By Trudi Rumball, Registered Acupuncturist
It’s a new year, and a great time to form some new habits. One of the things we see a lot in this business is a rush in November and December to use up benefits. This results in a very busy clinic, which is great for us, but leaves clients with not much choice for appointment times. And while compounded treatments can be beneficial, if you don’t have major acute health complaints, it is even more beneficial to work out a maintenance plan with your care providers.
This is what we, as therapists, strive for. Clients who come in for monthly appointments, or every 6 weeks for maintenance or a ‘tune up’. People that alternate between massage, acupuncture, chiropractic and osteopathy (whatever is within their benefits package) tend to get sick less often, have less ‘flare-ups’ of their symptoms, and generally remain less-stressed. If you have $500/year in acupuncture benefits, and $500/year in massage benefits, that means you could alternate once a month between modalities all year long!
According to the Mayo Clinic, some studies have shown that massage can benefit many medical conditions and situations (like myofascial pain, soft tissue injury, sports injury, etc.). Massage can also be used for relaxation or lymph drainage. At Muscle Elements, all of our RMT’s have different modalities to offer in conjunction with massage therapy, and our client coordinators are happy to find a good fit for you when you call to book.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture can also help with many acute and chronic symptoms. We look at the whole body and health history to find the root of the problem, and treat accordingly. Cupping, gua sha, auricular and electro-acupuncture are all offered at our clinic. Even if you don’t have anything ‘wrong’ with you, many find acupuncture a great way to distress and relax.
We treat fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, newborns and babies at the clinic. We encourage you to bring your kids for treatment too! They usually have benefits under your plan, and many enjoy getting regular massage, craniosacral treatments, and even acupuncture and cupping. We find that the younger they start accessing alternate therapies, it becomes their go-to when they start feeling poorly, and sets the stage for continued self-care throughout their lives.
So whether you have been putting off self-care for a specific issue or are feeling just fine, don’t let your benefits go to waste this year. Make 2019 the year of self-care.