Makayla Clarke RMT

🌺 When your period feels like your uterus has a personal vendetta… For people living with endometriosis, period pain isn't simply "bad cramps".

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. It can contribute to pelvic pain, painful periods, low-back pain, hip discomfort, fatigue, and other symptoms.

Massage therapy doesn't treat or remove endometriosis, but it may help manage some of the muscular tension and discomfort that can accompany it.

Treatment may focus on areas such as:
✨ Low back
✨ Hips and glutes
✨ Abdominal muscles
✨ Organs
✨ Inner thighs
✨ Neck and shoulders

Gentler techniques may be used depending on symptoms and where you're at in your cycle.

💗Communication is especially important. If you have endometriosis, let your RMT know. We can adjust pressure, positioning, and treatment areas based on how you're feeling that day.

Your pain is real. You don't have to "just deal with it."

👶You spent 9 months growing a human… and now you're expected to carry them around all day. Postpartum life can be HARD on your body.

Between feeding, carrying, rocking, lifting, bending, sleeping in weird positions, and spending approximately 47 hours a day looking down at a tiny human… your body can get pretty cranky. 😂

Postpartum massage can be tailored to address common areas of muscular tension, including:
✨ Neck & shoulders
✨ Upper back
✨ Low back
✨ Hips & glutes
✨ Arms & hands

Treatment can also be modified depending on whether you've had a vaginal birth, belly birth, or other complications.

💗Your postpartum body deserves care too.

Before treatment, be sure to tell your RMT about your delivery, recovery, medications, complications, and any areas that are still healing so treatment can be appropriately modified.

Because taking care of yourself isn't selfish—it helps you keep taking care of everyone else. 🌸

🤰Growing a tiny human is hard work. Your back would like to file a complaint. Pregnancy can bring some BIG changes to your body.

As your baby grows, your posture, centre of gravity, muscles, and joints all have to adapt. This can contribute to discomfort in the:
✨ Low back
✨ Hips
✨ Glutes
✨ Legs
✨ Neck and shoulders

Prenatal massage is specifically adapted to accommodate these changes.

Your RMT may modify:
• Positioning, pregnancy pillow or side lying!
• Pressure
• Treatment areas
• Bolstering and support- extra pillowing if needed!
• Length and intensity of treatment

💗Always let your massage therapist know you're pregnant, even if you aren't showing yet. Your health history helps us determine what modifications are appropriate and whether treatment is suitable/safe for you.

Pregnancy massage isn't about "pushing through" discomfort—it's about creating a safe, comfortable treatment that works with your changing body.

September 11 — We Remember. 🕊️

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and the families, friends, first responders, and communities around the United States and Canada forever changed by that day.

More than two decades later, we continue to remember the courage, compassion, and selflessness shown in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

From our little corner of the community, we take a moment today to reflect, remember, and honour those whose lives were affected.

We remember. We honour. We will never forget. 🕊️

🌼Menopause really said: "Let's change EVERYTHING."😂

Hot flashes. Sleep changes. Mood changes. Achy muscles and joints. Increased stress. Changes in energy.

Menopause can bring a whole collection of physical changes, and everyone's experience is different.

Massage therapy won't stop menopause or change your hormones—but it may help support some of the muscular tension, stress, discomfort, and sleep challenges that can come along with this stage of life.

Massage may help:
✨ Reduce muscle tension
✨ Promote relaxation
✨ Support mobility
✨ Ease general muscular discomfort
✨ Encourage better sleep and relaxation

💗 If you're experiencing changes during perimenopause or menopause, let your RMT know. Understanding what's going on with your body helps us tailor treatment appropriately.

And remember: you don't have to apologize for talking about your symptoms. Women's health is health. 🌸

🧠 Your brain might be the one causing the headache… but your neck and shoulders may be joining the party.

Headaches and migraines can have many different causes, and they're not all related to muscle tension. However, tension in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and upper back can contribute to certain types of headaches and may make existing symptoms feel worse.

Massage therapy may help by:
✨ Reducing muscle tension
✨ Improving neck and shoulder mobility
✨ Promoting relaxation
✨ Decreasing stress-related tension
✨ Supporting overall well-being

💙 Important: Massage isn't appropriate for every headache. If you experience a sudden, severe, or unusual headache, neurological symptoms, or a significant change from your normal pattern, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION rather than booking a massage.

For recurring headaches, communication with your healthcare provider and your RMT can help determine whether massage may be an appropriate part of your care plan.

💗 Let's talk about something women are often told to just "live with".

Pelvic pain, hip tension, painful periods, pain during pregnancy, postpartum discomfort, and pelvic floor issues can have a huge impact on everyday life.

Women's health massage can sometimes support these concerns by working with the muscles and tissues surrounding the pelvis, including the hips, glutes, abdomen, inner thighs, and low back.

Massage may help with:
✨ Muscular tension
✨ Mobility
✨ Relaxation
✨ General discomfort
✨ Stress and nervous-system regulation

But here's something important:

Massage therapy and pelvic floor physiotherapy are not the same thing.

A pelvic floor physiotherapist is specifically trained to assess and treat the pelvic floor itself. Massage therapy can complement that care by addressing surrounding muscular tension and other areas contributing to discomfort.

💗 You don't have to be embarrassed to talk about pelvic health. If something is affecting your quality of life, it's worth talking about.

🦴 Strong bones don't just matter after a fracture—they matter every day.

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become weaker and more fragile, increasing the risk of fractures. It's especially common in older adults, particularly postmenopausal women, and often develops without any symptoms until a bone breaks.

While massage therapy can't treat or reverse osteoporosis, it can be a safe and beneficial part of your overall wellness plan when treatment is appropriately modified. Massage may help:
✨ Reduce muscle tension and stiffness
✨ Improve flexibility and comfort
✨ Support better posture and mobility
✨ Promote relaxation and reduce stress
✨ Help improve overall quality of life

💙 It's very important to let your massage therapist know if you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia (low bone density). This information helps us determine the safest treatment approach for you.

Knowing your health history allows us to:
• Modify pressure and techniques to reduce the risk of injury
• Avoid excessive force over fragile bones
• Position you comfortably and safely on the treatment table
• Adapt treatment if you've had previous fractures or spinal compression fractures

Without this information, techniques that are normally safe for healthy bones could increase the risk of pain, bruising, or, in severe cases, fractures in individuals with advanced osteoporosis.

Your treatment should always be tailored to your body and your health. By sharing your medical history, you help your massage therapist provide care that's both safe and effective. 💙

💜 If you've ever heard someone with fibromyalgia say, "I hurt everywhere," they're not exaggerating.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain and tenderness throughout the body. It can also lead to fatigue, poor sleep, headaches, brain fog ("fibro fog"), and increased sensitivity to touch, pressure, and temperature. While the exact cause isn't fully understood, it's believed to involve changes in how the brain and nervous system process pain.

Massage therapy can't cure fibromyalgia, but it can be a helpful part of a comprehensive treatment plan. When tailored to the individual, massage may help:
✨ Reduce muscle tension and stiffness
✨ Promote relaxation and calm the nervous system
✨ Improve sleep quality
✨ Increase flexibility and ease of movement
✨ Help manage stress, which can contribute to symptom flare-ups

💙 If you have fibromyalgia, it's important to let your massage therapist know before your appointment. Everyone experiences fibromyalgia differently, and what feels good for one person may be too much for another.

Knowing your history allows us to:
• Adjust pressure to your comfort level
• Focus on calming the nervous system rather than using deep pressure
• Modify treatment if you're experiencing a flare-up
• Pace the treatment to help minimize post-treatment soreness and fatigue

Using too much pressure or treating someone during a significant flare-up can sometimes increase pain, fatigue, or symptom sensitivity afterward. That's why communication is so important—we'll always work within your comfort level.

Massage therapy should never be a "no pain, no gain" experience. For many people with fibromyalgia, gentle, individualized treatment is the key to helping them feel more comfortable and supported. 💜

🐴🏆 OFF TO THE HORSE SHOW! 🏆🐴

Just a little heads-up for my clients — I’m hanging up my massage sheets and grabbing my riding boots!🤠🐎

I’ll be in clinic Monday, August 17th, and then I’ll be away enjoying some much-needed vacation and horse-show time!

📅 Vacation: August 18th–21st
🐴 Back in clinic: Monday, August 24th

While I’m away, I’ll be completely off the clock and unable to answer messages or emails. I’ll get back to everyone once I’m back in clinic and settled back into my normal routine.

Until then, I’ll be trading treatment tables for tack, emails for arena time, and spending my vacation with my mare, Viva.❤🐴

Thank you for your understanding, and I’ll see you all back in clinic on Monday, August 24th! 💆‍♀️✨