Rejoice Wellness

Unless you’re a bodybuilder, you probably haven’t heard of the serratus anterior.

But it’s such a beautiful muscle — and it may be part of what’s happening when you feel tightness around the upper back, shoulder blade, or side of the ribs.

Welcome to Day 9 of Why Are You Working THERE?

The serratus anterior sits along the side of the rib cage and helps move the shoulder blade forward and around the ribs when you reach, push, or lift your arm.

And here’s the part I love:

Sometimes the goal is to activate it.

Other times, we may want to explore movement in the opposite direction.

That’s why I’m showing both in today’s reel.

Your body doesn’t always need “more stretching” or “more strengthening.”

It depends on what your body is actually doing.

And this is another example of why your RMT may work somewhere that seems completely unrelated to where you feel your tension.

Yes, you have muscles between your ribs.

Welcome to Day 8 of Why Are You Working THERE?

They’re called the intercostals, and they help your rib cage move and stabilize while you breathe.

They can become tight or irritated with things like repetitive movement, twisting, coughing, sports, or simply holding your body stiffly for long periods.

And because they sit between the ribs, a lot of people don’t even realize they’re muscles that can be assessed and treated.

One simple thing you can try:

Reach one arm overhead, gently lean to the opposite side, and breathe into the side of your ribs.

Don’t force it. Just notice how much movement you can create with your breath.

You don’t have to wait until something hurts to become curious about your body.

Your butt is your hip. 😂

Welcome to Day 7 of Why Are You Working THERE?

I’ve had more than a few clients come in saying, “My low back hurts,” while pointing directly at their glutes.

Anatomically, your glute muscles are part of the hip region, not your low back.

And they’re a pretty important group.

Your glutes help with things like:

walking
standing
stairs
running
getting up from a chair
stabilizing the pelvis
sharing load through the hips and low back

Depending on your history and assessment, they may be tight, weak, or sometimes both.

In Ontario, the gluteal region is also considered a sensitive area, which means your RMT needs your consent before assessing or treating it. You can say yes, no, stop, or ask for treatment to be changed at any time.

One simple way to start strengthening the area is with hip bridge variations.

So next time you point to your butt and say, “My back hurts,” your massage therapist may have a few follow-up questions. 😂

“Oh, that happened YEARS ago. I didn’t think it mattered.”

It might.

Welcome to Day 6 of Why Are You Working THERE?

One of the reasons your massage therapist asks about your health and injury history is because your body didn’t start existing today.

That ankle sprain from childhood.
The fall you barely remember.
The old sports injury.
The surgery that healed years ago.
The accident you thought you “got over.”

None of those automatically explain what you’re feeling now — but they can still be useful pieces of information.

Your body adapts.

Sometimes beautifully.

Sometimes by finding another way to move, protect an area, or share the workload.

So when I ask you about something that seems completely unrelated to the reason you booked your appointment, I’m not just being nosy. 😂

I’m trying to understand the whole picture, not only the place that hurts today.

Your history matters — even the parts you stopped thinking about a long time ago.

WAIT… KIDS GET MASSAGE?! 😂

Welcome to Day 5 of Why Are You Working THERE?

Think about everything kids do with their bodies.

Running.
Swimming.
Sports.
Bikes and scooters.
Playgrounds.
Backpacks.
Desks.
Recess.
Homework.

Their bodies are busy too.

I’ve worked with many kids over my 19 years in practice, and massage can be a lovely way for them to relax, become more aware of their bodies, and receive care for the muscles they’re using every day.

But one of my favorite parts of working with kids is teaching them something even bigger:

Their body is theirs.

They can say yes.
They can say no thank you.
They can ask me to stop.
They can tell me what feels okay.
And they can change their mind.

I would much rather help a child learn safe, consensual touch than ever make them feel like they have to accept touch because an adult suggested it.

Kids deserve care too — and they deserve a voice in that care.

Your hands are doing WAY more work than you think.

Welcome to Day 4 of Why Are You Working THERE?

I can work an 8–10 hour massage therapy day and my hands are often totally fine… but give me an hour of scrolling, typing or holding my phone and my thumb might have something to say about it the next day. 😂

Our hands and forearms are working constantly:

typing
scrolling
driving
cooking
carrying
gripping
lifting
cleaning

And here’s something a lot of people don’t realize: some of the muscles that move your fingers are in the hand itself, while others begin farther up in the forearm and send tendons all the way down toward the fingers.

That’s also why names like “tennis elbow” and “golfer’s elbow” can be misleading — repetitive gripping and forearm use can affect people who have never touched a racket or golf club.

In today’s reel, I’m also showing you 4 simple forearm stretches you can try at home.

And next time you’re getting a massage? Don’t forget your hands and forearms.

They deserve some attention too.

You use your body all day to work, carry, help, serve and hold things together. You’re allowed to give some of that care back to yourself.

You came in because your BACK hurts… so why am I working on your CHEST?

Welcome to Day 3 of Why Are You Working THERE?

Pectoralis major and pectoralis minor are strong muscles at the front of the body, and with how much time we spend reaching forward — driving, typing, cooking, cleaning, working, scrolling — they can become part of the tension pattern through the shoulders and upper back.

That doesn’t mean we ignore the area that hurts.

It means we look at the bigger picture.

And because the chest is considered a sensitive area in massage therapy, your consent matters. You always have a say in what is treated and how.

Try this today: gently open your chest using a doorway or wall stretch and notice what changes through your shoulders and back.

Sometimes the body part asking for attention isn’t the only body part involved.

You don’t have to wait until your body is screaming to start caring for it.

WAIT… there aren’t muscles all over the top of your head?! 🤓

Welcome to Day 2 of Why Are You Working THERE? — the parts of your body you may never think about… until they start hurting.

Across much of the top of the scalp is a broad sheet of connective tissue that connects with muscles toward the forehead and back of the head.

Want to feel the connection?

Raise your eyebrows.

You may notice movement or tension extending farther back across your scalp than you expected.

And yes, the muscles around the scalp, neck and base of the skull can be relevant when we’re looking at certain patterns of tension or head discomfort — but that conversation deserves its own day.

Today I really just wanted to share one of those:

“Wait… my body does WHAT?”

facts. 😂

After almost 19 years as an RMT, I still genuinely love teaching people about the body.

The more you understand it, the easier it becomes to notice what it might need.

And you don’t have to wait until something hurts to start paying attention to it. 🤍

WHY ARE YOU WORKING THERE?!

You come in because your back hurts… and suddenly I’m working on your chest.

You have a headache… and I’m spending time around your neck, shoulders, jaw or scalp.

Your foot hurts… and we’re talking about your calves.

There are so many parts of the body that people don’t really think about until something starts hurting.

So throughout September, I’m sharing some of the overlooked, misunderstood and surprisingly important areas of the body — and why your massage therapist might work somewhere other than the exact place you feel discomfort.

And underneath all of it is something I believe deeply:

You don’t have to wait until your body is screaming to take care of it.

Welcome to:

Why Are You Working THERE?
The parts of your body nobody thinks about — until they hurt.

We’re going head to toe… just not necessarily in that order. 😂