Massage Therapy @ NTO Wellness & Rehab

NTO Wellness & Rehab knows all too well that LIFE GETS BUSY, and sooner or later it takes over! And not in a good way. Between your attempt to make ends meet, running a household, keeping your family together and not forgetting to have some fun occasionally – it is all too easy to forget about yourself, your wellness, your body and your overall well being.

It’s time to put yourself first for once. It doesn’t matter whether you are an athlete, office worker or construction manager – your body will thank you for taking the time to notice that aching neck, that sore back or super tight quad muscles.

Why Choose Massage Therapy as your First Line of Defense?

Massage Therapy is not only for those fortunate ones with a life of luxury, or for those ladies of leisure who belong to those high-class luncheon clubs. In fact Massage Therapy offers benefits to a range of people, no matter what age, occupation or lifestyle – it should therefore be mandatory for every active person from the age of 12 through to 112!

Why is massage therapy necessary for an active healthy life? In some cases you have already pre-diagnosed yourself at home having used the Internet, home remedy books or a piece of friend’s advice. Typically, when you seek medical attention whether it is from your GP, a walk-in medical clinic, or a specialized procedures such as MRI, CT Scans or Surgery – you may be waiting in pain for days, weeks or months. This is where massage therapy may offer significant benefits in helping you with more immediate pain relief, restoring physical function, or sustaining soft tissue and healthy muscles in your body.

Why not just listen to your body instead?

massage_infographIt knows better than any other person out there – try to be still and determine how you feel by listening to your body’s feelings, your heart, your mind and your inner soul (gut instinct or intuition). The answers are within you, and so is the capability for it to heal itself.

Stop putting in more poisonous substances and synthetic compounds into your body than you may already get from the food you eat, the air you breathe and the negative stress factors you are faced with in day-to-day life.

Massage Therapy is the most effective way to give your body a “once over” simply by having a 1 hour muscle relaxation massage with a registered massage therapist giving you professional, attentive and dedicated one-on-one care through “the power of touch”. Stress relief is critical to your body functioning at its best. And what better way than to have somebody physically touch every muscular part of your body as a surface examination. You may discover pain points that you didn’t even know existed, and these could be the early tell tell signs of something bigger. So let Massage Therapy be your first line of defense and Book an Appointment with Christine Mo, RMT.

At NTO Wellness and Rehab, we are dedicated to not only treating your symptoms of pain and dysfunction, but more importantly identifying and treating the underlying causes and providing you with a treatment plan that are custom to your body’s needs. We are committed to providing the very best in leading edge one-on-one patient care. Trust our team of qualified healthcare professionals to provide safe, smart and effective healthcare for your specific needs.

 

Heat or Ice? The Ongoing Debate

Physiotherapist - Leo WanAt NTO Wellness and Rehab our very own Registered Physiotherapist Leo Wan would like to share some advice on one of the most common questions he often gets asked at the clinic:  Heat or Ice?  The Ongoing Debate.

 

The question I get asked most in at the NTO Wellness and Rehab Centre, ” Should I apply heat or ice when I have pain?”

Honestly, we don’t blame patients for asking this question because this has been an ongoing debate, even in the health community. Heat is generally used to promote more circulation to an
injured area, providing it with more nutrients and oxygen to aide in healing. The warmth can help to alleviate pain, relax muscles, decrease muscle spasms and increase range of motion of the
affected joint. Ice, on the other hand helps to decrease circulation to the area, thereby reducing swelling, inflammation and pain.

So what is the big difference between the two? Simply put, heat will increase circulation and ice will decrease circulation. Both modalities are useful and effective only if used at the right timing in
the course of your injury. Therefore, the biggest question is “when”. Here are some general guidelines on when to use ice or heat.

When to use Ice?

You should use ice within 24 to 48 hours after an injury. It is not recommended to ice after this time frame as it may delay healing of the injured tissues. The main goal of icing at this time is to
help reduce or prevent excess swelling that may occur during your body’s inflammatory response to the injury. You may use ice again if you re­aggravated the injured area and caused more
swelling. Ice should be applied for no more than 20 minutes and you should wait an hour before re­applying it again.

When to use Heat?

After the  initial 48 hours after an injury, you may start to use heat. The main goal of heating at this point is to bring more blood to the area to stimulate healing of the damaged tissues. You can
also use heat if you are suffering from muscle spasms, chronic injury and joint or muscle stiffness.  Heat should be applied for no more than 20 minutes and you should wait an hour before re­applying it again.

If you are unsure about the nature of your injury or have any doubt as to whether to apply heat or ice to an injury, you should contact your health care provider for more information.  Feel free to bring up this question of Heat or Ice the next time you see me at the NTO Wellness and Rehab Centre.