News and Articles

Feb 08th

VW Welcomes Kasmir Appleby, RMT

Village Wellness is pleased to welcome Kasmir Appleby to the team of integrated health professionals at our clinic in Hammonds Plains.  Kasmir (pronounced like Cashmere – that soft, silky wool) graduated from ICT Northumberland College of Massage Therapy in July 2007. She has been practicing massage therapy for two and half years within Nova Scotia and Alberta and in this time has become very knowledgeable in this growing field as well as attained many great clinical successes.  Kasmir is certified in the following massage techniques:

Myofascial Release:  This is a rapidly growing branch of massage therapy that involves gentle stretching of the skin (tissue) to release restrictions in the fascial/connective tissue that surrounds the muscles, organs and body systems.  This treatment eliminates pain, restores motion and is performed with no lotion, oils or creams but instead done with hand on skin contact.  Benefits include improvement of soft tissue mobility, pain relief, increase in restricted movements often caused by injury and poor posture, strengthening of the immune system, improvement in nerve function, increased circulation and decreased fascial tension beneath scar tissue.  You can speak with Kasmir at anytime to determine if Myofascial Release is a treatment that would be appropriate for you.

Hot stone Massage:  Although vastly popular, especially in spa setting, few people know the depth of the benefits of hot stone and its application in a clinical setting.  It is a style of hydrotherapy that involves water treated stones that can be placed at certain sites of the body which promote relaxation and help open the body’s meridians, also known as energy pathways.  The therapist uses the hot stones with full stone in hand-body contact which helps easily perform deep tissue manipulations.  Benefits of hot stone massage include promotion of deep muscle and tissue relaxation, improved circulation and balance as well as soothing the nervous system.  It also relieves stress and pain, detoxifies and accelerates metabolism. This treatment is offered in one hour or one and a half hour durations, costs are $95 and $130 plus applicable taxes.

Maternal Massage:  Gaining a great deal of popularity among expectants mothers as the benefits are becoming widely studied and known, maternal massage has the capacity to assist in labour preparation as well as ease the  common aches and pains associated with pregnancy.  It has the ability to positively affect a woman’s experience in all stages of pregnancy, labour and post-partum periods by promoting relaxation and working on the physical changes of the body throughout the pregnancy.  Maternal massage also encourages a nurturing maternal touch.  Benefits include stress reduction, relaxation, increased circulation and decreased swelling; musculoskeletal pain and strain is reduced, improved physiological functioning, improved gastric motility as well as labour preparation and facilitation for a quick and smooth birth.

Sports Massage:  This treatment is based on pre and post event; Pre-event massage stimulates circulation, calms nervous tension and prepares the athlete for optimal performance while reducing the chances of injury.  Post-event massage relieves soreness and assists in the removal of lactic acid and other waste products, it also decreases inflammation.  Sports Massage allows athletes to reach peak performance sooner and sustain peak performance longer with a decrease in injuries.  Athletes often note an improvement in flexibility as well as help in rejuvenating muscles more quickly after intense workouts or events, which can extend the span of an athlete’s career.