Serenity Now Massage Therapy

Your digestive system and musculoskeletal system are not completely separate.

When you feel bloated or uncomfortable, you may breathe more shallowly, brace your abdomen or change your posture. These temporary changes can influence tension around the diaphragm, ribs and back.

Manual therapy does not diagnose or treat digestive disease, but it may help address related musculoskeletal tension and support more comfortable movement.

Persistent, severe or unexplained digestive symptoms should always be discussed with a healthcare provider.

Why Can You Feel Worse After Sitting All Day — Even If You Didn’t “Do” Anything?

Sitting may feel like rest, but staying in one position for hours can still place stress on the body.

When we sit for long periods, certain muscles may stay shortened while others do less work. The hips, lower back, neck, and shoulders can gradually become stiff or uncomfortable, especially if you’re also working at a computer or looking down at a phone.

Less movement can also mean less variety for your joints and tissues — and our bodies generally like movement.

A few simple things can help:
• Change positions regularly
• Stand up and walk when you can
• Move your shoulders, hips, and spine throughout the day
• Avoid waiting until you feel really stiff before taking a break

Sometimes the body doesn’t hurt because you did too much — it hurts because you didn’t move enough.

🧠 TREATMENT SPOTLIGHT: NEUROVASCULAR & NEURAL WORK

Ever wonder why pain, tingling, burning, or tightness can sometimes travel or show up somewhere different from where the problem started?

Your nerves connect your brain and spinal cord with the rest of your body. They need to be able to move and glide comfortably through the surrounding muscles, fascia, joints and other tissues.

When an area becomes irritated, restricted, or sensitive, you may notice symptoms such as:

✨ Tingling or “pins and needles”
✨ Burning or shooting sensations
✨ Numbness
✨ Muscle guarding or tightness
✨ Pain that travels into an arm or leg
✨ An area that just keeps feeling “stuck”

During treatment, we may assess the nerve pathway and the tissues surrounding it — sometimes working somewhere other than the exact spot where you feel your symptoms.

Neural and neurovascular techniques are generally gentle and precise, with the goal of supporting comfortable movement and reducing unnecessary tension around sensitive structures.

Because sometimes the place that hurts isn’t the only place we need to look. 💫

📍 Serenity Now Massage Therapy

scan came back “normal”… but you still hurt.

That does not mean the pain isn’t real.

Imaging can be very helpful for identifying things like fractures, significant structural changes, or other medical concerns — but it doesn’t always explain every source of pain or restriction.

Sometimes symptoms may also be influenced by things such as:

• Muscle and fascial tension
• Joint mobility
• Nerve sensitivity
• Breathing mechanics
• Compensation patterns
• Previous injuries
• How different areas of the body are moving together

That’s why a hands-on assessment can look at more than just the area that hurts.

The goal isn’t to replace medical imaging — it’s to look at function, movement, and how your body is adapting.

If your tests have been reassuring but something still doesn’t feel right, there may still be useful things to assess.

✨ Team Member Highlight: Charis Joly ✨

With over 25 years of experience, Charis brings skill, compassion, and a thoughtful approach to every treatment. She has been practicing in Sherwood Park and Edmonton since graduating from Grant MacEwan College in 2001.

Her treatments are tailored to each client’s individual needs, with a focus on reducing pain, improving mobility, supporting recovery, and helping clients feel their best.

Charis offers a variety of treatments including therapeutic massage, Swedish relaxation massage, trigger point therapy, pre/post natal massage, abdominal massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, and care for chronic pain and overuse injuries.

We’re so grateful for the kind words and continued support from our clients. 💚

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Thank you for choosing Serenity Now Massage Therapy!

Your therapist can provide safer, more personalized care when they have the full picture. 💛

Before your treatment, please let us know about any new injuries, symptoms, medical procedures, medication changes or changes in your overall health—even if you’re unsure whether they’re related.

During your session, you’re always welcome to speak up about the pressure, positioning, temperature or anything else affecting your comfort.

Communication helps us adapt your treatment to what your body needs that day.

📍 Serenity Now Massage Therapy

What I wish more people knew about pain:

Pain doesn’t always tell you exactly where the problem is.

Sometimes the area that hurts is only part of the picture.

Pain can also be influenced by:
• sensitivity in the nervous system
• muscle guarding
• joint stiffness
• sleep and fatigue
• stress
• previous injury
• repetitive movement or loading

That’s why two people with pain in the same area may need very different treatment approaches.

Treatment should be based on the person in front of you — not just the location of the pain.

Serenity Now Massage Therapy

Meet Teresa Strydnadka, RMT ✨

A valued member of the Serenity Now Massage Therapy team, Teresa brings over 10 years of hands-on experience and specializes in orthopedic and rehabilitation massage.

Her areas of expertise include myofascial release, cupping, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, neuromuscular therapy, muscle energy techniques, joint mobilization, prenatal/postnatal massage, sports massage, and Swedish massage.

Teresa is passionate about helping clients move better, feel stronger, and get back to the activities they love. 💙

We’re so grateful to have her on our team!

What makes a joint feel “stuck”?

Sometimes that stiff, blocked feeling isn’t just about the joint itself.

Muscles around the area may tighten to protect it, the joint may not be moving through its usual range, or your nervous system may be encouraging you to avoid a certain movement.

That’s why treatment may include looking at the muscles, fascia, surrounding joints, and movement patterns — not just the exact spot that feels stuck.

And one important point: a joint usually does not need to be “put back into place.”