It's been a long and dynamic 17 months since the start of this pandemic and I hope you have all come through it safely. For me, it’s been a period that has seen most of my time and energy spent on parenting, home-schooling, and keeping my family healthy, rather than on massage therapy. However, with Covid numbers now relatively low and nearly 75% of Ontarians fully vaccinated, I am ramping up to reopen my new studio as of  September 7, when the boys go back to school. 
 
BIG NEWS:
We’ve moved to Burlington this summer and my new home studio is located at 5102 Forest Grove Crescent, near Appleby Line and Upper Middle. I realize that this is a significant distance to travel for most of you and that many of you will want to find a new therapist. To you, I thank you for your trust in me over these years and I wish you all the best! Below, you'll find the contact information of some talented therapists in the Toronto Westend/Etobicoke area who you may like to try. For those of you who can make it out me see me in Burlington, I am very grateful for your patronage and humbled by your loyalty. You can book me online as always and I look forward to seeing you once I reopen in September. 

REFERAL DISCOUNT:
Rebuilding my practice in a new location is a challenge that I'm excited to take on, and as part of my business building efforts I'm offering a $20 referral credit to clients who refer me a new client for a 60 min+ treatment. If you've benefited from my treatments in the past, please get the word out to friends and family in the Burlington area and accumulate credits, and feel free to gift your credits to friends if you can't make it out to Burlington.

RMTs in the Toronto/Etobicoke area: 

• Mike Hoo at The Calm  
• Melanie Jones RMT
• Olga Vlad Massage Therapy
• Andrii Blagii at The Calm 

​Enjoy what remains of the summer, and if you haven’t already, please get vaccinated to keep us all as safe as possible! 
 
Warm regards
Alex 

  In sports, we're all aware of the importance of proper technique in preventing injuries. However, when it comes to child care we often forget that bad habits and poor lifting techniques can cause serious injury.

  Almost every week I see at least one client who has issues stemming from lifting or carrying their children. Some of these injuries are caused by always carrying a child with the same arm, which can result in rotator cuff issues and imbalances in the shoulder. I also often see low back issues from carrying children on one hip. I advise avoiding this practice altogether, but if you must, make sure to alternate hips to maintain equilibrium. Lastly, when lifting kids, use your legs as much as possible, maintain a strong core, and avoid twisting motions. 

With more and more people working from home, especially in IT, work-related pain in the shoulders, neck, and head is becoming epidemic. 

It's important to keep your home work space ergonomically sound so as to avoid causing forward head posture and trigger points in your upper traps that can lead to headaches and tension through the upper back. 

See the image below for a proper setup and come see me for a treatment if you're experiencing tension or pain, before the muscle tension and trigger points become ingrained.

Many of my friends and clients enjoy running as a way to stay fit, enjoy the outdoors, and to challenge themselves. Here are a few simple tips for you runners to help prevent injury:

1) Don't always run on the same side of the road (roads are cambered effectively creating a leg length discrepancy)

2) Get a professional to assess your gait and choose your running shoes accordingly (pronators may require special shoes)

3) Don't break in new running shoes on a long run (instead use a series of short runs)

4) Stretch lateral leg structures to avoid patellar tracking issues or IT band contractures
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9aJtO0VCqw&feature=related

​5) Stay hydrated to avoid cramping and heat exhaustion (try to drink a cup of water every 10 - 15 min)