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We got out for a backcountry ski tour behind Blackcomb yesterday, beautiful bluebird weather! The avalanche conditions were listed as considerable, however, we made safe and smart terrain choices and still managed to find some fresh powder. I find it so rewarding to skin up a mountain and earn your turns, definitely a good workout. Glad we didn’t need to test out our new ice axes, bringing all of the safety gear for mountain adventures is a healthy habit. Another awesome day in the backcountry, grateful to live in Whistler!

I bet a lot of people were outside playing in the sunshine this past weekend. If you are feeling joint or muscle pain this Monday morning, massage can help! If you don’t immediately see an appointment time that works for you. add your name to the online booking waitlist as things may change and open up.

Getting a good night’s sleep! Bouncing out of bed excited and ready for the day ahead is a challenge for many people. Time spent in a solid sleep zone is so important for feeling rejuvenated. Not getting enough sleep results in chemical changes in the body and can lead to increased pain levels. The good news is that research has shown massage therapy can help with the quality and duration of sleep! I do not get offended when a client snores on my massage table, that means they are really relaxing into the treatment and it is actually a compliment. Massage helps promote restorative sleep, therefore giving you more energy for your day!

Mountain biking can be everything from adrenaline pumping double black slabs and drops, to flowy single-track blue trails. Whether you ride the bike park or Lost Lake trails, one commonality are issues with forearms and hands. Mountain bikes these days have amazing shocks, however the upper body also absorbs a lot of the bumpy terrain. Feeling like you cannot brake properly near the end of a ride is not a good feeling! Massage therapy can help with addressing forearm and hand tension, which minimizes muscle cramping and nerve compression. This is for all types of riders, and it feels awesome have your hands massaged!

As an RMT I have taken extra training in a treatment technique called craniosacral therapy. It is a light-touch manual therapy that seeks to locate and treat restrictions throughout the body.

Essentially it works with the nervous system to help restore balance. The term craniosacral breaks down to Cranio/cranium (head), and sacrum (base of the spine). Applying craniosacral techniques can be very effective at treating concussions, headaches, vertigo, dizziness, jaw pain, and visual issues.

As part of my RMT sessions, I can incorporate craniosacral therapy to help you on your path to feeling better!

#BarbTyersRMT

This is a question that i am asked often, and my best answer is that it depends. There are many factors to consider, it is not as straightforward as prescribing once a week as a gold standard. If you are in pain, massage can help. If you have elevated stress levels, massage can help. If you are sore from exercise, massage can help with recovery. Essentially massage is a not only for helping fix broken bodies, but hands on manual therapy is part of a healthy self care routine. Everyone deserves to feel good!

The snow is melting and springtime adventures are just around the corner. Golfing, biking, trail running, paddle boarding, kite surfing, hiking…so many fun outdoor activities!

It is also a time of year that as an RMT I see an increase in injuries. This is mainly from overdoing it with movements that haven’t been performed for many months. One important factor to consider is warming up prior to getting out to the driving range or jumping on your paddleboard. Research has shown that holding static stretches may not be the most efficient way to warm up for exercise.

Instead, I recommend trying a few dynamic stretches and movements, essentially increasing circulation and waking up the nervous system. For example, bodyweight squats, all 4 are reaching out opposite arm and leg, or rotational exercises. If you are feeling sore from new springtime activities, come see me for a massage to help assess and minimize the pain!

Recently there has been more attention given to concussion research and treatment. Concussions are a serious injury, symptoms may last for years.

Most likely the person will not lose consciousness or have any visible injury, however it should not be considered a mild incident. There is a cascade of events that happen with a head injury, blood flow to the brain is disrupted and nerve cells may be damaged. Registered massage therapists (RMT”s) are trained to assess and treat head and neck injuries, thus helping to alleviate accompanying symptoms. Your RMT can help develop a detailed plan for return to full function, never rushing back into activities too soon. There are also fantastic online resources for more information, such as the site: http://www.cattonline.com.

It is awesome that so many people are out skiing and snowboarding around Whistler! I have also had quite a few people coming to see me for massage experiencing back pain, especially after backcountry adventures. Exploring the backcountry terrain safely requires carrying extra gear. Lugging a heavy backpack up and down mountains may cause strain on the shoulders, back and hips. Aside from purchasing the most light weight gear and finding the best fitting backpack ever, here are a few other tips for minimizing back pain:

– Take breaks and hydrate. Remembering to drink water when out on your adventure can help minimize dehydration, which is not good for working muscles.
– Engage your core muscles with a subtle drawing in of the bellybutton towards the spine. Bracing with a gentle contraction of the abdomen may help take the pressure off your back muscles.
– Sometimes low back pain may be a referral from tension in the hip muscles. Specifically the glute muscles can get quite tense from a day of skiing or snowboarding, and that may refer to the back. Stretching and applying heat to the glutes may help alleviate the back ache.
– Book in for a massage! An assessment and treatment with an RMT can help you get back out there playing in the backcountry pain free.

It’s been a long winter with plenty of fresh snow and I am excited that we have more snow in the forecast, Whistler winter continues!

It also means the risk of back injuries continues, and not just from mountain sports. One of the most common causes of back pain is shovelling snow. The action of flexing forward, lifting a load of snow, and rotating to unload is quite a lot for the spine to handle. A few safety tips for minimizing the risk of injury:

– Warm up before getting out the snow shovel. A few simple stretches can help wake up the nervous system and prepare the body for the upcoming workout. Especially if you plan on shovelling first thing in the morning, your spinal disks are the most hydrated and the risk of disk injury is higher.

– Core engagement. Drawing the belly button towards the spine to engage the abdominal muscles will help stabilize the back. During my massage sessions I can teach core engagement techniques for better back health.

– Switch sides. Everyone has a favourite side they like to shovel, however too much repetition with rotation under load is not good. Try challenging yourself with alternating sides often, and adding in back extension stretches as quick breaks.

– if you do feel sore and stiff afterwards, try heat and gentle pain free movements. Applying a heating pad to your back may help, or try a hip flexor and glutes stretches.

Injuries do happen, however to speed up the healing process massage therapy treatments will help!

The spine is a complex structure that balances the need for stability versus mobility.

In general, the range of motion available in your low back is greater than your mid back. It is ideal to be in the middle range of the mobility spectrum, not too tight, and yet not too loose. Our primary stability comes from the core muscles, bracing around the spine.

Unfortunately, when one sustains a back injury, the supportive back muscles can become inhibited and less able to contract. Studies have even shown the multifidus, a stabilizing muscle in the back, completely decreases in size and that space becomes filled with fat tissue.

When a client comes in experiencing back pain I assess whether the core musculature has sufficient tone to provide stability for the spine. Stimulating the core muscles and maintaining mobility is part of the massage therapy session, and my home care recommendations.

There are plenty of exercises that help to engage the core, stand up paddle boarding is a fun outdoor summer option otherwise try to incorporate little stretch breaks and posture checks frequently throughout your day! It is possible to incorporate preventative exercises anywhere and everywhere!