Direct Billing is Here

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I am now able to offer direct billing for the following providers:

Pacific Blue Cross
Chamber of Commerce Commercial Group Insurance
Cowan
Desjardins Insurance
Great-West Life
Industrial Alliance
Johnson Inc.
Manulife Financial
Maximum Benefit
Johnston Group
Standard Life
Sunlife Financial

That means that I submit your claim directly at the time of treatment, and you pay only the deductible (the difference between what you can claim and the total cost of the treatment).

**Please note that you may have to log on to your insurance provider’s website and activate eclaim services prior to direct billing. If you have any difficulties, please contact your provider for assistance.**

I’ll be adding GreenShield to the list very soon – I’ll let you know as soon as they activate my account.

Stretch Your Neck Part 2: Lev Scap

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Last week I posted about stretching your SCM, in the front of your neck, to ease the tension created by head forward posture. Today I’d like to show you a stretch for your levator scapulae muscle, also known as “lev scap” or just “levator,” which runs from the side of your neck down to the top of your shoulderblade, like this:

Levator Scapulae muscle

Levator scapulae muscle, image courtesy of Wikimedia commons.

This muscle is one of the most common direct causes of neck pain. When it’s tight and short, it gives you that feeling of wearing your shoulders like earrings. It can also refer pain down between your shoulderblades. Stretching it out can bring immediate relief, although I recommend doing it in combination with the SCM stretch to balance the front and back of the neck.

Thanks again to my Trikinetic colleague, Ray Ranger RMT, for posing for the pictures.

Guidelines for stretching:

  • Make sure you’re in a stable, comfortable position.
  • Stretch on the exhale.
  • If you feel pain, back off a little.
  • Hold the stretch for 4-10 breaths, or until you feel the resistance soften.
  • 3 times each side is considered ideal, but if you’re short on time then some is better than none.

To stretch levator scapulae:

  1. Pin your shoulder on the side to be stretched – sit on a chair and hold the seat, or reach behind and grab your elbow with your other hand.
    Neck stretch shoulder pin
  2. Bring your ear to the shoulder opposite the side to be stretched.
    Neck stretch sidebend
  3. Turn your face down to the floor, away from the side to be stretched, and tip your head forward, as if you’re sniffing your armpit. 🙂
    Stretch Levator Scapulae
  4. Find a combination of these movements that creates stretch down the back of your neck.

And that’s all. I hope it helps. Let me know if you’ve got any questions!

© William Wells 2015.

Stretch Your Neck! Part 1: the SCM.

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Here’s a stretch for your sterno-cleidomastoid (pronounced “ster-no cligh-doh mas-toid,” or SCM) muscle, which runs from behind your ear down to your collarbone. It’s big, powerful, and a major contributor to head-forward posture, which in turn leads to aches and pains in the back of the neck. This is the stretch I give most often to my patients, to counter the effects of sitting at a computer, driving a car, or anything that causes you to lean forward.

Thanks to my fabulous colleague at Trikinetic, Ray Ranger, RMT, for modelling the positions.

This is your SCM muscle:

SCM muscle

SCM muscle, image from Wikimedia Commons.

To stretch it, try to make your neck look like this:

SCM stretch

Let’s break that down. First of all, some guidelines for stretching:

  • Make sure you’re in a stable, comfortable position.
  • Stretch on the exhale.
  • If you feel pain, back off a little.
  • Hold the stretch for 4-10 breaths, or until you feel the resistance soften.
  • 3 times each side is considered ideal, but if you’re short on time then some is better than none.

SCM stretch:

  1. Pin your shoulder on the side to be stretched – sit on a chair and hold the seat, or reach behind and grab your elbow with your other hand.Neck stretch shoulder pin
  2. Sidebend your head and neck away from the side you’re stretching.Neck stretch sidebend
  3. Turn your face up, towards the side you’re stretching.Neck stretch sidebend and rotate
  4. Maintaining side flexion and rotation, tip your head and neck back.SCM stretch neck position
  5. Play around with the three movements until you feel the stretch in the side and front of your neck.

Got questions? Please ask me! I’m here to help.

© William Wells 2015.

Refresh and revitalise with a contrast arm bath

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Do you type or use a mouse a lot? How about a game controller? Do you get pain or feelings of tightness in your forearms, wrists or hands? How about signs of inflammation: heat, redness or swelling?

Try a contrast arm bath to refresh, renew and revitalise your tissue:

  1. Fill two tubs or sinks, large enough to submerge your forearms, one with warm or hot water and the other with cool or cold. **Be careful: if the difference in temperature is too great, you can burn your skin even if the actual temperature of the water isn’t that extreme.**
  2. Submerge your forearms in the warm water for 3 minutes, then in the cool water for 1 minute. Going from warm to cold can be shocking, so be warned.
  3. Repeat 3 times. You can stay in either side longer or do more repetitions if you like, but finish in the cool water.
Sinks for contrast arm bath

Sinks for a contrast arm bath.

As a massage therapist, this is something I do on a regular basis to counteract the effects of working with my hands all day.

Here’s how it works:

  • Heat draws fresh blood to the area, bringing fresh nutrients. Heat also softens and relaxes the muscles and connective tissue (tendons and ligaments).
  • Cool and cold applications cause the blood vessels to constrict, flushing away metabolic waste products.
  • The repeated contrast has a pumping action that’s really good for the tissue and helps reduce inflammation.

Try following your contrast bath with forearm stretches – more on those another time. You can also do a contrast foot bath, for the end of those long days.

If you have any questions, comment here, or send me a message. I’d love to help!

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

And what a year it’s been: graduation, Board exams, passing my Board exams, registration, and now I’m an RMT!

Thanks to everyone who came in over the last six weeks for treatment. It’s been exciting, challenging, and rewarding. I’ve passed all kinds of personal landmarks: most treatments in a day; most treatments in a week; most treatments without a lunch break. (Note to self: schedule lunch.)

I’ve also made all kinds of mistakes, so I thank you for your patience and forbearance. Thanks for the feedback too, positive and negative. I’m doing my best to learn from my detours on the road to excellence, and hearing how you felt about the treatment is a big part of that.

I hope everyone had a most excellent new year’s eve celebration. Personally, I stayed home, played MarioKart and watched TV, which was pretty much the best new year’s I could imagine. I’m exhausted in the best possible way, and I can’t wait to start the new year.

So to anyone who might be listening: take care, love yourself, and good luck for the future. I’ll see you soon I hope.

Happy Holidays!

Will

Weekend Massage

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What are you doing this weekend? Why don’t you come in for a relaxing massage? 45, 60, 75 or 90 minute treatments, Saturday or Sunday – ditch that work-week stress.

Book online or call the clinic at 605-879-9400.

Have a great week!

https://book.click4time.com/trikineticmassagetherapy/book/step1

Appointments tomorrow

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Quick update: Tomorrow (Tue Nov 25) I have slots in the late morning and early afternoon, or I have one more in the evening (starting btw 7:30 and 8p). You can book online by following the link below, or call the clinic at 604-879-9400.

Online booking:
https://book.click4time.com/trikineticmassagetherapy/book/step1

It’s a great way to use up those benefits before the end of the year! Take care, and I hope to see you soon.