By Nathalie Bertrand (now registered in BC). This article first appeared in Golden This Week in September 2016
Starting with an appreciation note
I treasure my community and it is a pleasure to connect with so many outdoor enthusiasts, mothers and fathers, health and life seekers at every stage in their journey. The clinic has thrived since the opening day and we thank you all for your dedication, investment and interest in your journey to live in better health with the use of alternative health therapies.
The pain that seems so familiar:
As we all experience different quality and intensity, pain seems to show up as something we’ve felt long time ago, usually combine with other areas, often familiar. Eventually, we come to adapt and live with these pains as part of our normality. Our bodies are composed of living cells which none are separated from an other. How many time have we heard: “it is all connected”! This very true concept explains why our pain and discomfort shows up in very similar patterns over the years … and as many know, it gets worst as we age! As we experience day to day activities, have our unique sequences of injuries and physical demands, systems of compensations are created so to make up for the compromised structures, which can either be symptomatic or not. At this stage, the human body is usually capable, efficient and performs without too many discomforts. Often seen, all of the sudden, a new pain shows up as we didn’t sleep well, shoveled for the first time in the season, had a bad fall or simply moved too fast. It is usually at this point that we get in need of relief. Here are two concepts to consider, the structures associated with an injury gets inflamed and create pain, and, each of our individual systems of compensation are no longer adapted to a new demand.
Who am I and how I can help
I have practiced massage therapy for 14 years using multiple manual therapies since graduating in 2002. I am a registered massage therapist in B.C. and currently enrolled in a six-year degree at the Canadian School of Osteopathy. My goal is to release and resolve pain and chronic conditions that have otherwise not responded to treatment. I believe in an approach focused on targeted tissue release, underlying causes and long-term change, rather than temporary symptom relief, tailoring a treatment to the individual and discovering the root causes of physical imbalance.
I developed massage therapy in something I have named “Core-Relation”. If you imagine your spinal column as the trunk of a tree, you can then see that as the trunk bends one way, the side of the bend has become shortened, also contracted, while its opposite side has to have capability to flex and elongate. It is that relationship that needs to happen to create movement without pain. The contracted muscle must after demand release and lengthen, so to allow the elongated and stretched muscle to return to its normal resting state. Otherwise, one will cry to the other as it constantly is being pulled.
I often get the comment: “I have never gotten a massage like that, how is it called?” I believe I differ from conventional massage therapy because my focus is to re-established deep inside tissues, down to the core of the limb or the trunk. My studies in Osteopathy have also validated and reinforced my principles. I use techniques that reaches the core, yet the palpation is non-invasive and is defined to be releasing discomfort.
What is the best approach?
Not only we are connected from head to toe via livings cells, we also are connected via matter, whether we can touch it or not. As Emoto has proven in his work: a given word, which holds a given vibration, changes molecule shapes in water. Our body is made of 60-70% water, each cells containing from 50 to 90%, we expect our thoughts having direct and tremendous effect on the health of all living tissues. The food we eat of course also contribute in great deal the conditions we run into.
We seem to all understand the principle of changing the oil in our car, it is not a choice if you want to keep your vehicles! Our blood can’t be changed, although with the right nutrition, free moving tissues allowing vessels to travel to their destination, and importantly, the right state of mind, we renew its content and maintain our own vehicle, our amazing body!