Renew Wellness Center I Massage Therapy Services in Winkler

WHAT IS A STUDENT MASSAGE?

Students going through the massage therapy course are required to complete a hands-on practical component for a determined number of hours each year under the supervision of an RMT.  If you book in for a 60 minute massage with a student, they will begin the appointment by assessing your present condition using Orthopedic and/or Osteopathic protocols. They will discuss a suggested treatment based on your complaint(s) and you will receive 45-50 minutes of massage according to the treatment plan agreed upon.  Safety is always a priority and an RMT observer is on location to provide students with advice and help if needed. At some point during your massage the observer may drop in to provide the student with guidance.  The cost for a 60 min student massage is $35 (tax included).  This can not be claimed on your insurance.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BASIC & ADVANCED STUDENT?

The Basic Level students are in their first year of training and they are learning the techniques of Swedish massage. The Advanced Level students are in their second or third year of training and shift their focus toward therapeutic massage which is commonly used for treatment of specific conditions. In addition to the primary education the students are receiving, they also complete additional workshops every year that allow students to gain knowledge in advancing their education in areas such as: hot stone massage, sports massage, applied reflexology, deep tissue access, breast massage, palliative and compassionate care massage, prenatal massage, lymphatic integration, TMJ treatments, fascial integration, rib mobilization, cranial/sacral treatment, intro to Shiatsu massage and more.  The students are able to integrate this additional knowledge into their treatments.  You can learn more about the training that each student has taken by reading their bio's on our home page in order to book your appointment with the best student for your needs.

WHY SHOULD I BOOK A MASSAGE WITH A STUDENT?

When you book an appointment with a student at Renew Wellness Center, you will:

• Support the students in their learning as well as support the Pembina Valley region to increase the number of trained RMT's available.
• If you have insurance coverage for massage therapy, you may not make it through the entire year with your coverage, and you may consider alternating your massage appointments with an RMT and a student to help stretch out your insurance coverage.
• Receive the benefits of the fresh knowledge of assessment and treatment techniques the students are learning which sometimes get lost as a therapist settles into their practice after graduation.
• Benefit from an available RMT who is able to guide the student in their assessment if needed, and provide the client with treatment for their complaint at some point during their appointment if the student has not yet completed their training to treat the clients complaint. (eg. If a client comes in with a neck complaint and the student has not completed their training for that area, the student may call in an RMT to provide treatment for the client.  That way the client can leave without feeling the appointment was wasted.)

I DON'T WANT JUST A RELAXATION MASSAGE FROM A STUDENT....CAN THEY PROVIDE A DEEP TISSUE TREATMENT FOR MY COMPLAINT?

The overall answer is YES!  During your consultation with the student, you can share your preference of deeper pressure and the student will do their best to accommodate each client based on their abilities, and communicate to the client when deeper pressure may or may not be beneficial.  Whether the student is in their basic year or their advanced year of training, deep pressure can be applied for most of the techniques.  Communication and feedback during and following your treatment is extremely important for the students' growth as a therapist and improved application of the techniques.

DO YOU OFFER DIRECT BILLING?

We provide direct billing to most insurance companies for Massage Therapy services by Registered Massage Therapists only.  We do not direct bill for Naturopathic Treatments. Student massages are not covered by insurance because they are not fully licensed, therefore direct billing is not possible for student massage appointments.

Should you have questions on whether your massage (or part of it) is covered by your benefits, please contact your insurance provider prior to receiving a treatment. Anyone who receives a service from Renew Wellness Center is responsible for payment of the fees associated with that service, regardless of coverage granted by a benefits provider. Here are the companies we currently bill directly to:

I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE MUSIC THAT IS PLAYING. CAN IT BE CHANGED?

YES!  We use the Sonos music application that streams music from our reception desk to each treatment room.  The speakers in each treatment room can have different music streaming into the room.  If you feel you would be able to enjoy your treatment with another style of music, please let your therapist know and they can select a style of music that you prefer.  This does not offend the therapist if you make this request and it doesn't affect any other treatment rooms.  We want to make sure there is no hindrance in anyone being able to fully relax and enjoy their massage.

I WOULD PREFER IF THE THERAPIST DIDN'T TALK DURING THE MASSAGE.  WHICH THERAPIST CAN I BOOK WITH IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THIS WILL BE RESPECTED?

All of the therapists and students at Renew Wellness Center desire to respect the boundaries of any client that enters our clinic and treatment rooms.  Each therapist and student tries to pay close attention to the body language of the client to see if they are engaging in conversation or would like the therapist to stop talking.  Obviously this can be overlooked and therefore, we would prefer if the client was open and honest with the therapist/student before the treatment begins to let them know if they'd like to relax during the treatment and limit conversation.  This will take any of the guess work out of this and ensures the client receives the quiet they were hoping for.  This does not offend the therapist or student.  In fact, we would rather you share that with us instead of leaving frustrated or feeling like you were not able to completely relax.

DO I HAVE TO GET COMPLETELY UNDRESSED?  WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO?

You do not have to get completely undressed.  During your assessment and consultation, the RMT or student will discuss the suggested treatment plan with you.  Your consent is always the primary concern and you are encouraged to get disrobed to your level of comfort.  You can receive an effective, therapeutic massage regardless of what clothing (if any) you choose to remove. Your comfort and ability to relax is a top priority for our RMTs. The RMT or student may suggest what is generally most comfortable for the client and the therapist to achieve the best results from the treatment, and then the client makes the final decision based on that conversation. 

During the entire massage, the client is under a sheet and ongoing consent is always part of the treatment as each area of the body is being draped to prepare the exposed tissue for treatment.  If at any time you feel uncomfortable due to pain, treatment or draping, please let your RMT know.  Before and after the massage, you will be able undress and dress in complete privacy. Most clients generally disrobe leaving just their bottom underwear on.

CAN CHILDREN RECEIVE MASSAGE THERAPY?

Children of all ages can greatly benefit from massage therapy.  The following childhood conditions are commonly treated with massage therapy:

• Reducing anxiety, depression and stress
• Decreasing stress in turn can help improve sleep patterns
• Relaxing tight muscles in children with "tech neck" or other postural dysfunctions such as scoliosis, etc.
• Decreasing childhood and adolescent growing pains
• Children with Autism may benefit from increased relaxation and improved sleep
• Relief or reduced menstruation pain
• Treatment for headaches, concussions, whiplash
• Locking/popping/clicking of the jaw

See http://www.winhealth.ca/new-blog/2018/7/3/how-children-benefit-from-massage-therapy for more benefits of massage for children and adolescents.

Phone: (204) 325-8386

Email: admin@renewwellnesscenter.ca

2-880J 15th Street, Winkler, MB, R6W 0H5

(Corner of Hwy #14 & 15th Street, across of Gospel Mission Church)

Admin Office Hours:

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Every other Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

© Copyright Renew Wellness Center