Tara Patriquin - RMT

12/24/2021

After 13.5 years, these arms are officially retired from massage therapy. I am flooded with mixed emotions about this decision, but ultimately it was a necessary one. I'll miss parts of the job, but mostly I'm going to miss the people. I have so much love, respect, and appreciation for my colleagues who have taught me so much over the years, and who have become like family. And I can't even fully express my gratitude for so many clients with whom I've built wonderful relationships over the years, and who trusted me as a part of their wellness journey. Please don't hesitate to reach out and check in. And please promise me you'll keep doing your homecare! 😛 Remember, motion is lotion!!
Much love! ❤

09/23/2020

September is pain awareness month. Every month is pain awareness month when you are a manual therapist.
Pain science has come a long way. Gone are the days of the "no pain no gain" mentality. Or the "it has to get worse before it gets better" approach. While it's true that sometimes some discomfort during rehab is inevitable, we now know so much more about the brain and nervous system's role in pain perception. This knowledge helps guide us in more effective treatment approaches.
I love this diagram that I've had on my bulletin board for years. I've highlighted the words "increased sensitivity" because this is, to me, where rehab does its best work. Our level of sensitivity is informed by all of the other factors on the periphery of the diagram, plus our chemical and emotional health, not to mention our genetics.
While hands on work is the primary part of my job, treatment is not just about working directly with painful areas. Treatment is about helping a client discover all the triggers that contribute to that hypersensitivity, and providing tools to both reduce those triggers that they can control, and to increase the nervous system's resilience to some triggers that might be outside of their control. Simply put, one way or another, we want to teach the brain and nerves to stop freaking out!
If pain science intrigues you as much as it does me, hop on over to our blog (121wellness.ca) for lots more info.

06/19/2020

I'm baaaaaaaack!!! Just like that, 3 months flew by. Honestly, where did the time go?! I was admittedly a bit nervous to return to work today, but I reassured myself that our clinic is perfectly set up to make it easy to follow the safety protocols. That, and a lift in bubble restrictions helped ease my mind that we are on the right track to some more normalcy.
In some ways, today felt like my very first day on the job. In other ways it was really great to get back to something so familiar.
Huge thank yous to all of my clients who were understanding over the past couple of weeks waiting for me to be ready to return, and those still waiting patiently for me to be back to full time hours.
Things look a little different around the clinic now, but I trust that the treatment will feel as amazing as you remembered!

06/03/2020

Hi there! You might have seen the notice that One to One will be reopening on Monday, June 8th. Unfortunately, I will not be able to return to work on that date. The long story short, I do not yet have an approved protocol issued by my association, and once I do, I will need time to acquire any additional tools that I might need in order to comply (for example, it is proposed that we will have to change between clients, and I will need time to source the appropriate clothing for this new requirement). Should I return without implementing any necessary changes to my space, attire, and treatments, then I risk transmitting the virus, and I void my liability insurance.

I apologize to those of you anxiously waiting to get back in for treatments, but I hope you can understand the situation that we are in. We will update on the One to One site, and here, when we have a firm date for me to return. In the meantime, our awesome physiotherapists and osteopaths are taking in-person treatments for those needing critical care, and we will continue to offer TeleHealth physiotherapy services for others.

In good health! Looking forward to catching up when the time is right!

We are now open, with a few changes...

We are excited to announce that we are going to be opening back up on June 8th for Physiotherapy and Osteopathy with a few changes to ensure everyone’s safety. Massage Therapy will start at a later date to be determined.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by Nova Scotia College of Physiotherapists (NSCP), Health Canada, and the Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).

You will, however, notice some changes when it is time for your next appointment to protect you and our staff. For example:

Staff are required to take COVID screening questionnaire prior to every shift.
Anyone entering the clinic will have their temperature checked.
Staggered appointment times to limit contact with others.
Directional arrows to limit contact with others.
Our team will ensure the workplace is clean before and after your treatment.
Virtual Physiotherapy Sessions for at home assessments and/or follow-ups.
Cleaning high touch surfaces and chairs between clients.
Our therapists will be wearing surgical masks and other PPE that is required by their associations.
Limiting 1 One to One and 1 OneUp client in the gym at a time. One to One clients may be limited to 15 minutes in the gym.

What can you do to help?
Please take our COVID-19 questionnaire prior to your appointment and continue to follow Public Health Directives.
Clients will be required to sign a one-time COVID-19 waiver before receiving any treatment.
Please wear a mask while in our clinic. It is recommended you bring your own, however masks will be available if needed.
Please wash or sanitize your hands upon entering and exiting the clinic. Avoid using cellphones while in the clinic if possible.
Please place your credit card on file for contactless payment. Cash will not be accepted at this time.
Please show up maximum of 5 minutes before your appointment. Check in using the Jane app to let us know if you are waiting in the building or in your car.
Please do not bring family members or friends to your appointment. Caregivers and personal care workers are allowed.
Please come prepared with your own full water bottle and gym/treatment clothes.
If you see 2 people in the waiting room, please have a seat in the main area by Pete’s Gluten Free Eatery or Fit4Less. Please call us at 902 425 3775 if you feel a mistake has been made with your appointment time.

We are all in this together. If you have any feedback, questions or concerns, please let one of our staff members know.

To book an appointment, just give us a call at 902-425-3775 or take a look at our booking calendar and find a time that works best for you.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

05/20/2020

It has now been over 2 months since manual therapists had to suspend their services, leaving many people fending for themselves when managing their pain. Lend me your ears and I'll share with you an easy way that you can be your own therapist! All you need are your hands and, you guessed it, your ears!
Visit our website (link in bio) to read the full blog!

04/27/2020

Maybe I could get back to work sooner than later! ;)

We are massage therapists in a COVID world, life in plastic is fantastic! The imaginings of a massage...from a distance

04/15/2020

It's been 4 weeks since I last treated. Can you tell? Hahha. I haven't seen the whites of my nails in over 12 years. I'd gladly cut them back to nubs to be able to work again! I miss all of my clients and I miss my team. But my dogs think my scritches have gotten better. Haha! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
Ps. More productive material to come. Been feeling foggy and overwhelmed lately. But I want to get some good homecare tips out to y'all. No doubt you need it and you deserve it. I'll be back...

03/26/2020

I wrote this blog, figuring lots of people could use a little help transitioning to a home-office. Hope these tips help. And if you have found some useful tools of your own, please feel free to share in the comments!

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy.

Many people do not have a safe ergonomic station to work from home. It is critical to your comfort and wellbeing to have a an ergonomically correct setup.

03/18/2020

This service suspension is going to be a difficult time for a lot of people. But they say that people should try to maintain routine while off work. So don't worry, I'm keeping up with my skills, with my dogs' help.
Video 1: Ziva with a snore worthy neck massage
Video 2: Mani getting that pesky scapular area worked on