Written By: Arny Warkentin Hot vs. Cold Applications Many clients have expressed confusion about when to use hot versus cold applications. There are many misconceptions flying around and it can be very easy to get confused while reading around online. This post will attempt to alleviate that confusion as easily and simply as possible. An important concept to understand when…
By: Arny Warkentin You have probably heard people discuss the rotator cuff and its importance to the shoulder, but most people know very little about what the rotator cuff actually is. The rotator cuff is made of 4 separate muscles: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. The first three are classified as external rotators (with elbow at side,…
A significant body of evidence, including systematic reviews, supports the effectiveness of massage therapy in the treatment of a range of musculoskeletal presentations. There are five systematic reviews of massage and low back pain, including a Cochrane Systematic Review in 2008, which was updated in 2009.3 The most recent review, published by the Ottawa Panel in 2012, concluded that…
Massage Therapy Pressure more Important than Massage Treatment Duration Research by Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center provides validation that a deep pressure massage is more important to better treatment outcomes. The Ohio State study also goes on to say that the duration of the massage is less important than the amount of pressure applied during the massage treatment. The…
Understanding Mirror Neurons Mirror neurons are a fascinating discovery in neuroscience, playing a crucial role in how humans understand and empathize with others. These specialized brain cells activate both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing the same action. Discovered in the 1990s, mirror neurons are primarily located in the premotor cortex and parietal lobe….
Knuckle Cracking Remember your mother telling you not to crack your knuckles or you’ll get arthritis. Well good news…knuckle cracking doesn’t cause arthritis. Actually cracking your knuckles (or any of your joints) can have therapeutic benefits. When you crack one of your joints you are pulling the bones that are connected at the joint apart from each other. This process stimulates…
Written by Arny Warkentin In this post I will explore another common cause shin splints in the lower leg. As I mentioned in the previous post the term shin splints is often used as a catch-all for lower leg pain, often the diagnosis says little about what is actually going on and what to do about it. In this post…
Can Massage Therapy Help Acute Injuries: By: Arny Warkentin RMT Why massage can help with acute injuries in the acute phase? People often have the preconceived notion that massage therapy should commence after healing as occurred. People assume if an area can’t be worked on directly than there is nothing a massage therapist can do. The risk of further injury…
Prevent Sports Injury with Sport Massage Therapy Sports Massage Therapy in Vancouver just got better. For those involved with athletics, the associated risk of injury is so significant that an entire branch of health and social services, sports medicine, exists to accommodate it. Even with preventive warm-up exercises, a level of danger still exists. Sports injuries are unfortunately common, and while…
Joint Mobilizations…Not Just Cirque du Soleil Written by Arny Warkentin Joint mobilizations are one of many tools massage therapists are trained to use to restore full, pain free range of motion. A mobilization is defined as the “passive, skilled manual therapy techniques applied to joints and related soft tissues at varying speeds and amplitudes using physiological or accessory motions for…
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