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Whether you are an existing client or a new one, I’m always happy to work with a woman throughout her pregnancy and after. While pregnancy usually brings lots of joy, it also brings lots of change, both to our bodies and our lives.

I’ve worked with many women throughout their pregnancies. While many women experience minimal discomfort from the changes their bodies go through, for others it can be a lot more difficult and stressful. Massage is a great way to help with the discomfort and stress that we often experience during and after pregnancy.

DO check in with your doctor regularly and make sure there’s no complications that would make massage inappropriate. While massage is incredibly safe in most situations, there are a few rare health complications where massage isn’t a good choice.

WHAT TO EXPECT

During the first trimester, there are not a lot of changes to our massage routine. I will make sure we’ve discussed potential health risks and miscarriages, but massage will not influence a healthy pregnancy.

Around month 5, you’ll find you’re not comfortable on your stomach. This can happen earlier if it’s not your first pregnancy. We switch to laying on your side with pillows to keep you comfortable for the rest of the pregnancy. This is also the safest position for your baby during the rest of your pregnancy.

I will check in with you at each appointment to make sure you’re up to date with your doctor and everything is healthy. If you are experiencing complications, it is important that you get the all clear from your doctor to continue with massage treatments. My first priority is always the safety of you and your baby.

I get asked this a lot and I find it a difficult question to answer after more than 13 years of massaging.

Typically in Alberta our massage training is based on Swedish massage techniques. This is by far the most common type of massage you’ll find and it was certainly where I started.

After years of continuing education, ongoing research and collaboration with other health professionals my experience base and techniques have expanded into all sorts of areas. As with most massage therapists who stay in the profession for more than a few years, we end up not having a specific “type” of massage. Instead we continually pull from our experience bank to use the most appropriate techniques based on your health issues and also how your body is responding.

I’ve had training in Swedish massage, pre and post natal massage, manual lymphatic drainage, deep tissue work, hydrotherapy, joint mobilization, myofascial therapy, pre and post natal massage, relaxation massage, trigger point work, shiatsu, cupping (including fire cupping) and aromatherapy as well as a few others I’m sure I’m forgetting. While many massage therapists branch into other areas which are more suited to spa and relaxation settings, I’ve preferred to focus on therapeutic work.

I’ve worked with a wide range of demographics and health conditions over the years, including pain management, mental health support, post surgical work, body maintenance and injury recovery for athletes and physically demanding careers, working with seniors and motor vehicle accidents to just name a few areas. I love a challenge and am always happy to research something new as well as work with other health professions.

If you are asking this question, the answer is probably YES!

If you had a car accident, GO SEE THE DOCTOR FIRST and bring me a note saying you’re ok for massage.

If you had a concussion, GO SEE THE DOCTOR FIRST and bring me a note saying you’re ok for massage.

If you have a sharp pain in your calf, GO SEE THE DOCTOR FIRST to check for a DVT and bring me a note saying you’re ok for massage.

Massage therapists are NOT allowed to diagnose medical conditions. It is always best to make sure you didn’t break a bone, break your neck, break your back, have a blood clot, have stress fractures, have skin cancer or any other thing that could potentially be life threatening or simply isn’t going to heal well if it’s not treated correctly.

I hate telling someone they can’t get their massage when they come in for an appointment. Neither one of us is happy about it. But at the end of the day, my first priority is to keep you safe.

That being said, I’m willing to work with the vast majority of health conditions if I have a reasonable expectation that I can safely help. If it’s something new to me (it’s rare after more than a decade), I’m happy to go do some research to make sure I’m using the appropriate techniques and application for your health.

As of this post, I’m expecting to receive my business license from the town of Rocky Mountain House around May 10, 2021. Fingers crossed, all goes well and I’ll be open for business next week!

I’ve been massaging for more than a decade and helping people with their health is very rewarding. I plan on continuing massaging for at least another decade, probably longer. As with all registered massage therapists, I do continuing education on an ongoing basis. After many years at it, I have a lot of different types of massage I use and many approaches depending on what a person needs. While I can certainly do relaxing massages (make sure you tell me if this is what you want), the vast majority of my career has been spent working with health issues, pain management and injury recovery. I’ve worked with every age range from children to seniors and most professions.

I’m extremely happy and excited to have moved back to rural Alberta and be out of the city. The last few weeks here have been great and I’m really enjoying the mountain views, the welcoming people and the slower pace of life. I’ve been coming to Rocky for decades to camp with my family, to visit friends here and go off road motorcycling. I have always loved the area and am glad to call it home finally.

On a more personal note, my husband and I are avid motorcyclists (on and off road), we both are licensed ham radio operators and I also enjoy gardening, snowboarding, cooking, photography and other artistic endeavors.