10 Human Body Myths That You Probably Believe

Visceral manipulation is a way of approaching the organs of the body when they become bound up and involved in structural holding patterns, or are not functioning optimally due to a structural fascial strain pattern.  Visceral manipulation is a part of the massage therapy techniques offered at our Vancouver clinic, Broadway Wellness.

The Body Kneads site, explains visceral manipulation as follows:

“At optimal health, the relationship between the organs (viscera) and structures of the body (muscles, membranes, fasciae and bones) remains stable despite the body’s endless range of movements. But when one organ can’t move in synchronization with its neighbouring viscera due to abnormal tone, adhesions or displacement, it works in opposition to all the body’s organs and structures. This discord creates fixed, abnormal points of tension that the body is forced to navigate which, in turn, paves the way for disease and dysfunction.”

For a more in depth and thorough look into visceral manipulation, the evidence behind it, and what to expect in this kind of a treatment visit the link below.

Visceral Manipulation Embraced

If you would like to explore visceral manipulation within your regular massage therapy treatments, or explore massage in general please feel free to contact Broadway Wellness. We are a multi-disciplinary healthcare clinic based around a core of Vancouver RMTs. Contact us at 604-732-5222 or access our calendar and availability online here.

Massage therapy is commonly known to provide relief from pain due to muscle soreness. The truth is that the range of concerns that massage can benefit is actually quite substantial.

We are living in a time where emotional health is just as critical as physical health. The notion of whole body healing is something that the massage therapists at Broadway Wellness (a Vancouver Massage Therapy clinic) like to emphasize. These Vancouver RMTs can assist you on the path to health – both physical and mental. Treatment plans are tailored to your condition and comfort level.

There was an article published in Alive magazine which encourages you to be aware of your mental wellness and work to remedy it when need be. You can find the article by clicking on the link below:

Massage Therapy for Mental Wellness 

If you have any questions or would like to book your next appointment please contact our massage therapy Vancouver -based team at 604-732-5222 or book online here.

Massage is becoming recognized more and more for it’s therapeutic and healing qualities.  Myofascial release is a term with a buzz around it these days .. people talk about fascia more and more. We have mentioned the composition and function of fascia before in various fascial-focused blogs.  Myofascial release is one of the techniques used to treat fascia-based conditions.

“Myofascial pain can have two sources. Pain can be generated from the skeletal muscle or connective tissues that are ‘bound down’ by tight fascia. In addition, pain can also be generated from damaged myofascial tissue itself, sometimes at a ‘trigger point’ where a contraction of muscle fibers has occurred. In either case, the restriction or contraction inhibits blood flow to the affected structures, thus accentuating the contraction process further unless the area is treated.”

Read the full article on Myofascial Release here.

Vancouver RMTs at Broadway Wellness, A Vancouver Massage Therapy Clinic, have training in myofascial release.  Please feel free to contact us at 604-732-5222 or book online.

To read more about massage therapy and fibromyalgia, click on the quotation below.

“A new study shows that a health care program that included massage therapy, ischemic pressure on the 18 tender points, aerobic exercise and thermal therapy resulted in “significant” improvement in overall health perception, social functioning, grip strength and a walking test among fibromyalgia patients.”

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Broadway Wellness is a Massage therapy Vancouver -based clinic built around talented and caring Vancouver RMTs (Registered Massage Therapists.)  If you would like to see one of our Vancouver massage therapists- please contact us at 604-732-5222 or book your appointment online!

A research study outlines the benefits of massage therapy  vs. pain medication below in a study of low back pain sufferers.

“Researchers found those who were given a series of relaxation or structural alignment massage were better able to work and be active than those who were given traditional medical care, such as pain pills, muscle relaxants or physical therapy.”

“The beneficial effects of the massage seemed not only to be experienced during the 10-week therapy period, but also to linger for a time following the cessation of therapy.”

Read this study from orginal source

 Low back pain comes with an array of factors, and effects a significant portion of our population.  If you experience low back pain, and have been curious about massage therapy, we have several skilled Vancouver massage therapists trained to assess and treat low back pain in it’s many forms, with a technical and therapeutic approach.  Contact us at 604-732-5222 or book online.    Vancouver Naturopathic Doctors Krista Moyer and Mark Csezko encourage their patients to remedy the source of pain rather than mask it with pain killers, and represent an excellent avenue to explore through their use of Bowen Therapy and Acupuncture. Broadway Wellness is a massage therapy Vancouver based clinic which can help you relieve your pain at it’s source.

Dr. Shannon Patterson is a Vancouver Chiropractor practicing Network Spinal Analysis at Broadway Wellness. Have you ever wondered what NSA is or how it works? Shannon gives a great explanation below. Could this be something you’ve been looking for? Read on.

There’s No Escaping the Stress of Life
Stress is a part of everyday life. Almost any change in our lives is a potential source of stress because of the demand on us to deal with a new situation. While the natural conclusion is that external events cause stress, in reality they are not stressful. What determines whether something is stressful is how we interpret and react to it.

One expert described stress as “mobilized energy.” We actually need stress to get anything accomplished. The problem arises either when we are unable to handle or are overwhelmed by the stress. The typical response to trauma, stress or a wound is to go into a defensive posture and physiology. It is at these times that we often fail to recover from the stress. Then this “mobilized energy” becomes “stuck energy.”

Because of this “stuck energy” we go into a defense physiology and posture, putting tension on the spinal cord. The impact of this stress and tension on the spinal cord affects us in a myriad of ways in our life, including more pain & more tension.

Common Symptoms of Stress
Muscle tension, stiff neck, fatigue, headaches, indigestion, high blood pressure, ulcers, back pain, anxiety, fear, irritability, hopelessness, impatience, depression, sleep disturbance, forgetfulness, angry outbursts, social withdrawal, loss of concentration, etc…

Can We Manage Stress?
Stress is here to stay. It seems to be increasing. We cannot make stress go away. While there are a number of effective strategies for managing stress, at best they keep stress below dangerous levels. When exposed to high stress levels you are actually less likely to recognize the need for stress management.

There is an extremely powerful and effective alternative. This approach, Network Spinal Analysis (NSA), actually teaches your body how to recognize stored stress and tension and to dissipate it from within. Your body also becomes much more effective in making effective choices when presented with new stress.

What is NSA and What Does it Do?
NSA is a powerful and effective method of promoting healing, relieving stress, and promoting wellness in people.  With NSA Care, people gain new opportunities to move from defense into growth. Defense is what the brain goes into when we are exposed to stress. When this happens the part of our brain that gives us the ability to ask whether something is an appropriate choice is diminished. Medical College research on NSA has demonstrated that as the body learns how to dissipate stored stress and tension, people make healthier choices and experience an improved quality of life.

How Can NSA Spinal Analysis Help You Deal with Your Tension or Stress?
We live in a time of tremendous tension and stress that only appears to be increasing. NSA allows your body to identify areas of stress and tension; and then to release it. With NSA Care your body actually learns how to release this stress on its own. With very gentle contacts applied to very specific areas, NSA helps the brain to find the stored tension. Your body is then able to dissolve and melt away the tension.

As NSA shows the body where the stored tension is, one of the amazing things that happens is the body starts to stretch on it’s own to release the tension. People spontaneously take deep breaths that gently release tension.

How is NSA Different from Other Approaches to Stress Management?
There are significant differences between NSA and every other approach to stress management. NSA does not try to decide what is best for the body and to force the body into ‘relaxing’. It is not something you have to remember to do when you are ‘under stress’. In addition, it does not pretend to change your external circumstances.

What NSA does do is help teach your body how to locate stored stress and tension and to dissipate it naturally. Your body also learns how to more effectively deal with stress and tension, changing your ability to be well in spite of stress.

Profound Effects from an Extremely Light Touch
NSA uses an extremely light contact to yield a profound effect. The power of this effect coupled with the gentleness of the touch deserves attention.  There are times in all of our lives when a very light touch or stroke has had an immediate and significant effect on us.  In a great moment of sadness, has anyone ever come up and gently stroked your cheek? And did it fill your heart?

So too in NSA a very gentle touch applied to one of the healing zones can cue or activate the body’s innate intelligence and healing instinct. Initially this has the effect of increasing breath and dissipating stored stress and tension.

Healing Comes in Waves!
It is becoming increasingly known and discussed that people under NSA Care experience unique movements – like Healing Waves – while receiving NSA Care. Research is showing that these waves are unique to NSA and they are associated with a doubling of people’s quality of life, the ability to make healthier choices, and increased life enjoyment.

“When I first saw these waves happening in front of my eyes, I was astonished. I was not expecting anything like this and initially I did not understand them. Then I thought that the brain has brain waves, the heart moves rhythmically, digestion has rhythm, and sexuality involves rhythm. Rhythmic Waves are inherent to life.”

What is unique about the WAVES experienced in NSA Care is that:
● They are cued by a very, very subtle touch, and
● They release tensions naturally

Two Waves Develop in NSA Care
One is a breathing wave, which is a release of tension and produces relaxation beyond what people can comprehend. In addition, the second is a wave where you actually feel energy moving through your body and you are observing it. It is like a dolphin type movement.

These waves are associated with enabling the body to take the tension that has been locked in a part of the body and like a laser, focus it to another part, and as it is moving dump the tension that’s no longer needed.

Therefore, these waves release tension; they increase breathing, allowing the body & mind to communicate with one another in a unique way. You have heard the term psychosomatic, where the mind actually creates symptoms and illness in the body. The reverse is true too.

When you cue one of these waves in the body it talks back to the mind and a greater degree of healing and integration happens.

Information provided by Dr. Shannon Patterson, Vancouver Chiropractor  who runs The Adjusting Room at Broadway Wellness at 604 732 5222 or www.theadjustingroom.ca. If you would like to book an appointment with Shannon, her schedule is accessible for online booking or give us a call!

Regimens: Massage Benefits Are More Than Skin Deep

Broadway Wellness is a Vancouver Massage Therapy based clinic featuring 8 highly skilled RMT’s.  Treatments are offered 7 days per week, and our clinic is accepting new patients.  You can give us a call at 604-732-5222 or book online.

Eczema is a prevalent inflammatory condition of the skin. There are a few different types; atopic dermatitis being the most common. It is characterized by red, itchy, scaly, reoccurring patches that may ooze or bleed. Many cases often have concomitant asthma and/or seasonal allergies. There are many factors that aggravate the condition, however, a sole cause is unknown. Irritants include, abrasive materials; such as wool, chemical fragrances in topical creams, soaps, rapid extreme changes in weather, and existing dry skin. 

Medically Speaking
Medical treatments typically involve topical corticosteroid creams, antibiotics, antihistamines, immunosuppressants, and topical immunomodulators. Most commonly prescribed are topical corticosteroid creams, which long term use can cause thinning of the skin, fungal and bacterial infections, and increased risk of osteoporosis.

 Naturopathic Perspective
Naturopathic approaches include identifying the underlying root causes and addressing those. Once those are established, barriers to healing are removed and targeted treatments are used. One major connection to eczema, even recognized by the medical community, is the correlation between certain food allergies and the worsening of eczema symptoms. Foods known to cause issues include; eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, nuts, and coffee. Eliminating these foods, as well as other person-specific allergies, are a key element in treating the underlying inflammatory condition. When it comes to food allergies, there is generally a barrier issue within the gastrointestinal system. Large particles are passing through into the blood stream, that wouldn’t normally under healthy conditions. That is where digestive enzymes can assist in breaking down foods that the body currently is not. Another key to treating the compromised intestinal barrier is via probiotics. They are key to modulating the immune system, as 70% of more of our immune system resides in the gastrointestinal system.

The Hormonal Connection
There is also a hormonal connection with eczema, whereby an imbalance has been associated with the development of, or worsening of symptoms. Whenever hormonal imbalances are concerned, great care of the liver must be given, as it is the main disseminator of our hormones. There are many natural treatments to generate proper production and elimination of hormones via the liver and other organ systems.

Treatments
Naturopathic medicine offers treatments in the form of botanical herbs; which aim to detoxify the skin via the liver, kidneys, and intestines, homeopathy; which helps to detoxify the cells and surrounding matrix, and nutritional supplements. Vitamin A is essential in maximizing the cell turnover rate, and zinc is important in the healing of skin. Lastly, essential fatty acids are very beneficial in the treatment of eczema due to it’s anti-inflammatory properties and the moisturizing effects it has on the skin from an internal basis.

When it comes to treating eczema, avoiding food allergies is key, next is detoxifying the body, and finally, further adding nutrients to augment the healing process. There are many different naturopathic treatment options for eczema. Learn more from your ND.

Krista Moyer is a Vancouver Naturopathic Doctor currently accepting patients at Broadway Wellness. Give us a call or book online .

The event is only open to retailers and health practitoners, and our Naturopathic Doctor Krista Moyer will be attending. She will be learning about innovative products and services- sampling new supplements and vitamins in order to best serve and truly be in tune with her patients.

If you are interested in seeing a Naturopathic Doctor for the first time, Dr. Krista Moyer is currently accepting new patients at Broadway Wellness. Call today to book your first or your follow-up appointment at 604-732-5222, or access our booking system online by clicking the ’Book Online’ tab on our homepage.