletter

Important Dates to Remember

Monday, September 1 – Office Closed for Labour Day

Friday, September 5 – Day Off for Dr. Tucker

New Practitioner!

We are pleased to welcome Krista Dicks, BA, RMT, CLT.

She will be joining Erin Whyte, RMT.

Krista is a Registered Massage Therapist, Lymphedema Therapist and Certified Infant Massage Instructor

Please call to book an appointment

Appointments are available from Monday to Saturday

CranioSacral Therapy

Marian Sears-Carter, PT, is joining Rosemary Brown-Tucker, RMT.

She is accepting new patients for CranioSacral Therapy

and Musculo-Skeletal related Acupuncture

Please call to book an appointment

Appointments are available on Wednesdays

Our New Office Managers

Mary and Lisa are looking forward to getting to know you!

Far-Infrared Sauna

Complimentary Introductory Special

If you have never tried our Sauna,

Your first session is Free!

Package deals, or individual sessions, are available for subsequent visits

Krista Dicks, RMT

            Krista is excited to return to Ottawa after moving home to Barrie, Ontario for a short time. She has been a Registered Massage Therapist since 2006. She enjoys providing relaxation massage therapy to help individuals achieve rest and less stress in their lives and therapeutic massage therapy for the treatment of acute or chronic muscle pain. She is also a Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI®) through the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM®). Infant massage is a great opportunity for caregivers to bond with their children while promoting a healthy life physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. In May, 2008 she became certified as a Lymphedema Therapist through the Norton School of Lymphedema in Chicago, Illinois. She desires nothing more than a successful career in Massage Therapy and Lymphedema Therapy, hoping to fill her life with friends, family, love and laughter and to be a healthy and happy person inside and out.

Massage:  Relaxing or Energizing?

By Erin Whyte, RMT

The first thing that people often think about when they hear the word “massage” is relaxation.  And it is true that with soothing, long strokes one can be left to feel like butter, walking out of the clinic with dozy eyes and a small smile of satisfaction on one’s face.  But massage can also be a form of therapy that helps to energize and invigorate the body from fatigue. 

It doesn’t mean that the actual treatment has to be any less relaxing.  In fact, you’re not likely to jump off the table ready to run a marathon just because you’ve had a massage that is geared towards helping give you more energy.  You still may feel like sleep is the first thing in order….and that’s perfectly okay.

            Body fatigue and low energy can occur due to a multitude of reasons.  Nutrition, endocrine system disorders, phases of life (ex. Puberty and growth spurts for boys), and a host of diseases are but a few.  Muscular fatigue is another big one.

            Posture alone can be an important factor in how much energy we have throughout the day.  This is due to a number of factors:

1) Muscles that are primarily used to cause movement are suddenly being recruited to keep us upright.  These muscles fatigue more quickly than the static muscles meant to maintain our posture.

2) If our ‘mover’ muscles are doing the work then the static muscles become underused, underdeveloped and more strain is put on the joints and therefore the other muscles of the body.

3) Weaving through our muscles are nerves and blood vessels.  If the position of our body becomes more constant then the muscles are going to start to impede blood flow and impinge nerves.  Blood is what carries oxygen to all of our muscles to allow them to function and to our brain which allows us to think and be alert.

4) With muscle tension can come pain patterns.  Chemical toxins and normal waste products of the body become stagnant and cause irritation. Tight neck muscles, sharp pains between the shoulder blades, headaches, and/or carpal tunnel syndrome can result.  Pain in and of itself is tiring.

            Massage therapy can focus on relieving muscular tension which in turn allows for pain reduction, increased blood circulation (more oxygen and nutrients need by our body!), and removal of built up waste products.  By employing a range of techniques such as Swedish massage, trigger point therapy, stretching and myofascial release the body can at first relax by getting rid of tension and then re-energize by having the ability to function more efficiently. 

It may not happen overnight but you will start to notice a difference.  Your body WILL feel more relaxed and because of that you will start to notice that you also have more ENERGY.  It’s a win-win situation!

Phases

By Dr. Michael Tucker, D.C.

            This month I want to write about phases. Phases are states or patterns of holding. We all are in a phase. As long as we are not storing a phase or pattern we will have freedom to change phases and the freedom to hold a phase. If we connect and then release these phases we will move through the stages of healing with less effort and have more wellness.

Phase 1

            I can access Phase 1 through the cranium (occiput) and sacrum. In phase 1, the top and bottom are most important. This is where our rhythm (craniosacral rhythm) can become stuck. We then loose our rhythm and flow. When we find this rhythm, we are more in sync with the present and with ourselves.

Phase 2

            Phase 2 often involves the lower neck. Tension here, especially from fright, pulls our shoulders up towards our ears. Most older people have degenerative discs (stuckness and wearing out) in the lower neck. This causes grinding, stiffness, forward neck carriage and tension or numbness radiating down our arms. When we become aware and release the energy of phase 2, we can let go a fundamental fear, panic and anxiety.

Phase 3

            I work with phase 3 through the pelvis. This often holds our sense of belonging, our stability, our fitting with our culture. Often we are off balance with our culture. Our pelvis doesn’t twist and give our low back the stability and the flexibility that it needs. If we let go of this tension in our pelvis and low back, we can have a more freely, flexible, adaptable foundation and sometimes we realize that we all fit in our own unique way.

Phase 4

            Phase 4’s gateway or access point is usually in the upper neck, where the heavy head is carried on the neck. We can get our heads forward here causing pain headaches and a constant tightening of the backs of our neck. The constant tightness of muscles gets transferred into the mid back joints. This joint tightness is osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, rheumatism or wearing out. It is part of our breath shutting down. If we let go of the phase 4 tension, we can become in touch with our bodies and as a result have more emotion. When we feel our tension and our emotion, we stop storing tension and stop judging our emotion and start letting go.

Phase 5

            Phase 5 is a pattern usually accessed via the neck and pelvis together. When we lock up our whole spine we lock our sense of self into a state where we don’t feel good enough, there is someplace better to be. For protection against letting any one, including ourselves, recognize that we feel that we are not good enough, we create a tension, a façade or a persona. We can use the energy that we have stored and bound up in the defensiveness of not feeling good enough.

CranioSacral Therapy and Chronic Pain Syndromes

By Rosemary Brown-Tucker, RMT

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is well known for its positive results as both a primary and adjunctive treatment modality for a wide variety of conditions.  Research conducted at Michigan State University in the mid 1970’s proved the existence of the CranioSacral system and its effect on health and disease. The following partial list of chronic pain syndromes have shown observable positive results to CST.

Arthritis – CST releases muscle tension and enhances range of motion which contribute to joint rejuvenation.

Headache Syndromes – CST addresses underlying causes of migraine, tension, fluid congestion and hormonally related headaches.  Immobility of the cranial bones along the sutural lines can be a contributing factor to migraines. Autonomic and neuromusculoskeletal dysfunctions may be contributing causes which can be effectively treated with CST.

Pain Syndromes – Myofascial, neuromusculoskeletal, and nerve pain syndromes show positive results to CST.  Due to its positive effects on the autonomic nervous system, fluid exchange, and desensitizing facilitated spinal segments, CST contributes to reducing pain levels found in chronic neck and back pain.

Spinal Dysfunctions – Scoliosis, disc compression, low-back pain, post-op complications have shown positive outcomes with CST.  CST is effective in addressing underlying biomechanical, neurogenic and facilitated segment causes to pain.

Temperomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ) – This discoordination of the lower jaw (mandible) may originate from restrictions of the temporal bones on each side of the head which is part of the craniosacral system.  Other causes such as tension headaches, jaw clenching, whiplash, or misalignment of the teeth.  CST is known to be highly effective at identifying and alleviating the cause of TMJ.

A hands-on CST evaluation is required to determine if CST is an appropriate treatment approach and to make a treatment plan recommendation.  The number of sessions to achieve results depends on the complexity of the problem and the health condition of the individual.