Spring is upon us!

Welcome to April’s newsletter. And with it, the kickoff to an exciting 2013 outdoor/racing season. It was another busy month at the clinic, with Mountain Madness’ Dirty Duo race in North Vancouver, the start of the Coast Mountain Trail race series with the Cap Crusher, and our continued work treating patients for new and recurring injuries, and preventative maintenance to keep all our clients healthy on a daily basis.

 

The Dirty Duo is an early race to kick start the racing season for cyclists and runners. It’s a combined race, and can be run as a relay or duathlon event. Movéo provided post race massage treatments on site, and had so many visitors we had to turn some away! What a great start to the season.

The Coast Mountain Trail series started in March as well, with the Cap Crusher. Movéo was at the race providing post run massage and cheering on our athletes. The race was a rousing success! Thank you to everyone who came out.

Meet Movéo’s new Registered Massage Therapist, Sonya Scheer

This month we are pleased to welcome Sonya Scheer, RMT, to the Movéo team! We are proud to have Sonya as a part of our well rounded team of chiropractors, physiotherapists, kinesthiologists, and massage therapists. Here’s a quick introduction to Sonya.

Sonya trained as an RMT with the Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy. She has extensive training and performance experience as a ballet dancer. Twenty years as a dancer have given her a deep appreciation for the importance of flexibility and strength conditioning, and ignited her passion for massage therapy when she received treatment for her own dance injuries. We are happy to welcome Sonya to the Movéo team.

The Quickfire Round

1. What makes your eyes light up in your job?

I love working one on one with people. It is wonderful that each day provides something new. Even when treating clients I’ve seen many times before, no one presents exactly the same from visit to visit – so it keeps me alert and on my toes.

2. What’s your favourite activity on the weekend?

I love to go for a long Sunday run followed by a big lazy breakfast and a big cup of coffee.

3. Guilty pleasure?

I really like celebrity gossip blogs, it’s a love/hate relationship.

4. If you didn’t work at Movéo where would you be today?

I would still be at my downtown office in Vancouver, I have been working downtown for 4 years. My fiancé and I recently moved to North Vancouver, and when I found that Movéo had room for another massage therapist I was delighted. I love the team approach and open learning environment.

5. What types of clients would you most like the opportunity to work with at Movéo?

TMJ dysfunction, headaches, and pain when exercising are problems that a lot of people feel like they have to live with. But, the human body is much more adaptable than we give it credit for. Through personal experience, I have an insight and empathy for injuries, chronic pain, and the specific demands required of the athletic body. I like to help people work past these physical issues.

TMJ Dysfunction and Massage Therapy by Sonya Scheer

Does your jaw click? Do you grind or clench your teeth?

Most people take these concerns to the dentist and are discouraged to find out that there is little treatment available after a mouth guard is prescribed. Mouth guards are very helpful in protecting the joint from further damage, but often don’t provide immediate pain relief. TMJ dysfunction can be very painful with symptoms such as jaw pain, headaches, ringing or congestion in the ear, dizziness, and inability to fully open or close your mouth.

You may be surprised to know that Massage Therapy can be a very effective treatment for TMJ dysfunction. Why? Well, the two most common factors in TMJ dysfunction are emotional stress and muscle imbalance. Massage therapy is well known for relieving both of these.

Muscle imbalance in the jaw can be a result of multiple causes. Some of the most common examples include trauma (e.g., a motor vehicle accident or sports injury), malocclusion – how the teeth fit together, and muscle overuse –grinding and clenching the teeth. But even postural factors such as pelvic alignment can be a cause. As the jaw is one bone with two joints, the imbalance on the one side is constantly affecting the other side and creates a cycle of irritation and dysfunction. This causes tightmuscles, headaches and jaw pain.

Clicking jaw is a sign of a misplaced disc, and is often accompanied with muscle imbalance. The disc is designed to cushion the joint, and when misplaced, it leaves the joint vulnerable to wear that can lead to arthritis over time.

Now, the Good News…

The good news is that Massage Therapy can provide people with immediate relief. I have seen clients walk into the office near tears due to the discomfort and frustration and an hour later, tears of relief.

What does massage treatment include? A detailed history is taken to properly tailor the treatment. Focus will first be given to provide relaxation and treating muscles of the neck, shoulders and hips in order to address contributing factors. The muscles of mastication (“chewing muscles”) are then treated. This is a relatively short portion of the treatment as these muscles respond quickly. Each muscle is treated for a duration of 10-30 seconds. During this portion of the treatment your therapist will be careful to guide you through each step, providing clear explanation and checking in regularly.

The treatment often ends with a neck and scalp massage. After the treatment, home care is given that reflects each individual’s needs that often include ways to decrease stress. A series of 3-6 weekly treatments is recommended to restore muscle balance. From there a maintenance program may be introduced.

For further reading please check out this article published by John W. Corry, RMT instructor of TMJ Mastery course. Both Holly Samson RMT and Sonya Scheer RMT at Movéo have successfully completed this course.

Events in April

April triggers the change in season, and we all love the extra energy we feel from the longer days and warmer weather. Get out into the trails in April with two excellent running events:

My First Trail Race

Movéo has a long history supporting Run the North Shore as they promote local road and trail races. My First Trail Race offers two distances – 5km and 10km, and promises a beautiful, safe and fun race in the Lower Seymour Demonstration Forest. Register online here.

Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the Fittest Trail Race, part of the recently launched Coast Mountain Trail Series will take place on April 13th and is 13km in length. This will be held on the formidable Squamish trail network. Check out the whole series and register for Survival of the Fittest online.

Thanks for reading. We hope you find our newsletters informative, enjoy regular updates on life at Movéo. Don’t hesitate to contact us if we can offer any assistance in keeping you healthy, active and in the outdoors.

The Movéo Team.