Spring 2025 Newsletter

Clinic Updates

Rate Increase

Our massage, acupuncture and athletic therapy rates increase slightly as of May 1, 2025. You can view our rates on our website.

Team Updates

We welcome new-to-us, but experienced RMT Barb Lambert and RMT Marie Ingouf returns from up-island.

Gift Certificates Available

Give the gift of good health with our gift certificates for massage therapy or acupuncture, available in printable or digital format.

Neighbourhood Blasting

We've just been given notice of blasting in the neighbourhood at the old schoolhouse in the block behind us (from Oak Bay Ave). Blasting will begin April 22 for approx. one month, until May 22, Monday through Friday. We don't know yet what the impact or disruption may be for our office.

Scar Tissue Therapy
How do you know if your abdomen scar should have some treatment?

By Maegan Chase, RMT

What kind of abdomen scars could you have? You might think that only an open surgery could cause problems.

Surgeries like C-sections, exploratory surgeries with an incision across or down your belly, appendix or gallbladder removal, and other less-overt scars can still be problematic. For example, a laparoscopic surgery scar, on the surface of the skin is small, but then there is more scar tissue in the layers of tissue below the skin, along little tunnels that the surgeon makes to get where they need to go.

Then there are scars that do not make an external mark at all, but come from outer forces like car accidents, sports injuries or falls. Internal conditions like a burst appendix, ovarian cyst, endometriosis or digestive issues like SIBO can also cause scar tissue to develop.

When a scar forms, it starts out as a jelly-like structure and over 6-8 weeks slowly becomes the scar tissue we know and love. The fibres and cells fill in all willy-nilly and then over the next year or so, that scar gets reshaped and remodelled (ideally) to attach and move well with the surrounding tissues.

So what might lead you to think that your scar needs a little extra help?

Sometimes it's the external mark. If the scar is red, irritated and puckered long after the 6 months post-operative date or if you feel pulling and itching around the scar, you may want to seek treatment.

Other symptoms you might not realize are related to your scar can include:

• Back pain that is not helped by other treatment
• Limited chest or hip movement, pain
• Tingling or numbness down the legs or into the back and chest
• Ankle and knee pain or weakness
• Difficulty breathing normally and deeply
• Acid reflux
• Difficulty with normal, or uncomfortable, bowel movements
• Trapped gas or nausea

How can massage help? Well, in a few ways:

General massage can help support surrounding tissues and the body as a whole, but scar tissue specific treatments work more directly with the scar and fascia in the area where the scar is pulling/tight. This treatment helps fluid movement in the area, ensuring everything can move well, like how a car engine needs oil.

Treatments also help calm the nervous system, which helps decrease pain, itching, pulling and more scar tissue from being produced.

Scar treatments can also help prevent secondary adhesions from forming from our body compensating because of misalignment or dysfunction caused by the original scar.

There are also specific techniques that help scar tissue related to organs. This can help increase normal organ movement and help everything slide and glide on each other, which in turn decreases symptoms like back pain, acid reflux and other digestive symptoms.

Have more questions or are curious about having your scar treated?
Phone or book online with Maegan, Elvina and Monica.

Learn More

Prenatal & Pregnancy Massage
Specifically tailored for the changes in a woman's body during pregnancy

By Barb Lambert, RMT, BA

Have you noticed there are a lot of expectant mothers walking around town? With midwives and obstetricians being busier than ever, let the RMTs at Vitality be a supportive addition to your birthing team!

We have many RMTs that have years of experience in providing safe, relaxing, circulation-increasing and tension-reducing massage therapy, specifically tailored for pregnancy. Massage therapy can help reduce neck, back and hip tension as your body changes. Pregnancy massage can encourage venous and lymph return out of your tired, and perhaps swollen, legs and arms.

We have a pregnancy support system that enables our patients to lie down in a straight line, whether you are face-up or face-down. With curves and angles to keep mom and baby safe, many of our pregnant clients fall asleep in this supportive and comfortable system. No sore hips from lying on your side, no pillows to slide out of place!

To book an appointment, visit our website to see which of our therapists align with your schedule and your way of being. Please tell us how far along you are in the notes section when you book online or over the phone.

Learn More

Acupuncture and More for New (or Old) Repetitive Strain Injuries

By Sabrina Lundquist, R.Ac.

In Canada, "acupuncture" is often a catch-all term for not only the famous needle treatment, but also the less well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques.

For a new sprain, we offer electro-acupuncture for reducing swelling without having to touch the swollen tender area.

For low grade aches and tenderness that linger for weeks, we can use herbal lineaments and gua sha, a "scraping" tool to warm the area with friction, to improve circulation and speed healing.

For a tight muscle that feels like it will not let go, a good technique is cupping. We apply cups that lift tissues to improve circulation to the injured area to improve healing. Then we can use local needles to reset the muscle. Our heat lamp relaxes and softens muscles and connective tissue as well.

For old scar tissue, we can use two specialty needles and traction in opposite directions to mechanically make more space between layers.

So, if you have new (or old) sore muscles, we have an approach you likely haven't tried yet. Contact Sabrina for a 20-minute free consultation!

Book with Sabrina

Thank You & Review

Thank you for continuing to choose Vitality Treatment Centre as part of your healthcare team.

Even if we haven't seen you in a while, we appreciate you as a patient and person with whom we connect. If you feel so inclined, please leave a review on our Facebook or Google pages. Here's how:

FACEBOOK
Once logged into your Facebook account, visit the Vitality Facebook page and click on the "Reviews" tab, then follow the prompts.

GOOGLE
Again, once logged into your Google account, do a search for Vitality Treatment Centre. On mobile, our listing displays first; on desktop, our listing displays in the right column. Click on the "Reviews" button, then "Leave a Review" and follow the prompts.

We so appreciate it, as it really does make a difference.