Echo Avox Mah RMT
902 8 St #203 1W 2B8 Canmore, AB, Canada

[ Taking a step back from "progress" ] when dealing with an injury can bring up all sorts of sensations and beliefs around productivity, around moving forward, and inadequacy around not meeting our goals. A lot of times when I see athletes or other folks in the gym, on the track, etc. Become injured, they often forget that they need to be serious about recovery and when they feel they are recovered, they can't just jump back into where they last were with their progress. Goi...ng back to square one can be challenging and even feel like defeat. We need to change the story around "starting over" in our fitness and health journey in order to be our best self. It's not a loss of progress to meet your body where it truly is at. It's a change of direction. When we take a step back and work on regaining the strength, endurance, and stability we lost during healing our injury, we give our bodies the best opportunity to bounce back to where we were before the injury. Don't be afraid to reduce your lifting capacity (weight training), reduce your workout and fitness times, and go back to the basics to build from a reliable foundation. In the long run this will help prevent re-injury and compensation patterns (which can lead to pain, inflammation, and a higher likeliness of hurting yourself again). If you find that you continue to feel an old injury rise its ugly head with your activities, seek professional help. See your massage therapist, physio, and/or chiropractor to learn more on how to get back to doing what you love without the pain.

[ DID YOU KNOW... ] Poor posture can put a significant strain on your body? Specifically, the sedentary, head down computer gazing, television watching, phone texting actions we do every day adds unnecessary force on cervical spine. This postural imbalance is the culprit for that sore neck and shoulder pain, those pesky headaches, and that burning sensation after a long day at work between your shoulder blades-- where everything feels SO TIGHT! . Manual therapists call this... the "Upper Crossed Syndrome", and I see it all of the time in my clients who get stuck at their work desks or spend large amounts of time on their devices. . [ What's Happening...? ] Well, muscles of the back of your neck and your upper/mid back become weak and lengthened (pulled "TIGHT", but this isn't where the actual hypertension is!) and they stop communicating to your nervous system. The muscles in the front of your neck, and your chest are the exact opposite-- over-active, chronically shortened, and much stronger, pulling your head and shoulders forward and throwing your body out of alignment. . This creates disaster and can lead to injuries and further complications down the road. . [ How Can I Prevent This...? ] Learning about proper posture and body mechanics is a must! But more importantly, re-training your body's muscles to work together by loosening up chronically shortened/tight muscles and waking up those over-lengthened and weak muscles, is the best step towards a healthier alignment. . ONE of the BEST ways to correct Upper Crossed Syndrome is to visit a well-trained massage therapist. Your massage therapist can support you in loosening up the tension pulling you out of place, reconnecting weak under-active muscles with your nervous system, and then showing you what you can do at home to keep your body in its best posture possible. How Heavy is Your Head? Book with me today Etana Wellness, and discover how you can reduce and/or eliminate pain and tension for your hard working shoulders and neck.

Soak up those rays. Enjoy the sun when it blesses us with it's presence, especially during these chilly winter days. Sunshine not only promotes Vitamin D in ou...r bodies (a nutrient that science is discovering people most affected by COVID lack), but it helps us regulate serotonin (feel good hormone), increases melatonin production (good sleep hormones), lowers blood pressure and inflammation. Tru and I have been taking advantage of early morning walks, taking the time to sun our faces -- and if I'm brave enough when it's cold outside-- my arms and belly (the more skin exposed, the better). He actually will pause and really bask in the sun, which encourages us both to sit down together and find stillness and presence. 20-30 minutes a day is all you really need to get that little immune boost!

Why do we seek changes? Because something in our life is out of balance. Often times when people consider making changes within their lives, they become overwhelmed. "I couldn't possibly do that," they say, "it's just too much work". But aren't you already overwhelmed with your life and isn't that why you even considered change? One step at a time helps us to achieve the goal. When we are trying to turn our lives around from lethargy, illness, negativity, it requires a fou...ndation for growth. Start small-- like cutting out processed foods or carbonated drinks, or spending some time outside soaking up the sun. Building a foundation of growth that is strong enough to support our change takes the overwhelm out of our actions. Next thing you know, you're living the life that you truly want.