Registered Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is the practice of using touch to manipulate the soft-tissue muscles of the body. Massage involves the uses of basic mechanical hand movements to help relieve pain, reduce stress, rehabilitate sports injuries, and promote healing by improving circulation, deepening relaxation and providing an increased sense of physical awareness and emotional well-being. Clients often seek massage for its medical benefit and for relaxation purposes, and there is a wide range of massage treatments available.

Massage Therapy in Ontario is a Government Regulated Health Care profession under the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council. Massage therapists are trained in healthy touch, and as such educate clients and help facilitate good health practices. Professional confidentiality is assured for all clients.

Registered massage therapists are required to complete a 2200-hour course minimum. Only members of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) are permitted to use the title Registered Massage Therapist. Massage Therapist participate in a provincially recognized Quality Assurance Programme. This oversees the course contents that one can count toward their Continuing Education Credits. This assures the Registered Massage Therapist maintain a high professional standards and quality of their clients.

Registered massage therapy is covered by insurance in Ontario under your Motor Vehicle Insurance, if you have sustained an injury in a car accident. Many Extended Health Care Insurance offer therapeutic massage as a benefit. Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board also provide coverage for massage therapy. The important details to concern are whether or not an MD’s referral is required, the amount of the deductible, and dollar limits to the insurer’s coverage.

Registered Massage Therapist

Joy Gamble

Joy is a therapist licenced under the CMTO, which sets standards of practice and professionalism. Joy offers massage therapy services in a caring, professional environment that Rehabilitate, relax, rejuvenate and revive. Joy’s treatment focuses on deep tissue modalities for pain relief, and increasing mobility after a thorough assessment and an exploration with the client of the cause of dysfunction. Every treatment identifies self-management strategies to help prevent recurrence of the problem.
Joy has a wide range of massage techniques such as Swedish massage, shiatsu, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, joint play, cranial sacral therapy, manual lymph drainage, deep muscle therapy, lifestyle counselling, progressive and remedial exercise therapy, hydrotherapy, abdominal and breast massage, infant and pregnancy massage. These techniques are performed to heal a range of conditions including painful ailments, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, headaches, postural dysfunctions, whiplash, rehabilitating sports injuries, reducing muscle tension and stress  and promoting general health to name a few.  Joy can tailor her treatments to the individual client’s needs and preferences. She holds true to the ethics set in place from the College of Massage Therapy of Ontario and abides by the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, ethics, and compassion. .  She offers massage that is effective, yet respectful of the client's personal boundaries, so that the experience is relaxing and energizing.


Assessment
There is an initial assessment before treatment, this is the most significant part of the massage appointment. A thorough assessment of the client’s health, and particularly, the biomechanical profile where painful dysfunction is correlated with posture, exercise and lifestyle patterns. Once the dysfunction is identified, manual therapy techniques are applied to reduce pain and improve function. After the treatment, exercise or rehabilitation therapy reinforcement is recommended to manage or prevent reoccurrence of the condition.
Preventive health and health maintenance is the key to meet the demands of your profession. Massage therapy is a wholesome choice for you and integral to a conditioning regime or prevention management program.


Types of Practice:
Shiatsu
Clinical treatment
Deep tissue
Infant massage
Pregnancy / Pre-natal / Post-natal
Relaxation Techniques to reduce stress
Injury prevention and rehabilitation - for the work place, sports, repetitive strain and motor vehicle accidents.
Abdominal and breast massage


There are numerous benefits to therapeutic massage:
•    Helps to relieve stress and aids in relaxation
•    Helps to relieve muscle tension and stiffness
•    Promotes faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments, reduces pain and swelling, and decreases the formation of scar tissue.
•    Reduces muscle spasms.
•    Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion.
•    Promotes deeper and easier breathing.
•    Improves circulation of both blood and lymph flow.
•    Helps to relieve tension and headaches.
•    Strengthens the immune system.
•    Treats musculoskeletal problems.
•    Rehabilitation post operative.
•    Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness.
•    Helps to relieve mental stress.
•    Emotional benefits.
•    Fosters a feeling of well-being.