I've been hearing from numerous Registered Massage Therapists that financial challenges are prevalent at the moment, and I empathize deeply. Each trip to the grocery store or gas station seems to bring a fresh wave of frustration.

The best thing about working for yourself is you can choose your own supplies (guilt-free shopping!) Check out this list complied by Melissa Pierson, RMT and Amy Redekop, RMT.

Laundry stripping is an aggressive cleaning method designed to remove built-up soil, laundry detergent and fabric softener from “clean” laundry with a chemical solution and overnight hot water soak.

Some massage therapists feel like doing this on a regular basis is necessary; however, from personal experience as an RMT (and years of cloth diapering my kids, where this topic comes up a lot), and from laundry experts such as Maytag, it should not be needed if your laundry is washed correctly in the first place.

Can you believe that one time I witnessed someone throw away the center of a cinnamon bun? 😱 Everyone knows that the center of the cinnamon bun is the best part!!

Stumped on what to get for the massage therapist in your life? Check out this curated list for ideas!

Last summer I took my three kids for a walk, when my 3-year-old shouted, “Hurry! Before dat dog eat us!” I looked over and expected to see a giant ferocious looking dog but to my surprise it was the world’s tiniest wiener dog. You see, my kids don't have a lot of experience with dogs. They're scared of anything that's unfamiliar to them.

The same is true with us.

Some RMTs are nervous about direct billing, but I think it’s mostly because it’s unfamiliar. Once we learn more about it, it becomes second nature. …

You know that awkward moment when you’re giving a massage and you feel like you’ve stepped into a pet store? (birds … so many birds *shudder)

There’s nothing worse than having weird massage music, which is why I turned to my pals on Instagram for some new music suggestions and WOW DID THEY DELIVER!! Check out this amazing collection of Spotify Playlists!

Packing for mobile massage can be tricky. You don’t want to come tumbling into someone’s house with so much stuff that it looks like you’re moving in, but you also want to insure you have everything you need.

Often as massage therapists we think we need to learn some impressive new skill to amp up our practice, but the truth is, that it’s often the little things that make the biggest difference.

Sometimes as practitioners, we develop tunnel vision and hone in a little too much on what we specialize in. As an RMT, there are times when someone presents with pain and I automatically think, "well, it must be these muscles here." and forget that this person has nerves, joints, organs and so on. …

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been struggling to know how to market my massage business during these hard times. I kind of feel like this … 

How was your first massage after going back to work? My son did a good job of illustrating how I felt . . . 😂

It’s been interesting to see the chatter within the massage community about PPE and comparing the differences between associations. I compiled this chart to illustrate these differences; as you can see, they vary widely. A big part of this is due to the fact that each association has created their guidelines in accordance with provincial documents, which vary across the country. …

As we’re all gearing up to go back to work here in Canada, many RMTs have questions about PPE and procedures. A question I have had is about intra-oral TMJ work. This is a technique I use quite frequently as I love treating the jaw and have received extra training in this area and published a case study on massage and TMJ symptoms. …

Did you know that the two most common spots for melanoma to show up are the back (for men), and the lower legs (for women)? Because we spend a lot of our time working on these areas, is it any wonder that RMTs can be a wonderful asset in detecting suspicious looking moles? …