Candace Grant, RMT

02/05/2026

The 5 Non-Negotiables of Posture Work

If you’ve ever tried to “fix your posture” with cues like shoulders back or sit up straight… and it didn’t last this is why.

Lasting change doesn’t come from correction.
It comes from better options in the system.

These are my 5 non-negotiables when it comes to posture and movement work:

1) This may be normal - not broken

A lot of “bad posture” is simply an adaptation to your life: your job, your sport, old injuries, stress, breathing habits, and your dominant side.
The body doesn’t choose posture to look good it chooses posture to function and feel safe.

So we don’t start with judgment.
We start with curiosity: What is the body protecting? What is it trying to accomplish?

2) Treat the whole system, not isolated pieces

Posture is never just one tight muscle or one weak muscle.
It’s a strategy created by the entire system , feet, hips, ribcage, breathing, nervous system, and habits.

If you chase one area (like “forward head posture”), but ignore ribs, pelvis, or feet… the body will keep returning to the same pattern.

3) Feet drive the chain upward

Your feet are your foundation. They provide constant input to the brain about:

👉balance and stability
👉weight shift
👉rotation and propulsion

Foot mechanics influence the ankles → knees → hips → pelvis → rib cage → shoulders and neck.
If the base is unstable or biased to one side, the upper body has to compensate to keep you upright.

4) Objectivity creates understanding

“Good posture” and “bad posture” are labels.
Labels create fear and overcorrection.

Objectivity creates progress.

Instead of: “My posture is bad.”
We ask:

Where is movement limited?

Where is stability borrowed?

What side is doing more work?

What does breathing tell us about the rib cage?

This is how you stop guessing and start getting clear.

5) Actionable steps + re-education are the real solution

Awareness is helpful, but awareness alone doesn’t change the nervous system.

People need:

simple, repeatable actions

“why it matters” education

and cues that create results in daily life

Re-education means teaching the body a new default not forcing a new position for 20 seconds.

02/05/2026

Posture Introduction: why a good setup isn’t enough

Have you ever switched out your chair, your desk, your mouse or the height of your monitor, but your body still hurts at your desk. You think you are doing it all right... but you still hurt?

Most people think posture problems come from a bad desk setup.
But posture issues don’t start at the desk, they start with how the body adapts to sitting.

Join me Thursday February 12th at 11:30 am EST as we dive into a Free Posture Ergonomics Lunch and Learn.

This free Lunch & Learn is the first step in understanding why posture pain, fatigue, and tension persist even when your workspace looks “correct.” It’s not about fixing anything yet.
It’s about understanding what’s actually happening.

In this session you will Learn 3 core concepts:

1. What is the Sitting Disease - You’ll learn why sitting is often the starting point for neck, shoulder, low back, and hip issues even in people who exercise regularly.

2.The Anatomy of Sitting -Understanding the anatomy of sitting explains why certain postures feel hard to maintain and why fatigue shows up long before pain does.

3.Why Posture Ergonomics Matters -Traditional ergonomics focuses on equipment, the missing piece is your posture - between desk setup and lasting change.

➡️Why This Matters
If posture were just about sitting “correctly,” a good chair would solve everything but it doesn't.

This session helps you understand:
*why posture breaks are critical
*why awareness must come before correction
*why posture ergonomics works when traditional ergonomics doesn’t

➡️Who This Is For
This free session is for anyone who:
*sits for work
*feels stiff, tired, or tense by the end of the day
*has tried ergonomic adjustments with limited results
*wants to understand posture instead of fighting it

If you’re ready to understand why posture feels hard and why a good setup is only the beginning

👉 Join the Free Posture Ergonomics Lunch & Learn
(Link below in comments 👇) Limited seats... so sign up before they are gone.

**** REPLAY included with sign up ****

02/04/2026

Faulty Posture vs Ideal Alignment — A Head-to-Toe Perspective

Posture isn’t about standing up straight or looking “better.” It’s about how your body organizes itself around gravity. At the center of this is the plumb line, an imaginary vertical line that should pass through the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle. When this alignment is present, the body is efficient. When it’s not, the body compensates.

And compensation always comes at a cost.

At the head and neck, forward head posture shifts the head in front of the plumb line. This increases the load on the neck dramatically. The muscles at the back of the neck work overtime to keep the head from falling forward, while the deep stabilizers shut down. Over time, this imbalance increases joint compression, stiffness, headaches, and neck pain. This isn’t a neck problem, t’s a load-management problem.

Through the upper back, gravity wins when thoracic extensors can’t keep the rib cage stacked. The spine rounds, the shoulders roll forward, and the shoulder blades lose their ability to move well. When the thoracic spine can’t extend, the neck and low back are forced to compensate. This is why shoulder and neck issues so often travel together.

At the core, posture changes how pressure is managed inside the trunk. In faulty posture, the upper abs and internal obliques tend to dominate, creating stiffness without true stability. The outer system—external obliques and lateral support—loses effectiveness. When intra-abdominal pressure isn’t regulated well, the spine absorbs more load than it should, especially during standing and walking.

The pelvis is the keystone. In many faulty patterns, it shifts forward and tilts posteriorly, flattening the natural lumbar curve. Hamstrings shorten, glutes underperform, and hip flexors become weak not because they’re tight—but because they’re out of position. Without lumbar curvature, the spine loses its shock-absorbing capacity, increasing disc and joint stress.

At the knees and feet, the body often “locks out” to stay upright. Knee hyperextension reduces muscular effort short-term but increases joint strain long-term. The feet then adapt, by either collapsing or becoming rigid to manage forces they were never meant to handle alone.

Now compare this to ideal alignment.

When the plumb line runs cleanly through the body, muscles work where they’re strongest. The head balances effortlessly. The rib cage stacks over the pelvis. The lumbar curve is preserved. Hips and core share the workload. Knees stay soft. Feet respond dynamically to the ground.

This isn’t about perfection—it’s about efficiency.

Faulty posture is never just one area doing something wrong. It’s a full-body strategy shaped by gravity, habits, and movement limitations. If we only chase symptoms, the pattern stays. When we restore alignment, we restore load sharing, breathing capacity, movement ease, and confidence.

Posture isn’t cosmetic.
It’s biomechanics.

What is your Posture saying?

02/04/2026

Why Asymmetry Is Normal (and Still Matters)

Human bodies are not designed to be perfectly symmetrical.
They are designed to be adaptive.

From the start, most people are predisposed to right-side dominance, not because something is wrong, but because of how the body and environment are organized.

We live in a right-handed world.
Tools, writing, driving, phones, desks, and daily tasks repeatedly reinforce right-side use.

Neurologically:
➡The left hemisphere of the brain has greater motor cortical representation
➡The left brain controls the right side of the body
➡Timing, sequencing, and coordination are often more efficient on the right

Structurally:
➡The right hemidiaphragm is larger
➡The liver and gallbladder sit on the right
➡Visceral mass is greater on the right side

This extra mass subtly biases load and rib cage position

In simple terms:
👉 The right side is heavier, more neurologically driven, and more frequently used.

So asymmetry isn’t random.
It’s predictable.

And in many cases, it’s completely normal.

So why does asymmetry still matter?

Because asymmetry changes how the body moves and manages load.

Over time, dominant-side strategies can:

👉Shift rib cage position and breathing mechanics

👉Alter pelvic orientation

👉Change how force is absorbed and transferred

👉Reduce movement options on the non-dominant side

The problem isn’t that asymmetry exists.
The problem is when the body becomes stuck in one strategy.

When asymmetry limits:
*rotation
*expansion
*weight shift
*or variability
compensation increases quietly, over years.

This is why pain often shows up later, not immediately.

The goal is not symmetry.

The goal is options.

We don’t try to “even people out.”
We restore the ability to move, load, and breathe through both sides of the system.

The real question isn’t:

“Why am I asymmetrical?”

It’s:

“Is this asymmetry limiting how my body functions?”

That’s where meaningful posture and movement work begins.

02/03/2026

Posture Is a Byproduct of Better Movement

Posture doesn’t improve because we consciously “hold ourselves straighter.”
It improves when the body has better movement options and no longer needs to compensate.

The body is always choosing the path of least resistance.
If a joint, muscle group, or breathing pattern is limited, the nervous system doesn’t stop movement — it finds another way.

That’s compensation.

For example:

👉Limited ankle mobility changes how force moves up the chain

👉Tight or overactive hip flexors alter pelvic position

👉A stiff upper back shifts movement into the neck or low back

👉Shallow or restricted breathing changes rib position and spinal load

When these limitations exist, posture adapts to keep you upright and moving even if that strategy is inefficient.

This is why posture often looks “off” before pain ever shows up.

The issue isn’t posture itself.
👉 Posture is the signal, not the problem.

When movement options improve:

*Load is distributed more evenly

*Muscles don’t have to overwork for stability

*The spine organizes itself with less effort

*Posture improves naturally, without forcing correction

Instead of asking:

“How do I fix my posture?”

A more useful question is:

“What movement is missing that my body is compensating for?”

Posture changes when the system no longer needs to compensate.

01/31/2026

Weak Hips & Low Back Pain: The Missing Link

Low back pain is often blamed on the spine but in many cases, the spine is reacting, not failing.

One of the most common patterns I see is weak hip stabilizers (especially the Gluteus Medius) paired with an overactive, tight quadratus lumborum (QL). This imbalance disrupts pelvic stability and quietly overloads the low back during everyday movements like walking, standing, or single-leg tasks.

The gluteus medius is designed to keep the pelvis level when you’re on one leg. When it’s weak or inhibited, the pelvis shifts or drops. To prevent collapse, the body recruits the QL as a backup stabilizer. This compensation keeps you upright but at a cost.

Over time, the QL becomes dominant and tight, pulling one side of the pelvis upward. This creates:
• uneven spinal loading
• increased compression through the lumbar joints
• reduced shock absorption from the hips
• constant muscular guarding

As hip control decreases, the spine is forced to manage loads it was never meant to handle repeatedly. What starts as a hip problem shows up as chronic low back pain, stiffness, or recurring flare-ups.

Here’s the key insight:
Many chronic low back pain cases are not spine-origin problems — they are hip-pelvic control problems.

When hip stability is restored, the pelvis becomes a solid base again. Lumbar stress decreases, movement efficiency improves, and pain often resolves without chasing symptoms.

👉 Treat the hips — and the spine often follows.
It's a full body connection

01/28/2026

I am not your average massage therapist.

I have 27+ years experience as a Massage Therapist. I am one of the few Posture Therapists, in Ontario and Ergonomist. I don't just massage, I help people understand why their body feels stuck not just where it hurts.

I don’t just chase pain.
I don’t just treat symptoms.
And I don’t believe your body is broken.

Most people come to me after trying everything - massage, stretching, workouts, yoga, rest, yet the pain, tension, or fatigue keeps returning. That’s because the issue often isn’t the muscle that hurts… it’s the posture, alignment, and compensation patterns underneath it.

My work blends massage therapy with posture therapy and ergonomic awareness. I look at how you sit, stand, sleep, breathe, work, and move through your day because your body is responding to all of it, not just the hour you’re on the table.

This isn’t about pushing harder, stretching more, or doing complicated exercises.
It’s about awareness, alignment, and restoring balance so your body can work with you instead of against you.

If you’ve ever felt like:
• Your pain keeps moving around
• You’re doing “all the right things” but not getting lasting relief
• You want to feel stronger, more confident, and more comfortable in your body

You’re exactly who I help.

I’m here to support this community in moving better, feeling better, and understanding their bodies on a deeper level.

This is posture therapy.
This is ergonomics.
This is long-term change.

Candace Grant
Massage & Posture Therapist | Ergonomist

01/27/2026

Posture Is a Pattern, Not a Position

Tuesday Posture Tip

Posture isn’t a position you hold.
It’s a pattern your body returns to when you stop thinking about it.

If posture were simply about “sitting up straight,”
stretching and strengthening would fix it permanently.

But posture is shaped by:
• How you sit
• How you breathe
• How you stand
• How your body compensates under stress

That’s why correction alone doesn’t last.

When you understand posture as a system, not a muscle problem,
alignment becomes sustainable and not forced.

Awareness first. Change follows.

01/26/2026

If you’ve tried stretching, strengthening, massage, or exercises that helped temporarily only to have the same issues return this space is for you.

I help people understand why their body is stuck, not just how to manage the symptoms.

Pain, tension, fatigue, and restriction rarely come from one tight muscle or one weak area.
They come from patterns how the body has adapted over time to stress, injury, posture, movement habits, and even breathing.

When alignment is off, the body compensates.
When compensation becomes the norm, the body feels “stuck.”

Posture Confidence is about learning:

➡Why certain areas keep tightening or breaking down

➡Why relief doesn’t last when the root cause isn’t addressed

➡How posture, movement, and the nervous system are connected

➡How to restore balance so the body no longer has to compensate

This work isn’t about forcing your body into better posture.
It’s about removing the obstacles that prevent your body from finding it naturally.

I focus on education, awareness, and simple corrective strategies that help you:

👉Understand what your body is doing — and why

👉Create lasting change instead of short-term relief

👉Move with more ease, stability, and confidence

👉Trust your body again

This page is a space for insight, not overwhelm.
Progress, not perfection.

If your body feels stuck and you’re ready to understand why,
you’re in the right place.

Candace Grant
Massage & Posture Therapist

01/24/2026

Sadie is just one of the greeter when clients come for massage and Posture Therapy.

She really is a loving dog.

01/23/2026

💆‍♀️ Why wait until you're sore to book a massage? 💆‍♂️

Did you know there's a BIG difference between getting a monthly massage vs. just booking one when you really need it? Regular massages are about much more than just easing pain – they can prevent it from happening in the first place!

Here’s why monthly massages are a game-changer:

✨ Consistent Stress Relief: Regular massages help lower stress levels, reduce anxiety, and keep you feeling more relaxed throughout the month. Instead of waiting for stress to build up, you'll stay calm and balanced.

✨ Improved Muscle Health: Monthly massages help maintain muscle flexibility, prevent tightness, and alleviate tension before it becomes a bigger issue. No more letting muscle stiffness build up to the point of pain!

✨ Better Posture and Alignment: Regular treatments can help correct imbalances and improve your posture over time, reducing your risk of injury and discomfort in the long run.

✨ Boosted Circulation & Recovery: Keeping up with regular massages helps promote better blood flow, reduces inflammation, and speeds up recovery from everyday activity, exercise, or any aches you may have.

✨ Prevention is Key: By booking monthly, you’re addressing any issues before they become chronic, meaning fewer days spent feeling off or in pain!

Don’t wait for discomfort to creep in – invest in your body’s well-being and make massage a regular part of your routine. You’ll feel the difference! ✨

Your health is not an Expense its an Investment!

01/23/2026