Stepping Stones Massage

Over the course of my 23 year career in massage therapy, I have taken many specialty courses with the intention of finding the best way to help my client’s live their best lives. The blended therapeutic treatments offered by my clinic, in Sturgeon County, AB, includes a blend of RAPID-NFR, Spinal Flow Technique and MPS therapy . (For online booking click here). I have many clients that come to me as needed for my specialized treatments and go to other RMT’s for their regular monthly massage treatments as well.

Treatments include assessment, coaching and movement. As you will stay dressed for your treatment, it is best to wear loose comfortable clothing (or bring some to change into).

RAPID-NFR is ideal fast treatment of painful conditions and limited range of motion. As a TAC certified RAPID-NFR Specialist, I am trained in the most researched and up to date treatments for pain and concussion and neuro-inflammation. Shorter appointment times are ideal for RAPID-NFR so don’t be shy to book 30 or 45 minute appointments.

Spinal Flow Technique goes beyond symptom/condition based care (Pain to no pain, disease to no disease) to guiding the body back to whole body health and vitality by improving the overall health of both the spine and the nervous system. I recommend Spinal Flow to every body and it is my recommendation to begin all blended therapeutic treatments with spinal flow when time allows. Spinal Flow is available within your blended therapeutic treatment time or you can book into group spinal flow session. (same amount of improvement in your spine for half the price) For more information on the benefits of group spinal flow click here. Please note new clients cannot book into group spinal flow sessions without an initial appointment. If you are new to my clinic please book a initial spinal flow assessment prior to attending group room. A new assessment is booked every 12 spinal flow treatments so that we can track your changes overtime with your before and after pictures and posture assessments. Spinal flow can be booked once a month or 3 times a day as needed.

Great news! On Dec 19, 2023, I received my certification as a Spinal Flow practitioner! It is now available to book within your blended therapeutic treatment time or as a group session. I recommend starting your treatment with spinal flow because it greatly reduces the tension in the body, in fact , I find that it greatly decreases the amount of time I need to spend releasing neck tension.

Other benefits of Spinal Flow are:

• Release spinal blockages caused by emotional, chemical, and physical stress.
• Reduce or eliminate pain from old or new injuries.
• Improve the health of your spine and nervous system
• Improve physical health including digestion and elimination
• Reduce anxiety , calm your nervous system, and improve emotional wellness
• Connect to your body, mind and soul and feel deep inner peace & confidence
• Release emotional trauma & stress…without reliving those past experiences
• Feel like yourself again…or feel your true self for the very first time.

For more information about what to expect during a spinal flow treatment click here.

To hear Dr. Carli Axford speak about Spinal Flow Technique click the link below:

https://spinalflowtechnique.com/about-spinal-flow-technique/

I’m so excited to announce that Spinal Flow Technique will soon be available at Stepping Stones Massage.

This November, I will be spending a 7 days learning the Spinal Flow Technique under the guidance of Dr. Carli Axford and her staff. I’m so excited to bring this modality back to my community in Sturgeon County. My hope is to go beyond supporting my clients in getting out of pain to living their best lives with more energy and vibrant health. 

Spinal Flow Technique was founded by a former Chiropractor, Dr. Carli Axford.  Dr. Axford used her knowledge of science and the anatomy of the spine and nervous system to create a gentle, fast, and effective technique to release spinal blockages so that the body could heal from pain, dis-ease and illness by restoring the full connection of the brain to the nervous system.

The Philosophy and Science of Spinal Flow is based on the original principles of Chiropractic, which say that “Our Bodies have the ability to heal themselves”. I truly do believe the human body has everything it needs inside itself to heal and I’m so excited to show YOU how amazing your body can be as well!

​During your spinal flow session, I will contact specific points, called access points, on your spine to bring your brains awareness to any blockages in your spine. These blockages are interrupting the healthy flow of messages up and down your spine and through your nerves to all your  cells, glands, tissues and organs. Spinal flow treatments allow your brain to connect to and release these blockages on its own. This in turn creates more Spinal Wave (communication) in your system from the coccyx to the cranium and allows your body to restore and reset itself.

Spinal Flow is for every body. All that is required of you is to lie face down fully clothed, relax and enjoy connecting into your body.  It is so gentle that even new born babies can receive and benefit from spinal flow. Some of the benefits of spinal flow include: Promotes relaxation, reduces pain, stiffness and muscle spasm, reduces recovery time from illness and dis-ease, enhances the immune system, improves oxygenation, improves digestive function, encourages tissue regeneration, increases nutrient flow, and improves athletic performance.

Although I have not attended the 7 day in person component of my course yet, I have completed the online course and am having so much fun practicing.  Spinal flow truly has showed me how amazing our bodies are. I look forward to completing the course Dec 1, 2023 and working toward submitting my final assignments for my certification in December and adding spinal flow technique to my list of services in the new year!

My career requires me to be not only healthy but also full of energy to deliver the best treatment possible. For years, I have trusted essential oils to help with boost my immunity, energize me and treat aches and pains.

I was first introduced to essential oils while listening to the “Essentially You” Podcast by Dr. Mariza Snyder. Dr. Snyder is passionate about helping women find natural solutions for hormonal issues, and stress. Her podcasts inspired me to start using essential oils to support my health. Since then have studied Aromatherapy at the Alberta Aromatherapy institute and am now a certified Aromatherapist.

My favorite way of using essential oil is inhalers and I have created a wide variety of inhalers for purchase at my wellness studio.

If you would like some help identifying which essential oils might help support you on your journey to wellness you can fill out the following form (AromatherapySupport) and I can develop an essential oil roller blend or inhaler bend to meet your needs and guide you as to which Acu-points to apply the oils to to get the best results for your unique needs.

You can also visit my Doterra site at my.doterra.com/steppingstones77

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Stepping Stones Massage is amping up services by adding Vagal Nerve Stimulation to their service menu.

Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is the electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (10^th Cranial Nerve) by sending a very gentle (low frequency ) micro-electrical current through to the vagal nerve to help down regulate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Down regulation of the SNS is crucial because the SNS serves as a gas pedal for our bodies. When exposed to stress, it prepares us for fight or flight by:

• Moving blood away from the organs to the muscles
• Shuts down digestion
• Shuts down immune system
• Tightens muscles
• Constricts lymphatic flow
• Ceases cellular healing

Looking at this list, one can see how prolonged up-regulation of the SNS can cause a cascade of negative neurophysiological responses and be directly connected to chronic dis-ease in the body.

Vagal Nerve Stimulation helps to activate our bodies “brakes”. The Vagal nerve is responsible for 80% of the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system which stimulates:

• Restoration and repair
• Digestion
• Detoxification
• Immunological balance

The Vagus nerve, which runs from the brain into the body, connects to the heart, lungs, intestines and several muscles involved in swallowing.  It is responsible for:

• Slowing the heart rate
• Regulating blood pressure
• Controlling vascular and muscle tone
• Controlling sweating
• Stimulating peristalsis
• Regulating pulmonary function
• Regulating respiration
• Regulates Immune response to inflammation

VNS has been approved by Health Canada in the treatment of acute respiratory issues as research has shown this treatment can immediately enhance respiratory functioning. It is also effective for treatment of brain fog, pain, headaches, inflammation, and insomnia.

This service can be booked as a stand alone session or included in your Therapeutic Massage or RAPID-NFR Session at no extra cost.  Ask Carmen if Vagal Nerve Stimulation might be a beneficial stepping stone on your path to health.

Take a deep breath.

Seems simple right. I mean, you have been doing this action automatically without much thought most of your life?

Well, you might be surprised to know that it’s probable that are you aren’t breathing correctly at this very moment.

Let’s do a quick test. Lightly place one hand on your abdomen and the other hand on your chest. Take a normal breath. (I said normal-no cheating) What moves first your chest or your abdomen?

Did you know that your abdomen should move first? (I sure didn’t.)  If your answer is your chest moved first, you aren’t alone.

Let’s talk about why it matters.

When we use our chest muscles as our primary muscles for breathing and become predominantly chest breathers we overuse our neck and shoulder muscles which causes:

Sounds familiar doesn’t it? In fact, (just guessing here) I bet these are some of issues I treat during your RAPID-NFR or Therapeutic massage treatments right?

As Paul Ingram said ”People mostly aren’t interested in breathing better-they are interested in fixing pain….”

Okay so now we know chest breathing can cause a cycle of pain and tension in your neck and shoulders, but did you know that it also causes some pyscho-emotional  effects. Basically since chest breathing is inefficient, it activates our sympathetic nervous system and can cause:

Have I got your attention folks? The good news is that you can change your pain cycle, increase relaxation by stimulating the vagus nerve, optimize O2 and CO2 exhange in the lungs, increase distribution of blood to the extremities (no more cold feet!), reduce muscle tension(including headaches) and reduce blood pressure by learning how to breath diaphragmatically. Restoring proper breathing also helps with GERD, acid reflux and other gastrointestinal issues because the movement of the diaphragm massages the abdominal organs helping digestive and bowel function.

“You know when you are unraveling something and occasionally you unravel one knot and almost all the other knots undo? The diaphragm is like that, it is a kingpin in the body that has a huge trickle down effect across the neurological systems.” Jocelyn Oliver.

Breathing Retraining. It takes 300 bad movements to create a movement pattern-3000 to undo it so breathing retraining is important.

Exercise 1: Placing the hands.

 Place one hand over your chest and one hand over your abdomen.

1. Take a slow breath in. Try to bring it deep down into your abdomen, feel your abdomen moving outward.  Visualize a balloon filling up in your stomach. Feel your breath then move your ribs laterally and finally your chest moves slightly up and forward.
2. Exhale by relaxing your diaphragm letting your stomach muscles relax and then let your ribs drop down and finally your upper chest relax.

Exercise 2:Box Breathing

Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, out for 4 seconds and hold for 4 seconds.

Exercise 3: Practice “Hu Breath”(sounds like a monkey)

This is a chaotic breathing pattern with no breaths the same to break up fixations in the diaphragm.  HU HU HAHA HEEHEE

Exercise 4: Weight breathing

Hold a weight (books or heavy pillow) on the tummy (right above the pubic bone) to feel the belly rise and fall.

Repeat steps 1& 2 from above while keeping the neck and shoulders loose and relaxed.

Happy Breathing!

Short and Sweet…Rib flare is dysfunctional! It can reduce your core stability, increase anxiousness by preventing the lungs from fully exhaling, reduce your shoulder range of motion, and cause pain between the shoulder blades.

Not sure if you have rib flare? Ask me! If you have had a Rapid-NFR treatment we may already be working at decreasing your rib flare.  I am a certified RAPID-NFR Specialist and have 4 levels of certification in RAPID-NFR included RAPID core which addresses the muscles of the pelvic floor, abdomen, diaphragm and intercostal muscles.

Addressing rib flare is important because when your ribs are not positioned correctly you are at increased risk for shoulder, neck and back dysfunction as well as pelvic floor dysfunction (incontinence or pelvic pain.) This is due to the fact that rib flare can pull the thoracic and lumbar spine into extension changing the way the shoulder blades glide and causing the pelvis to tilt anteriorly. Also rib flare can inhibit the lungs from completely exhaling which can keep the body in a sympathetic (fight or flight) state.

What can you do about it?

I know. No one likes homework, but you are going to breathe anyway, why not strengthen the muscles between your ribs so you can do it correctly.

Resistance band Exercise:

1. Tie a Resistance band or Yoga belt around your chest just beneath your breast (for ladies this is directly under your bra strap)

2. Stand up tall and breathe deeply so that your rib cage expands pushing into the band.

3. Take 10-15 breaths.

Balloon blowing exercise: Balloons are fun right?

1. Lay down on your back with your feet placed on a wall. Your knees should be bent to 90 degrees.
2. Slowly Blow up a balloon. Make sure to recruit your ab muscles and completely exhale and pause before taking another breath.

These two simple exercises can restore key postural muscles involved in breathing control and also switch the body from and sympathetic nervous overload to a more parasympathetic (rest and digest) state. Bonus!

Boy do I miss the good ol’ days! Over the last month I have been taking the steps to ensure I am ready to re-open. My focus is on your safety and well-being, as well as that of myself and my family. I will do everything to ensure everyone’s safety before and after I reopen.

I am counting down the days until I’m allowed to practice again. As many of you know Massage Therapy is in Stage 2 of the re-opening plan. As of right now Stage 2 is set for June 19. Please be sure to read through to the end of this notice as I have to implement some changes to comply with regulations set forth by Alberta Health Services.

What does the new normal look like? I’m not going to lie. It’s going to be weird folks. For starters, there are going to be changes to the way I am dressed for your treatments. I am required to wear a mask, an apron, and goggles or facesheild. You are required to wear a mask aswell. Please note you will need to bring your own mask. 

Other temporary changes are as follows. 

• You will be required to sign a COVID-19 release form before each and every appointment. (This is required by my massage association in order to practice) This will be emailed out to you the day before your appointment. 
• I will not be able to treat you if you answer yes to any of the questions on the above waiver:
  • Are you experiencing the following symptoms, even mildly?
    • fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, sore throat or runny nose
  • In contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19?
  • Travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?
  • Been in Contact with anyone who has travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?
• You will be asked to sanitize your hands upon entering 
• To reduce the amount of surfaces touched in the common areas of the house and time spent in outside of the treatment room only one person will be allowed per appointment. 
  • Children will not be allowed to accompany parents to massage appointments. 
  • Spouses or family members attending together will be asked to wait in the car until their appointment time or to attend appointments separately 
• As always, there will be no cancellation fees for short notice cancelling of appointments due to sickness of either yourself or anyone in your household. 

I know not everyone will be ready to jump back onto the massage table. If it’s not the right time for you, I respect your choice. We all have to choose the risks we are willing to take at this time. If wearing a mask is a problem, let’s talk about some potential solutions. some ideas are booking shorter appointment times, or choosing RAPID-NFR treatments instead of massage so you have to spend less time with your head in the face cradle.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I’m hopeful that this new normal will be short term but I do look forward to being able to practice again. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Please note, Due to COVID-19 Stepping Stones Reflexology and Massage is temporarily unable to see clients until Alberta Health deems it safe to resume practice. Massage Therapy is in Stage 2 of reopening and I am hopeful to begin booking clients again after June 19.

If you are in need of some home care suggestions during this time you can book a virtual consultation and we can discuss some stretches, or releases that can reduce your pain or flexibility until you can get in for your treatment.