Meet Erin
Meet Erin
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Erin first tried massage therapy thirty years ago, during her first year of university. She started experiencing severe pain in her neck that radiated down her right arm and made it harder to study, and to sleep. A physician recommended she try massage therapy. She found it so effective that she continued to seek massage therapy throughout the years to help with other conditions including fibromyalgia, chronic migraines and cervicogenic headaches.
She thinks that anyone considering massage therapy should give it a try. She wanted to emphasize that it is a safe, evidence-based, non-invasive therapy, and that RMTs will work with you to provide the type of treatment that will work best for you.
“If you’re nervous, don’t hesitate to discuss your questions and concerns with your therapist,” Erin said. “Discuss your goals and comfort levels beforehand. They are educated professionals and are there to help you, but that requires input and feedback from you as well.”
Erin has continued to experience overall improvements in her well-being for decades, thanks to massage therapy. She treats massage therapy as preventative maintenance for her body, similar to having regular oil changes and tire rotations performed on her car. Regular massage therapy continues to give her good results.
“By having regular massages with my RMT, who knows my history and has treated me for years, I achieve an overall reduction in pain from my fibromyalgia and a decrease in both cervicogenic headaches and migraines,” Erin said. “My body and mind are optimized so that I can better do the things that are important to me.”
In addition to the positive impact massage therapy has had on her body, helping her relieve pain and keep functional, Erin also enjoys the opportunity to disconnect from everything and take the hour treatment as time for herself.
“I have a job that I absolutely love, but it involves high stress, long hours, on-call, and a long commute,” Erin said. “Giving myself an hour every four weeks to disconnect from everything and focus on improving my health is my ‘Me Time’, and I look forward to it!”
She thinks it’s important for people to understand that RMTs are regulated health professionals in Ontario who go through a rigorous education program and examination process before becoming RMTs. She knows that Ontario is one of the five provinces in Canada where massage therapy is regulated and thinks that contributes to Ontarians receiving some of the best care in the country.
There have been times in her life when Erin hasn’t been able to access massage therapy treatment at the frequency she would have liked, and she noticed the negative impact the lack of massage therapy care had on her body.
“[Without regular massage therapy treatment] I have definitely experienced a decrease in my overall well-being due to increased pain, decreased flexibility and physical functioning, decreased sleep quality, and increased stress,” Erin said. “Regular massage therapy treatment is vital to my overall health, and I can’t imagine my life without its benefits in keeping me feeling as good as I can be.”
Erin also appreciates that her RMT regularly checks in with her to identify any areas of concern in addition to her regular treatment plan, and checks in throughout the treatment to make sure the pressure is comfortable while still achieving their treatment goals.
“My RMT always asks if there are specific areas that need to be addressed in addition to my regular treatment plan,” Erin explained. “The extra attention to regions of concern means that I always leave with decreased tension and reduced pain in those areas.”