Happy New Year 2018

Team Updates

Welcome back Elizabeth (Anderson) Richard, RMT, who returned to our team as of November 2017. She focuses on general Swedish massage, myofascial and scar tissue release. She offers direct billing to select extended health plans.
Read Elizabeth's full bio »

Introducing Maegan Chase, RMT, who graduated from Vancouver West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2006 and moved to Victoria in 2016. She focuses on visceral manipulation, myofascial and scar tissue release, and cranialsacral therapy. Note: Maegan does not use oil or offer full body massage.
Read Maegan's full bio »

Massage Fee Increase
Effective March 1, 2018 – Includes 5% GST

Use Those Extended Medical Benefits

Hands up if you didn't use all of your extended medical benefits last year. You can put your hand down if that was because you didn't have any sore muscles, lingering stress, insomnia, digestive distresses or hormonal horrors...

If you meant to use your benefits, but time just slipped away from you, may we suggest some strategies to take full advantage:

Assess your yearly routine. Are you prone to stress or injury around tax time, gardening season, ski season, family visits, or when the days are short and gloomy?

Book yourself one or two treatments at the beginning of your season. Like an athlete in training, keep yourself in peak performance during your roughest time. Book another treatment at the end of your season.

Maybe you don't have an off-season. Consider saving enough benefits to cover a couple of emergency treatments and then book regular appointments the rest of the year. Chances are you'll have something to work on when the date comes – and if you don't, you can always cancel or postpone. (Remember we require a minimum of 24 hours cancellation notice.)

Or set a reminder in your calendar once a month to check in with yourself, see how you are feeling, and schedule self care appointments as needed.

And remember, some of us offer direct billing to extended health plans. Ask individual practitioners for details about direct billing to Pacific Blue Cross, GreenShield Canada, and Great West Life.

What about those without health benefits?

Not everyone has benefits through work, post-secondary school, or other associations (e.g. Chamber of Commerce). If you are already seeing more than just one type of practitioner, the math might just work in your favour to buy your own extended medical insurance. For example Green Shield offers plans that pay you back $20 to $30 per appointment for $75-and-up a month, and that doesn't even factor in the dental included. It's worth looking into!

Couples’ Massage Class
Sat, Feb 17, 2018

Learn the Art of Massage in this ‘Hands-On’ workshop with Sabrina Lundquist, RAc., and Christina Barker, RMT

Sabrina Lundquist, RAc., and Christina Barker, RMT will walk you through some simple and effective techniques to help alleviate back aches, headaches, shoulder and arm discomfort. Bring your partner or friend to this fun, informative and respectful massage workshop.

You will learn safe and simple massage techniques for stress reduction and walk away with some great tools for increasing the benefits from your massage. You don't need any supplies and they will help you to adapt to the normal limitations of doing massage in your home as opposed to in a clinic setting. And relax, no need to write notes, you will receive a printed cheat sheet of everything discussed in the course!

Please wear comfortable clothing.
Must register with a partner/friend.

Registration

Monterey Recreation Centre in Oak Bay
1442 Monterey Avenue, Victoria BC
Phone 250.370.7300
Register Online »
Course #13430 / 1 Sesson / $64
Sat, Feb 17, 2018 / 10am - 12:30pm

Acupuncture for Allergies

We can already smell the flowers in our neighbourhood on our morning walks to work. It's hard to believe, but spring – and allergy season – is just around the corner. Can you clearly remember the congestion you had last year? The weird, dry feeling in your head from antihistamines? The sore throat and aching head, like you constantly have a cold?

Avoid all of that this year. Yes, acupuncture can reduce symptoms in allergy sufferers – and it works best when you start the protocol before the pollen attacks.

Come in for a FREE 20 minute consultation to review if acupuncture can help you with your allergies.

Sabrina Lundquist, B.Sc., RAc offers direct billing to Pacific Blue Cross and GreenShield Canada. Direct billing to Great West Life is coming soon.

Initial appointments are usually 75 minutes, but follow up appointments can be 45-90 minutes long depending on your treatment needs.

Afternoon, evening and weekend appointments available.

Learn more about Acupuncture »

Sleep, Cell Phones & Tsunamis
Written with combined excerpts from Psychology Today & CBC News

Having your phone next to the bed might save you from a tsunami, but should you sacrifice your sleep? New research shows sleep deprivation may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

People who sleep with their cellphone nearby are more likely to experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression – not only because sleep is interrupted by a barrage of texts and emails, but also because cellphones emit blue light, suppressing the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin, which regulates sleep onset and quality.

Sleep deprivation has been well documented as a factor in accidents – with its effects including sluggish thinking, foggy memory, and slower reaction times. New research identifies sleep deprivation as a factor in disease. Specifically, if sleep deprivation is chronic over months or years, it may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's. In July 2017, researchers at the University of Washington found that disrupted sleep led to increased levels of two proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer's: beta amyloid and tau.

How do we give our brain the sleep it needs to function at optimal levels? Three tips to give your brain the sleep it needs:

1. Figure out how much sleep you need to feel well rested. Although the average is 7-9 hours per night, you may need more or less. Determine how many hours you sleep naturally, when you don't use an alarm clock (e.g. on the weekend) and awake feeling fully rested.
2. Schedule unwind/downtime prior to bedtime. Dim the lights (use lavender aromatherapy candles instead), read a pleasurable book, listen to soft music, or meditate – and turn off blue-light screens/devices (TVs, tablets, cell phones) at least an hour before sleep. Blue light is shown to interfere with melatonin production.
3. Teach your brain to associate laying in bed with sleeping, not thinking. If you can't fall asleep within 10 minutes, get out of bed, but do something relaxing, such as reading, colouring, meditating or playing an acoustic instrument. Return to bed once groggy again and repeat as many times as necessary in any given night. Paradoxical at first, this will train your brain over time to more readily enter sleep mode rather than thinking mode when you lay down.

Read the full articles and learn more:

Psychology Today: 3 Tips to Give Your Brain the Sleep It Needs
New research shows sleep deprivation may increase the risk of Alzheimer's
Sep 11, 2017 by Michelle Braun Ph.D., ABPP-CN

CBC News: Having your phone next to the bed might save you from a tsunami, but should you sacrifice your sleep?
Sleep experts warn of long-term health effects of sleeping next to your smartphone
Jan 28, 2018 by Michelle Ghoussoub

Learn more about Insomnia and Retrain Yourself to Sleep »