RMT Jennifer

RMT Sexual Violence Resource Centre Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario

Why Things Hurt: Pain Is More Complex (and More Human) Than You Might Think
People usually come to see me for one reason:
Something hurts.
Early in my career, I figured that if I was going to spend my days helping people navigate pain, I should probably develop a strong understanding of it.
That decision sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole.
Because pain is surprisingly complex.
When I first entered practice, I thought my clinical focus would revolve primarily around sports injuries, orthopaedics, and mechanical problems of muscles and joints. And certainly, those things matter.
But working with people living with persistent pain, migraines, TMJ disorders, nerve symptoms, chronic illness, movement intolerance, and “nothing seems to be helping anymore” situations gradually changed how I understood pain, and healthcare more broadly.
The neuroscience of pain is fascinating.
The lived experience of pain is deeply human.
And the more we study pain, the clearer it becomes that pain is not always simple, predictable, or explained entirely by tissue injury alone.
So… what is pain?
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) currently defines pain (July 2020) as:
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.”
That definition is worth slowing down for a moment.
Because pain is not simply a direct measurement of tissue damage.
Pain is a personal experience.
Real.
Protective.
And influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors.
This is where pain science sometimes gets misunderstood.
You may have heard phrases like:
"Pain is all in the brain."
Unfortunately, that wording can sound dismissive or invalidating.
That is not what modern pain science is saying.
Pain is real.
Your experience matters.
But our nervous systems do far more than simply measure damaged tissues and report back.
They constantly gather information about our bodies and environment.
Injury matters.
Inflammation matters.
Health conditions matter.
But so can sleep disruption, illness, stress, overload, previous experiences, nervous system sensitivity, beliefs, context, hormones, and many other wonderfully human variables.
Sometimes pain closely reflects tissue injury.
Sometimes pain persists long after tissue healing.
Sometimes relatively minor injuries hurt tremendously.
Sometimes major injuries produce surprisingly little pain.
Human beings are complex organisms.
Our pain experiences reflect that complexity.
Why this matters for treatment
Understanding pain is not about convincing people their symptoms are imaginary.
Quite the opposite.
Understanding pain can sometimes reduce fear, increase self-understanding, and open additional pathways for support and recovery.
Persistent pain often benefits from an interdisciplinary and multimodal approach.
Family physicians, specialists, rehabilitation providers, mental health professionals, movement-based therapies, medications, education, lifestyle strategies, and supportive care may all play important roles depending on the individual and their situation.
Massage therapy can be one supportive piece of that picture.
Not because I believe I can “fix” every injury or condition.
I can't.
But I can support people living with pain.
I can help reduce or manage symptoms using evidence-informed, non-pharmacological strategies.
I can help explore movement tolerance, symptom patterns, triggers, pacing, graded progression, and sustainable ways of supporting function and quality of life.
And perhaps most importantly:
I can help people feel understood in experiences that are often frustrating, exhausting, confusing, and isolating.
Pain is complex.
Human beings are complex.
Healthcare is complex.
But complexity does not mean hopelessness.
It means we approach pain with curiosity, compassion, and a willingness to work collaboratively toward meaningful goals.

Why Things Hurt: Pain Is More Complex (and More Human) Than You Might Think — RMT Jennifer People usually come to see me for one reason: Something hurts. Early in my career, I figured that if I was going to spend my days helping people navigate pain, I should probably develop a strong understanding of it. That decision sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole. Because pain is surprising

Advocacy Project Update
Over the past several weeks, information packages regarding workforce structure, workplace safety, and accountability concerns affecting BC RMTs have been shared with:
• CCHPBC
• WorkSafeBC
• labour and human rights organizations
• healthcare associations and oversight bodies
• and massage therapy associations across Canada.
Responses have started coming in.
One of the most interesting patterns so far has been the degree to which different parts of the issue are being redirected between systems:
• labour concerns redirected toward workplace safety,
• workplace safety concerns redirected toward regulation,
• regulatory concerns redirected toward complaint systems,
• and broader structural concerns redirected elsewhere again.
None of these responses have been inappropriate or hostile. In many ways, they highlight the exact issue being raised:
When healthcare workers exist in structurally ambiguous working arrangements, responsibility and accountability can become fragmented across multiple systems.
This matters because RMTs work in environments with known and documented risks involving harassment, boundary violations, and unsafe patient interactions, often while classified as independent contractors despite significant operational control within clinic settings.
The project is still in the early stages, but awareness is growing and important conversations are beginning to happen across multiple organizations and provinces.
Thank you again to everyone who has shared experiences, contracts, concerns, and support throughout this process.
If anyone has questions about the project, or would like to review the information packages and supporting materials that have been shared with organizations, feel free to reach out privately.

Unicorns Aren't Real and neither are Trigger Points.

Unicorns Aren’t Real—And Neither Are Trigger Points — RMT Jennifer I’ll take “Unpopular Opinions” for $1000, please. Let’s start with a simple question: what does real actually mean? Having objective, independent existence Occurring in reality Detectable and reliably identifiable Now compare that to the traditional definition of a “trigger point”: a

Many women, especially mothers become very good at functioning through symptoms they would never ignore in someone else.

The headaches become “normal.”
The jaw tension becomes “stress.”
The numbness in the hands at night becomes “sleeping weird.”
The shoulder pain becomes “getting older.”

And because they’re still managing work, caregiving, schedules, meals, school forms, emotional labour, and everyone else’s needs… they often don’t realize how much strain their nervous system and body have been carrying for a very long time.

And often by the time they finally book in, they’ve been compensating for months or years.

One of the things I enjoy most about this work is helping people understand why symptoms may be happening, not just chasing “tight muscles.”

Sometimes the body needs less forcing and more understanding.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the women carrying more than most people realize 💙

WorkSafeBC RMT Participation Survey: Educational Analysis For RMTs — RMT Jennifer Reflections on the WorkSafeBC RMT Participation Survey WorkSafeBC has launched a survey for RMTs regarding participation in direct billing for work-related injury treatment and the upcoming Massage Therapy Services Agreement renewal. The survey asks important questions about: administrative wor

Could it be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition caused by pressure on the median nerve at the wrist.

Symptoms can include:
• Numbness or tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers
• Hand weakness or dropping things
• Aching or burning in the hand, wrist, or forearm
• Symptoms often worse at night

It can develop for a number of reasons, and was once thought to be repetitive hand use, certain work demands (like vibratory tools or keyboard use), sustained wrist positions during sleep, or factors like pregnancy, diabetes, perimenopause/menopause, or arthritis. CTS predominantly affects women age 40-60.

What helps?
Treatment depends on the individual, but may include:
• Night splinting to support the wrist in a neutral position
• Activity modification to reduce irritation
• Targeted exercises (like nerve gliding)
• Manual therapy, including massage, to help manage pain and muscle tension
• In some cases, a minor surgical procedure may be recommended to relieve pressure on the nerve

In practice, massage therapy treatment typically includes a combination of these elements, blending hands-on care with movement-based strategies and practical guidance (including things like splinting options and sleep positioning) to reduce irritation of the nerve and improve tolerance to daily activities. This approach can be helpful whether you’re managing symptoms conservatively or recovering after surgery.

Many people do well with this kind of conservative approach, especially when symptoms are addressed early.

When To Seek Care
If symptoms are affecting your sleep, daily activities, or you’re noticing weakness or loss of sensation, it’s worth having it assessed.

This is something I see fairly often in practice, and many people are able to make meaningful improvements with conservative care.

If this sounds familiar, feel free to reach out, I’m happy to help.

I’ve started breaking down real working arrangements RMTs are navigating in BC, one piece at a time. A Contract Analysis Series for BC RMTs.

Part 1 looks at something simple but important: who actually controls the schedule.
Full post here 👇
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E75mQgjP4/

Working Arrangements in BC Massage Therapy
Contract Analysis Series
Part 1: Who Controls the Schedule?

Most Registered Massage Therapists in BC are classified as independent contractors.

But many don’t actually control their own schedules.
In a lot of clinics:
• Hours of operation are set by the clinic
• Schedules are predetermined
• Time off requires approval or advance notice

That’s not a small detail.

In most industries, when a worker doesn’t control when they work, they’re usually considered an employee, not an independent contractor.

That distinction matters, because it affects access to protections, and who is responsible for working conditions and safety.

Part 2: Who controls pricing and payment?

Could It Be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Have you ever woken up with numb or tingling hands and felt like you needed to “shake them awake”?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common condition caused by pressure on the median nerve at the wrist.

Symptoms can include:
• Numbness or tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers
• Hand weakness or dropping things
• Aching or burning in the hand, wrist, or forearm
• Symptoms often worse at night

It can develop for a number of reasons, repetitive hand use, certain work demands (like vibratory tools or keyboard use), sustained wrist positions during sleep, or factors like pregnancy, diabetes, perimenopause/menopause, or arthritis. CTS predominantly affects women age 40-60.

What helps?
Treatment depends on the individual, but may include:
• Night splinting to support the wrist in a neutral position
• Activity modification to reduce irritation
• Targeted exercises (like nerve gliding)
• Manual therapy, including massage, to help manage pain and muscle tension
• In some cases, a minor surgical procedure may be recommended to relieve pressure on the nerve

In practice, massage therapy treatment typically includes a combination of these elements, blending hands-on care with movement-based strategies and practical guidance (including things like splinting options and sleep positioning) to reduce irritation of the nerve and improve tolerance to daily activities. This approach can be helpful whether you’re managing symptoms conservatively or recovering after surgery.

Many people do well with this kind of conservative approach, especially when symptoms are addressed early.

When To Seek Care
If symptoms are affecting your sleep, daily activities, or you’re noticing weakness or loss of sensation, it’s worth having it assessed.
This is something I see fairly often in practice, and many people are able to make meaningful improvements with conservative care.

If this sounds familiar, feel free to reach out, I’m happy to help.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome — RMT Jennifer Have you ever woken up with numb or tingling hands and felt like you needed to “shake them awake”?