Candace Grant, RMT

12/22/2025

Pain is not a reliable signal that something is tight, short, stuck, or in need of stretching. Pain is a protective response. It reflects the nervous system deciding that something feels threatening, unfamiliar, or not currently tolerated, and responding by increasing sensitivity. That sensitivity may show up as pain, stiffness, guarding, or a feeling of restriction, but none of these automatically mean a muscle needs to be stretched.

When pain is driven by protection, stretching often misses the point. Many people stretch harder, longer, and more frequently, yet experience little change or even increased discomfort. This is not because they are stretching incorrectly, but because stretching does not address why the nervous system is being protective in the first place. If movement is perceived as unsafe, forcing more range rarely reassures the body, it often reinforces the perception that something is wrong.

This is where massage therapy and posture therapy become a better fit.

Massage therapy works by reducing threat, not forcing change. Skilled, intentional touch helps calm the nervous system, lower excessive muscle tone, improve circulation, and restore sensory input to areas that feel guarded or disconnected. When the nervous system feels safer, it often allows muscles to soften naturally, without aggressive stretching. Massage creates the conditions for change rather than demanding it.

Posture therapy builds on this by addressing how the body experiences load, movement, and daily positioning. Poor posture and inefficient movement patterns often keep the nervous system on high alert, reinforcing protective tension. Through posture awareness, corrective movement, and gradual exposure to tolerable ranges, posture therapy helps retrain the nervous system to trust movement again. Instead of chasing tightness, the focus shifts to restoring balance, confidence, and control.Together, massage and posture therapy interrupt the cycle of protection. Massage reduces immediate sensitivity and guarding, while posture therapy addresses the underlying movement habits and environmental stressors that keep the system reactive. This combination allows the body to feel supported, not threatened, as it adapts.

So if you have been stretching consistently and getting nowhere, that is not a failure on your part. It is a sign that pain is doing its job as a protective response. Massage and posture therapy offer a more effective path forward, one that works with the nervous system, not against it, to restore comfort, function, and long-term resilience.

12/21/2025

What is Posture Therapy and Why Do I Need It?

If you’ve never heard of posture therapy, you’re not alone. But if you’re dealing with pain, poor posture, or lack of mobility, this might just be the missing piece in your health journey.
Here are the top questions I get from new clients:

1. What is Posture Therapy?

Posture therapy is a personalized program of gentle corrective exercises that realign your body to its natural posture.
It’s based on the Egoscue Method, a proven approach that looks at the body as a whole, not just where it hurts.

2. How is it different from physio or chiropractic care?

Great question! Unlike traditional physio or chiropractic treatments that focus on the symptoms, posture therapy addresses the root cause your body’s imbalances and compensation patterns.
It’s active, not passive. You do the work through movement, so your body learns to hold better posture on its own—long term.

3. Do I have to be in pain to benefit from posture therapy?

Not at all! While many people come to posture therapy because of chronic pain (back, hips, knees, neck), others start because they feel stiff, off-balance, or want to prevent injuries and improve performance.
Better posture supports better energy, confidence, and mobility at any age.

4. How long does it take to see results?

Many clients feel a difference after their very first session—especially in how they stand, breathe, or move. But lasting results come from consistency.
Most programs begin with a 4– 8 session commitment and evolve based on your unique goals and progress.

5. Why do I need posture therapy if I already get massage or stretch regularly?
Massage and stretching are fantastic but they mostly treat the symptoms.
Posture therapy gives you the tools to correct the cause which may be poor alignment, muscle imbalances, and habits built over time.
It empowers you to take control of your body, instead of relying on short-term relief.

🌟 If you’ve been chasing pain relief but never really finding the answer it might be time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture: your posture.

📸 Ask me about a free posture photo assessment
Let’s get you aligned, balanced, and back to doing what you love, pain free.
The best part is we can do this all virtually or on person

First we Straighten, Then we strengthen!

Send a message to learn more

12/17/2025

Have you heard of RETRO Walking?

Walking backwards (also called retro walking) is a simple but highly effective movement strategy with multiple musculoskeletal and neurological benefits. It is often used in rehabilitation, posture correction, and gait retraining.

Key Benefits

1. Improves Postural Awareness
Walking backwards removes visual dominance and forces the body to rely on proprioception (body awareness). This enhances upright posture, spinal alignment, and coordination.

2. Strengthens Underused Muscles
Retro walking activates the quadriceps, tibialis anterior (front of the shin), glutes, and intrinsic foot muscles differently than forward walking. This helps rebalance muscle patterns often weakened by prolonged sitting.

3. Reduces Joint Stress
Backward walking places less compressive load on the knees and hips compared to forward walking, making it beneficial for individuals with knee pain, arthritis, or joint sensitivity.

4. Improves Gait Mechanics
It retrains heel-to-toe mechanics, ankle mobility, and push-off control, which can positively influence forward walking efficiency and balance.

5. Enhances Balance and Stability
Because it challenges coordination and spatial awareness, walking backwards improves balance and neuromuscular control—important for fall prevention and overall movement confidence.

6. Supports Brain and Nervous System Health
The novelty of backward walking stimulates the brain, improving motor planning, focus, and cognitive engagement. It is often used to support nervous system adaptability.

7. Assists in Pain Reduction
By changing load patterns and reducing habitual compensation, backward walking can help calm chronic pain patterns associated with repetitive forward-dominant movement.

Practical Application
Start slowly in a safe, open space or on a treadmill at low speed. Short intervals (1–3 minutes) are effective and can be added to warm-ups, posture programs, or daily movement breaks.

From a posture and ergonomics perspective, backward walking is a valuable tool to counteract the forward-flexed, sitting-dominant lifestyle.

This is just one of the exercises I teach in my Posture Reset Program. Starting January I have space to work with 3 more clients that want to improve their posture and improve their mobility and flexibility. Let's chat through a limited time Posture Consultation to see if Posture Therapy is right for you.

12/14/2025

Why I Focus on Full-Body Massage — Not Just the Back

As a massage & posture therapist, I rarely treat only the area where pain shows up—especially when it comes to back pain.

The back is often the messenger, not the root cause.

Posture is a full-body system. When one area is restricted, overworked, or compensating, the tension travels through fascial lines, joints, and movement patterns. By the time pain shows up in the back, the body has usually been adapting for months or even years.

Here’s why a full-body approach matters:

• Posture is a chain reaction
Tight hips, restricted ankles, weak glutes, or limited shoulder mobility can all pull on the spine. Treating only the back ignores what’s driving the imbalance.

• Fascia connects everything
Fascial restrictions don’t stop at one muscle. They transmit tension throughout the body. Releasing one area without addressing the rest often leads to short-term relief and long-term frustration.

• The nervous system needs global input
Pain is not just mechanical—it’s neurological. A full-body session helps calm the nervous system, improve body awareness, and restore balance more effectively than isolated work.

• Posture is dynamic, not static
How you sit, stand, walk, breathe, and move all influence your back. A full-body massage allows me to assess and address how your entire body is adapting to your lifestyle and ergonomics.

My goal is not just to make you feel better today, but to help your body move, load, and recover better long term.

When we treat the whole body, we stop chasing symptoms—and start creating lasting change.

Align your body. Elevate your health.

Now accepting clients for January

12/12/2025

Are you ready to get started on a Path to Balance, increased flexibility, and Pain management?

This is for you :
If you struggle with daily pain due to muscle or joint stiffness
If you have pain or discomfort getting up from a chair
If you wake up with stiffness in the morning or have difficulty sleeping
If you struggle to do simple daily chores, like vacuuming or standing and doing dishes

Personalized 3-Phase Program
12 Weeks to Better Posture: Pain, Performance, Prevention

Phase 1 – Do the Basics Better

Lay the foundation for alignment and balance.
Create awareness in your body through movement and daily activities.
Learn how to Reset your body through the process of awareness and change.
Create stability, and balance, and establish better daily habits

· Week 1: Posture assessment and awareness-building
· Week 2: Balance and stability exercises
· Week 3: Pelvic alignment and breath integration
· Week 4: Ankle and knee connection

Phase 2 – It’s All Connected

Restore mobility and coordination across your body.
Create stabilization and movement through the integration of connecting your muscles and joints.
Better movement of the spine, hips, and shoulder connection.
Improve the connection awareness in the total body so you know which exercises you can do at any time to maintain pain and realign your compensations.

· Week 5: Spinal stability and integration
· Week 6: Hip mobility and strength
· Week 7: Shoulder mobility and "tech neck" correction
· Week 8: Comprehensive posture maintenance

Phase 3 – Stretch and Strengthen

Deepen your core strength and create lasting change.
A deeper focus on strengthening your core muscles that keep you balanced and aligned.
Exercises that challenge you to improve your posture, balance, and stability.
Adding in cross-body movements for long-term alignment
· Week 9: Pelvis and core strength
· Week 10: Upper body strength for posture
· Week 11: Lower body alignment and stability
· Week 12: Lifestyle integration and long-term maintenance

Investment in Your Health
Contact for prices .

All packages include:
· Personalized assessments and posture photos (with 4-week reassessment)
· Personalize weekly posture-focused coaching sessions.
· Customized exercise routines focused on body awareness, balance, and flexibility.
· Access to the PTX Therapy app.
· Email support to guide your progress.

Limited spots available - in person or virtual starting in January

Book a free strategy call and let's see if the Posture Reset Program is right for you.

12/12/2025

Therapists need massages too....

I have 2 different massage therapists and a stretch therapist. We just can't do everything ourselves so we ask the right people to help. Each of these therapists give me a different treatment.

Massage Therapy is hard on your body, and as a therapist of 27 years.. I have had my fair share of pain. Thankfully I now have a Healthcare team I created and my own Posture Therapy exercises help keep me pain free so I can continue to help others.

Thanks Angie Tayor, RMT for yesterday's session.

12/09/2025

Back pain isn’t caused by a “weak core”.
Yet I still hear this every single week.

People are told that if they just do more core exercises, their back pain will disappear. If that were true, we wouldn’t see fit, strong, highly trained people still struggling with back pain.

I once heard about a strongman competitor.
He could deadlift 250 to 300 kilos for reps. Stronger than most people will ever be.

And guess what he was told?
That he had a “weak core”.

If that man has a weak core, what hope does anyone else have?

Back pain is complex.
It can be influenced by stress, sleep, joint range, recovery, workload, previous injury, flare-ups, and a whole list of other real-life factors. But “weak core” is the easiest, laziest explanation to throw at someone in pain.

Yes, strengthening work can help some people.
But it is not the answer.
And telling someone in pain that all they need to do is “strengthen their core” massively oversimplifies what is actually going on.

Back pain is everywhere. According to the World Health Organisation, low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

If “weak core” really was the solution, back pain would not be the biggest cause of disability on the planet.

But it is.

So no, I’m not here for the weak core narrative.
It’s unhelpful, it keeps people stuck, and it misses the bigger picture completely.

Changing your posture helps with you weak core. Stabilize your spine and you will build a better core.

If your curious how your posture is affecting your core.Book a posture consultation for the New Year.

12/08/2025

Why Does Your Massage Therapist Charge a Cancellation Fee?

Let’s talk about a question many clients wonder about. Most massage therapists charge a cancellation or no-show fee—and often, that fee is the full cost of the appointment.

This isn’t a punishment. It’s a professional standard in health care and an important part of keeping a small practice running smoothly. Massage therapists spend more 1-on-1 hands-on time with clients than most other health-care professionals. When an appointment is missed, that dedicated time—and the income tied to it—is gone entirely.

Cancellation fees help ensure we can continue to offer high-quality care, maintain fair pricing, and respect the time needs of all clients, especially those waiting for openings.

Here’s why these policies matter:

*Reserved Time Is Lost – Your appointment is set aside exclusively for you. When it’s missed, that time can’t be refilled, resulting in a direct loss of income.

*Therapists Provide the Most 1-on-1 Care – Massage therapists spend more hands-on time with clients than almost any other health professional. Missed sessions impact their ability to serve others.

*Just Like Any Job – It’s no different than being told to go home for a few unpaid hours when you weren’t expecting it. Therapists rely on that income just like anyone else.

*Preparation Happens Before You Arrive – The room is set up, your file is reviewed, and your treatment is planned ahead of time. That time is still invested even if you don’t show up.

*Someone Else Misses Out – A missed appointment means another client, often someone in pain, loses their chance to get the care they need.

*It’s About Respect for Everyone – Clear policies help maintain fairness, professionalism, and mutual respect between clients and therapist.

Massage is more than a luxury—it is your way to keep moving and feel better.

Candace Grant
Massage & Posture Therapist

12/05/2025

Start booking your Massage and Posture Therapy for January 2026

Book appointment

Align your body, Elevate your Health