Massage Therapy Works!

Holly is a lovely young woman who works where I do. I work every second weekend and every other Monday at the personal care home and Holly works the weeks opposite me. Holly has appreciated working part-time and getting experience while going back to school and learning how to be a massage therapist.

It has been a long haul for her working, going to school and studying so much. The training has been very extensive and expectations have been high.  A few months ago Holly graduated. She was enthusiastically welcomed to begin her practice at the same place she had done her student placement. Holly is happy with the balance she now finds working part-time as a Recreation Facilitator while at the same time building her practice as a massage therapist.

Massage therapy is an integral part of my health maintenance and wellness, and I go every few months. 
I first started going to my massage therapist, Lisa over 8 years ago. My head hurt, my ears were ringing, moving was really hard and every inch of me felt beat up. I was improving but my left side still wasn't working like it should, and my balance was truly horrible.

My physiotherapist from the outpatient hospital program suggested that massage therapy might help. I found a massage therapist at the physiotherapy clinic at the end of my street. The first time I went there my daughter came with me because I needed the physical and emotional support. I really was unclear about what the therapist would do with me and even less clear about the chances of this doing me any good.  I found that she was a lovely woman with a great smile and a reassuring style. The room was private with nice lighting and a few decor touches and a wall that was mostly mirror. She talked to me about my history and what it was I wanted to achieve through massage therapy. She left me to get undressed (with the help of my daughter) and to lie down on the massage table and I covered myself with a sheet. She came back after a few minutes, lowered the light a bit and set her computer to quietly play light music. She began a gentle conversation and she started gradually massaging one body part at a time. I really did start to relax which is not easy when your body is having muscle spasms all the time.  I felt a little better. I also felt exhausted partly because of the stress of walking into the unknown and partly because I just got super tired very easily.

I was encouraged enough to go back. I found that my neck and shoulder really began to respond to the treatment.  Within a month I found a reduction in the headaches and going with that was some relief from the dizziness.

Arm and leg problems after a brain injury or stroke are kind of the obvious signs of disability. I was given lots of exercises to help my arm and leg and to improve everyday living tasks like sitting and standing and walking. Fine movements in the fingers of my hand got a tiny bit of work. I remember picking up fake fruit and vegetables.  I was upset with the lack of interest by the professionals in getting my non-dominant left hand working again. I wanted to do so many things that required both hands!
My left side issues included the muscles in my neck and head. The speech therapist gave me exercises to improve my tongue and lips but nothing much was done with the left side of my neck, face or scalp until I started with the massage therapy. I am not saying that the spasms in my neck and face were the sole reasons for my head pain and balance issues but the massage helped bring down some of the pain issues and allowed me to relax and focus more on recovery.

Currently, I am having issues related to arthritis and Lisa has been able to give me some relief. Lisa is not taking new clients but if you are in Winnipeg I would be happy to put you in touch with Holly!

Please look at this link for more information about locations of other Manitoba clinics, FAQ, and details about the profession of Massage Therapy.

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