The article reviews current research, debunks some myths and explores patient-centred considerations for treatment planning including: the patient’s relationship with their scar, their physical and emotional experiences, and their treatment goals and preferences.

Experience the therapeutic benefits of hot stone massage at Intent Health Clinic. This treatment is billable to your insurance provider and is also available for pregnancy massage appointments.

Embracing evidence-based practice (EBP) empowers us to provide the best possible care. This article explores the integration of current scientific evidence, patient values and preferences, and our clinical expertise to ensure the delivery of safe, ethical, and effective care.

In my practice, I choose to use a gentle approach because I understand what it feels like to have a sensitivity to touch. I personalize each experience through my intuition of you, your body, and your needs.

Massage Therapists are increasingly recognizing the importance of providing trauma-informed care. This article lists our top 5 free resources for learning about trauma-informed care and how to apply it in your practice. There is no regulation for using the phrase “trauma-informed”, so be mindful about using this term and the message it conveys about your skill level and comfort in responding to complex situations that may arise.

We value accessability and inclusivity in our clinic space, our massage therapy treatments and on our website. That's why we partnered with AccessiBe. Their mission is to make the internet accessible, inclusive & equitable.

Improvements in sleep, mood and pain levels can create windows of opportunity where you feel better and can move and socialize more. Enjoying movement, socializing and building strength can help you build momentum on your path to health and recovery. Find an RMT who you feel comfortable with, who is a good listener, and who is curious to find out what works best for you.

Knowledge about how massage therapy works has changed from tissue-based explanations to more evidence-based ones. A variety of interesting things happen in the body, brain and nervous system to create the benefits of massage.

While massage techniques vary, they all work in the same way; they interact with the body, mind and nervous system in layers of context. What works best for you is really about personal preference. In this article we present current research findings on common massage techniques.

Deep tissue massage means different things to different people. In fact, it’s not a registered massage therapy technique at all, but a term that people who prefer firm pressure may use to express what they like in a massage experience. To this point, we all have our own preferences and responses to varying levels of pressure.

Massage can greatly alleviate symptoms that arise from pregnancy. Massage is safe for low-risk pregnancies and for high-risk pregnancies certain adaptations can be made to ensure safety and comfort. At Intent Health, our RMTs are up to date on current research regarding prenatal, pregnancy and postpartum massages.

One in three Canadian adults are not getting enough sleep. In fact, 50% are experiencing insomnia. Luckily, massage therapy can help. Research shows that massage therapy can improve quality and duration of sleep, and decrease pain levels associated with a variety of health conditions.

Trauma-informed massage therapy is an approach to practice and not a massage technique. It’s built upon four principles: trauma awareness, safety and trust, collaborative choice and connection, and strength-based skill-building. Registered Massage Therapists working in this area don’t have to be experts in trauma, but can respond appropriately to various situations that may arise and reduce the chances of causing additional harm.

Since the onset of COVID, levels of anxiety and depression have increased worldwide. Thankfully, research demonstrates that a series of massage therapy treatments can help reduce levels of anxiety and depression.

Exciting new discoveries in neuroscience are changing the way we view the pain experience. Pain serves to protect and heal, but can persist if and when the body’s alarm system remains on high alert. Massage therapy and movement can boost safety signals, helping to reduce pain.

Pain can affect all aspects of life. The good news is we can retrain the brain and nervous system to experience less of it. A video from the Joint Pain Education project provides an overview of strategies to decrease pain in the body, including changes to diet, lifestyle, thoughts, emotions and stress levels.

When deciding to create pain or not, our brain analyzes information from our body and environment, along with past pain experiences, memories and beliefs. A video by Generation Care looks at ways we can better understand the complexity of pain.

Pain BC hosted a webinar, Coping with pain and anxiety during COVID-19. A great resource for anyone who’s experiencing stress. In this webinar, Dr. Angie Ji explains how anxiety and pain interact with each other.

Fifteen RMTs from British Columbia attended the San Diego Pain Summit. This year’s summit focused on the patient experience and included presentations from patients and leading researchers and practitioners.

At Intent Health Clinic, we’re passionate about staying up to date on current evidence and research. We've enjoyed hosting pain science discussion groups for Registered Massage Therapists in Vancouver.