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SERVICES 

Women's Health K-Tape

K-tape is a blend of nylon and cotton that has an elasticity component. It is made to mimic the intrinsic elasticity in your muscle so you can move through your range of motion. It may provide support to joints, reduce pain, treat scar tissues, drain lymphedema, and correct fascial tension.

 

 

They come in different colours, some of you have seen this in our communities or with a lot of athletes. The colours doesn't mean anything, just in our minds we like to see certain colours more than others. Like blue is a relaxing colour, or pink will be a exciting colour. There are also neutral colours for those of you who don't want to stick out.

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The tape can last up to 5 days if taken care of, you can shower with it, you can sleep with it and it can be removed any time you want. Sometimes it can get itchy, so that's when I recommend to remove it. There are ways to remove it so it doesn't hurt. I recommend not to remove it quickly like a band aid.

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My focus is mainly on women's health. During pregnancy, postpartum and menopause, some of these techniques can follow into everyday life. For example, we can tape for issues with carpal tunnel and posture at a desk. Some other techniques can help with tension headaches, menstrual cramping, and lymph swelling during menopause.

 

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Who can benefit from this? Women who have the following:

  • Low back pain from instability during pregnancy

  • Ribs or shoulder discomfort during pregnancy and postpartum due to nursing

  • Menstrual cramping

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • Scar tissue from cesareans or breast reductions

  • Prolapses uterus

  • Micturition problems (inability to hold urine)

  • Mastitis

  • Edema in the legs, arms or breasts.

  • Diastasis recti (abdominal separation)

  • Abdominal support during pregnancy

  • And more

 

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​Make no mistake though, the K-Tape can help everyone, not just women!

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At Hope Therapeutic Massage, Melanie will use k-tape as an add on to a massage session. This k-tape will be a piece of supportive therapy a client can take home with them. It can make the massage session last about 5 days longer.

 

 

Please take a look at the new bookings in Jane. There will be 30 min, 45 min, 60 min and 90 min sessions where the k-tape will be an extra 15 mins added to the session. There will also be a small extra cost of $5 (+GST) for the time extension when applying the k-tape. In the future if you need a reapply, I can either show you how to do it yourself or come in just for a small fee. If you are unsure of how long you need, just reach out to me to discuss your concerns through email, text or phone call.

Womens Ktape

Hope Head Massage

Hope Head Massages will be a therapeutic treatment or relaxation treatment. The treatment will include modalities like craniosacral, jaw and scalp work, facial, all neck muscles and essential oils. These sessions can be 30 or 45 minutes long. 

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​​People who can benefit from these sessions: 

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  • anyone with headaches

  • jaw pain 

  • clenching

  • current stressful situations happening in your life

  • old injuries to your head or neck like whiplash or concussions

  • difficulties sleeping 

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Why get a Hope Head Massage?

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  • encourage blood circulation to the head 

  • help provide relief from a migraine 

  • helps increase memory 

  • helps decrease blood pressure 

  • helps dealing with stress 

  • help cure insomnia 

Head Massge
Therapeutic massage (deep tissue)

Therapeutic Massage (Deep Tissue)

Therapeutic/deep tissue massage is the most common style of massage that I like to use for every client. The intent is to focus on the actual health problem, pain or dysfunction. I recommend more than one treatment; a treatment plan will be put into place with potential home care exercises. Therapeutic massage helps relieve pain, reduce stress, and increase circulation throughout the body that can treat specific issues like headaches or frozen shoulders.

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There are three components I always take into consideration when working with clients: 

1.  Looking at the body as a whole

2. Shorten muscle tissue that can not function fully 

3. Soft tissue responds to touch

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The difference between therapeutic and deep tissue massage

There is often a misunderstanding as to what the difference is between therapeutic massage and deep tissue massage.

Therapeutic massage focuses on working knots and trouble spots that are felt throughout the body. This style of massage doesn't always have a flow to it. There is a lot of manipulation to the tissues from superficial to deep layers, working front and back of the joint affected and potentially small movements to the joints, depending on your condition. 

Deep tissue massage is a style used in therapeutic treatments. It is a style of physically and localizing breaking down the adhesions/knots to relieve pain and restore normal movement. It is often used for chronic conditions when previous modalities of Swedish techniques, stretching or trigger point do not respond to the tissues. Deep tissue will be applied by finger, fists, palms or elbows through a direct pressure. But this is not what deep pressure means. Deep tissue is very localized, direct pressure, results oriented treatment for a specific injured.

It is important to communicate and let me know the pressure used during these treatments because everyone's pain tolerance is different. 

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Therapeutic (deep tissue) massage can help with the following conditions:

  • Headaches 

  • Low back pain

  • Tendonitis (golfers or tennis elbow) 

  • Any arthritic conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis,  Osteoarthritis, or Ankylosing Spondylitis 

  • Whiplash associated disorders 

  • Strains and sprains 

  • Muscle spasms 

  • Stiffness or increase flexibility 

  • Pain management 

  • Recovery from injury or surgery 

  • and more 

Cupping

Myofascial Cupping Massage

Myofascial cupping massage is an extra tool that can be added to further your treatment in your recovery. The pliable soft edge silicon cups are used during a treatment in combination with a therapeutic massage. This is great to increase the depth of the treatments by adding kinetic mobilization for each treatment to reach the fascia.  

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What is cupping?

Cupping is a soft tissue therapy that encourages gliding pressurized cups over the body. The suction of the cups create a vacuum and a negative pressure perfect for tissue lift and separations. This will create a perfect environment for releasing fluids and metabolic wastes stagnate in the area. This negative pressure creates a lifting action in the tissues which is different from the compression of a massage technique and it results in a highly effective separation of tissue layers. The myofascial tissues get released by the lifting of these tissues, and loosening of adhesions. 

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Benefits to cupping: 

  • Mobilize toxins sitting in the tissues 

  • Better myofascial release

  • More effective manual lymph drainage

  • Release of synovial fluid in joint areas (increase flexibility) 

  • Helps mobilize congestion and ease restrictions found in the rib cage area

  • Improve overall sports or muscle performance 

  • Increased relaxation 

  • Longer lasting and more extensive results

  • ....and more!

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PLEASE NOTE: If you're pregnant and have never received treatments prior, then it is best to wait until your second trimester â€‹

Relaxation Massage (Swedish)

Relaxation Swedish massage is the most commonly used massage in the western world. The intent for relaxation massage is to calm and/or de-stress the mind, body, emotions and your well-being. Often the techniques used in relaxation massages are long flowing strokes, some friction, light stripping and effleurage  (flushing) of the tissues. I like to incorporate the whole body which includes front and back of the legs, back, shoulders, neck, arms, feet, hands and head. If you do not want some areas worked on, just let me know. It is all up to your comfort level. Relaxation massage is a great type of massage to try for the first time and usually I would recommend a 60 minute session to receive the full experience of relaxing. 

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Relaxation massage can help in the following ways: 

  • Lower blood pressure to reduce anxiety and depression

  • Control stress hormones

  • Improve sleep 

  • Can provide more energy 

  • Help strengthen the immune system 

  • Help improve circulation

  • Promotes muscle relaxation 

  • ...and more!

Relaxation
Child Massage

Child Massage Therapy 

Child massage will range from the ages of 6 to 17 years at Hope Therapeutic Massage. I like to focus on physical strain and anxiety relief for children during their massages. Many children are active with sports creating strain on back, legs or shoulders with sports like hockey, dance, gymnastics, baseball, etc. In school, they often have poor posture due to heavy book bags and poor ergonomics at their desks, stress from exams and sports competitions, as well as headaches or neck strain from continuously looking down at electric devices.

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Treatment times will vary with the child. Some younger children can only handle 30 - 45 minutes massages due to their attention span. If you are not sure how long of a treatment to book, just contact me to discuss your child's massage goals. I also ask that you stay during your child massage appointment. If they are over 15 years of age, you can sign our DEPENDENT CONSENT FORM FOR MASSAGE THERAPY  allowing the child to receive a massage, accompanied or not accompanied by a parent during their sessions. 

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Child massage therapy can help in the following ways: 

  • Reduce stress hormones and anxiety especially during exam time 

  • Promote postural alignment

  • Helps children sleep better

  • Can help to be more calm, creative and increase their ability to concentrate 

  • Enhance breathing for children with asthma 

  • Overall sense of well being 

  • Reduce pain

  • ...and more

AOM

Advanced Orthopedic Massage (AOM)

AOM will create a change in the neuromusculoskeletal (nerves, muscles and bones) soft tissue to promote healing to the body by;

  • repositioning the soft tissue

  • unwind the abnormal twisted knots in the muscle fibers

  • renew the normal alignment of soft tissue

  • encourage cellular activity to create a electric current repair

  • begin repairing the body

  • create movement of the fluids in the body

 

It uses a style of wave mobilization, muscle energy techniques, and certain hand placement during treatments to advance the approach  for my clients' recovery through pain and stress.

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This style of massage can be used and adjusted for many different kind of conditions but also has a few contradictions. It would be best to discuss your concerns in person with myself or check with your doctor to decide if these techniques would benefit you.

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AOM can help in the following ways:

  • Low back pain

  • Muscle Strains 

  • Piriformis Syndrome

  • Sacroiliac (S.I) Dysfunction or any joint dysfunction

  • Arthritis 

  • Spondylosis (Disc Degeneration) 

  • Emotional tension

  • Poor posture

  • Excessive sitting

  • Muscle imbalances 

  • Fatigue

  • and more 

Prenatal

Prenatal Massage Therapy

I always enjoy working with pregnant women in all trimesters. I  focus on the expecting mother and baby's safety by adjusting pressure, techniques and body positioning on the table. I can ensure your relaxation on the table by using pillows to side lie or body pillows to lie face down (prone). Massage therapy is a excellent drug free choice to treat muscle tension, rib discomfort, edema, sciatica and any kind of discomfort associated with pregnancy. 

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Prenatal massage can help in the following ways:

  • Contributes to an overall sense of well being

  • Relaxes both body and mind for mom and baby

  • Decreases edema through increase circulation and lymphatic systems 

  • Reduces muscle tension and backaches 

  • Reduces headaches

  • Stimulates endorphin release (which is a natural pain killer produced in our body) 

  • Increases your energy

  • Decreases the stress on your weight bearing joints such as the back, hips, knees and ankles

  • Promotes posture realignment

  • and more 

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