Michelle Kirnbauer, RMT

Thanks to everyone who came out to visit us at & yesterday. Our Grand Opening was a great success and it was lovely to see familiar faces as well as meet some new clients & their friends and/or families!

Check out these sweet door prizes!

Come visit me tomorrow!

Ok! The cats out of the bag! Post Malone and Jelly Roll tickets are the Grand Prize tomorrow!
Stop in 11am to 3pm!
Flyin Hawaiian Food Truck will be on site 11:30am to 2:30pm!
A bunch of prizes!
You must be in person to put your name and number in the draw barrel to enter!

Winner will meet a Whisspa member in Edmonton on the day of the concert to get in the gates!

Tag some friends to come and enter your names, and see some of the great services and products we offer as well as a few other local businesses!

🩹 Let’s Talk Taping: The Pro Stuff vs. The Dollar‑Store Roll

This morning, I attended a CMMOTA & OrthoCanada Zoom Info Session that did a deep dive into how kinesiology tape works. Even though I don’t (currently?) offer taping in my own practice, you know I’m relentlessly curious about anything & everything that affects how we heal! And, if there's enough demand for this from my clients, I'll consider taking K-Taping Academy Canada's: Pro, Women's Health, Paediatrics, Pro Upper Extremity Emphasis, and/or Lymphatics course(s)...

That being said, what surprised me most was how much thought goes into the good-quality tapes — the ones you usually see in physio or chiro clinics. They’re designed to stretch and recoil almost exactly like skin and muscle! When they’re applied properly, they create a gentle lifting effect through the top layers of tissue. That additional bit of space can help with swelling, calm irritated pain receptors, and shift muscle tone without locking anything down.

Also, the tension matters way more than I realized previously. A barely-there

If I've treated you before, you probably know some of my more common trigger point phrases:
"Ohhh, that's spicy!"
"There's a lot of heat (in) there!"

Today, a client said a new one:
"Well, that (one) was hot sauce!"

It's been a leg-themed week.
I like her techniques!
I'll have to try 'em... 🦵

There is a reason calf work feels SO good 🦵🏼 #eighthwonder #calf #massage There's a lot going on down there.

Nerd out with me! What do RMTs do when they're not working? Often, we're still learning: Fascia&Form

Joanne Avison 18 likes, 4 comments. "Sacred Geometry: The Missing Link Between Fascia and Form"

New Word OTD: Thixotropy

In physics, thixotropy is the property of certain gels to become fluid when shaken or stirred. Well, wouldn't you know it, but your fascia is thixotropic! When you are stationary or "stuck" in a pattern (such as a couch potato), your ground substance becomes a thick gel (more adhesions). To keep it fluid, you need "micro-movements" throughout your workday—gentle shaking of the limbs or "joint circling" (THINK: shoulders, hips - and/or to a lesser degree - upper neck, pelvic clocks/torso circles, wrists, ankles, fingers/thumbs)—to prevent the gel from hardening.

In the context of hypertonicity, "circling" these joints serves as a lubrication protocol. When you move a joint through its full range of circumduction, you are stimulating the Synovial Membrane to secrete Synovial Fluid.

Think of this fluid as your body's "WD-40." It contains Hyaluronan, which reduces friction and feeds the articular cartilage. As they like to say in physiotherapy, "motion is lotion!" And, ​"The hinges of a busy door never rust." (An ancient Chinese proverb often applied to the joints).

The anatomy wall is up — gratitude to handyman Leon for the steady hands.

Now the room is asking its next question:
how to transform the outlet-&-cord tangle
into something artful & elevated?

Shelves,
vertical lines,
hidden storage,
or a small architectural
gesture that keeps the floor,
window, and door clear?

Still learning what the ceiling grid can hold as I

shape this space into its next form...