Talon Sports Massage
10404 100 St # 15 T7P 2C7 Westlock, AB, Canada

THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE ATTN: Tyler Shandro (Alberta MOH) and Dr. Deena Hinshaw (Chief Medical Officer) The Massage Therapists of Alberta have received the manda...te, that was made without consultation with associated stakeholders. The mandate to have a referral in order to permit massage therapists in Alberta to provide care is insulting, unnecessary and provides more barriers to care in a healthcare system that is already overloaded. We have the right to know the reasoning behind this decision. - The requirement to have a permission slip to provide the care that we have been safely and successfully providing since the spring (and before that time) is nonsensical. The current PPE requirements are in line with every other province, and many other Regulated Health Practitioners guidelines, none of which have mandated permission slips in place before care can be provided under lockdown restrictions. - Requiring that a person obtain a a referral from a list of healthcare professionals, some of whom would not be permitted to write referrals at any other time, provides barriers to care. - The online options to obtain this referral are not a solution for some who would prefer that their private healthcare information not be disseminated to online platforms. - This mandate increases workload for practitioners asked to write these referrals, and there seems to be nothing in place to mandate them to have to write, leaving massage therapists businesses and financial security at risk. - Healthcare providers who are permitted to write these referrals are now charging upwards of $50 per referral. Some are billing insurers, and bleeding funds from healthcare services that the insured person may wish to use, but now may not be able to because these funds are allocated to permission slip writing for massage therapy. Our clients now have to choose between seeing us and losing some of their other healthcare coverage, or not receiving massage therapy and the effects of that decision. - A note does nothing to increase client safety, minimize exposure or support mental and physical health of the public in care of massage therapists. - This decision is not only a nuisance in the current time, but is a potential risk to the future of massage therapy in Alberta. If insurers determine that this new hoop decreases claims and saves money, how can therapists be assured that it won't become a permanent requirement? This would put massage therapists in danger of long term financial damage to their practices. The viability of massage therapy as a livelihood is at risk. *** I ask that the following questions be addressed: How and who offered this as an option for return to work? What was the discussion and reasoning around this decision? Has the MOH mandated the note as a requirement for treatment and that other HCPs are mandated to provide this note, or is that up to their discretion? Were other associations/colleges/regulatory bodies who represent these "note writers" consulted before this decision was made? What was their response? Were insurance companies involved in this discussion? How? How does a note mitigate any issues around transmission of the virus? How does it improve safety of our clients? How does it improve care? Was there discussion about what this note might mean for the future of MTs in AB? ie. what the potential long term effects to our livelihood may be if insurers see this as a way to decrease claims and therefore push to have this continue as a requirement. If limiting points of contact is a goal of restrictions related to lockdowns, how was requiring a note even an option as this would increase points of contact? Is there a document that indicates that this is only a short term approach? What is the language of that document? Who makes the decision to lift this requirement? What are the conditions that need to be in place for it to be lifted? I ask that the Alberta Government address these concerns. I expect my government and government representatives to be concerned about my ability to be financially secure, and that my profession be viable in the future. I look forward to a expeditious response to this matter. * While this may not echo the concerns of all MTs in AB, they certainly are consistent with many, and I believe require attention.

December 22, 2020 With today’s announcements, Massage Therapists are being given an exemption to the Covid shutdowns given some stipulations. Thank you to all of those who signed petitions to endorse Registered Massage Therapists. ... WE REOPEN AS OF DEC 23,2020. Our hours through Christmas will be as follows December 23 - 9 am - 6 pm December 24 - 9 am - 4 pm Dec 25 - 27 closed - Merry Christmas Dec - 28 through the 31st 9am - 6 pm Closed Jan 1-3.

Even though we are shut down due to the Alberta Government’s mandated closures, we are still taking bookings for January 11 forward. Please call 780-349-5750 and get your spot as I anticipate we will be busy. In the mean time, we hope you all make the best of your Christmas and New Years. Best of health and happiness to you all.

Quality stuff made right in Alberta, from plastics collected and recycled in Alberta

We are thrilled to have this in Westlock!

Congratulations to our client Ryan Provencal! Hard work and perseverance is paying off.

Huge shout out to the RCMP officer who knows the value of a good massage! This very nice officer let my client off with a warning this morning when he explained he was late for his appointment at Talon Sports Massage . Hope you have a safe and wonderful long weekend officer.

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After 3 long months of closure due to Covid-19 Government Shut downs, we are finally allowed to reopen!!! Friday, June 12 is our opening date!!! We are back to regular hours, Monday - Friday, 9 am - 6 pm. Ive missed my clients so much! Hope to see you all soon!

YAY! Thieves oil and balm is back in stock!!!

Hello all, For those of you still looking for pantry fillers, we still have things in stock. Gluten Free pastas and flour... Sugar substitutes as well as Cane Sugar and Raw Brown Sugar Rolled oats and Quick oats Aluminum Free baking powder Aluminum Free baking Soda As well as our full selection of herbs and vitamins

To our patients, We at Talon Sports Massage are aware of and concerned about the world crisis affecting our country, province and town. This situation is rapidly evolving and decisions will continue to be made as information comes in. The safety and well being of our patients and practitioners is our highest priority. We plan to continue operating as usual at this time with client screening, maintaining a high level of cleanliness, and making every effort to offer a safe and ...comfortable environment for our patients. We have increased cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Practitioners will continue with hand washing and/or sanitizing procedures, including between patients and with charting, handling money and use of computers. Magazines, brochures and newspapers have been removed and all high touch areas (counters, door handles, waiting area chairs Etc) will be disinfected regularly. Any staff members with signs of illness will be asked to stay home, or sent home. Please help limit the spread of covid 19 If you or someone you are in close contact with is feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms of dry cough, unusual body aches and/or fever, please call us to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If you have recently travelled, we also ask that you please wait 2-3 weeks before coming in for an appointment. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed. Thanks Talon Sports Massage

During this time of Covid-19 closures, we would like to reassure all of our clients that were following all the steps necessary to keep you safe. We are pre-screening patients and taking extra care cleaning everything with hospital grade disinfectants to ensure you have a safe, stress free environment for your treatments. Thank you all for your continued support through these stressful times.

Rest assured that we take every precaution concerning the current COVID-19 concerns. All our linens are changed and properly disinfected after every client and as always all pads, bolsters and equipment is cleaned with medical grade disinfectants. That being said, we also ask that you do your part as well and we will all get through this.

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Great camp for the football kids and its here in Westlock!

Its National Love Your Pet Day! These 2 crazy characters come to work with us everyday and LOVE to visit with all of our clients. Show us your fur babies so we can appreciate them too!

Family Day long weekend is almost upon us! That means all sorts of activities are happening like skiing, boarding, sledding or even intense hours of retail therapy! Make sure to book your pre weekend tune up and get the kinks worked out before the weekend!

Well, weve made it through January! Studies show that January is the most stressful month of the year for many reasons. Christmas bills come in, lack of daytime sun light and enduring the cold snaps are among the top reasons we tend to withdraw and not take care of ourselves in January. February can produce its challenges too, but, its a short month and we can see the spring light at the end of the tunnel. Let us help you get February moving on the right foot. We are offer...ing 10% off of all our treatments this month if you mention this post. Dont forget to visit our website for a run down of what we do! www.talonsportsmassage.com

I totally agree! Our pups come to work with us everyday and our clients love to visit with them

With the deepest gratitude, I would like to thank you all for your wonderful support. From my family, to all of yours, we hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Fantastic New Year filled with happiness and great adventures!!!

This time of year can be crazy! It is also a time of reflection. Thinking about the ups and downs that we all have through the year can take us through a rollercoaster of emotions! My wife, Janelle, has unknowingly taught me something very special and important that I want to share with you all. This is important to me, both professionally and personally and as simple as it may seem, after any particularly hard day, can be a challenge! Ill get to what she taught me in a min...ute.... Personal challenges. Without going into great detail, my life, like many of you, has had life changing challenges. Terrible Divorce, single dad of 4 under 5 yrs old, a house fire and not 1 but 2 massive Pulmonary Emboli which statistics would say I should have never survived... Too much info about your therapist? Maybe, but theres a point to come. Professionally. I see many clients everyday. After 25 years in this business and this community, I have made fantastic connections with many people. Every treatment is different, every conversation is different. I see so many people when they are up and specially when theyre down. Some laugh, some cry and some dont speak at all. My treatment room has always been a safe place for clients to vent and venting is good. One thing this has helped me to understand is, even though we all have battles that may seem insurmountable, other have their battles too. As stress builds, patience and compassion may go the other way, and thats when life seems to be the hardest! I know, get to the point Trevor! There is always some good to be found. For me, during some of my most troubled times, I met my absolute soulmate, we raised 4 fantastic children and we can do anything together. With my clients, its great to let them get things out but I also like to ask what is great with you? Help change your mindset, without really knowing it, my wife taught me how. Simple? yes. Challenging?sometimes. Impossible? never. No matter how tough things are my wife does this at the end of the day. Ive adopted it in my own way and it changes your outlook. Take a few minutes, challenge yourself, whether you write it down or just reflect. Find 3 things in your day that you are truly grateful for! Thats it! Enjoy it, talk about it or write it down. You will find that you will feel better, clear any negativity out and let some positive, feel good endorphins flow! Aside from what challenges this day may bring, as I write this I am grateful for this... I am grateful to have a fantastic group of clients and friends who I can rely on and they on me. I am grateful to have 4 wonderful children and 2 fur babies who are smart, compassionate and make me proud everyday. I am MOST grateful for my wife, Janelle. Shes my rock, my love and total soulmate. We hope you enjoy this holiday season, dont sweat the small stuff and please find 3 things to be grateful for every day.

Hello all, A couple of spots have opened up on Wednesday December 4 and Thursday the 5th. Give us a call at 780-349-5750 if you would like to take advantage of those openings

Well, we are into the last month of the year and for many, your benefit packages roll over January 1. Dont forget to take care of yourself during the crazy Christmas season. We direct bill for a very long list of insurers and if your plan does not do direct billing, we are registered so your reimbursement is simple. Remember! If you dont use it, you lose it! Call now! 780-349-5750

Hi Facebook friends! Can I ask a favour? I would really appreciate it if my friends, family and clients could help me out in an easy way! It only takes a few seconds & would help out my small business, especially for the holiday season. Facebook has a new feature & it takes seconds to do!... Id really appreciate it if you could go to my Facebook page: Talon Sports Massage Look for the row that says Home, Reviews, etc, then Scroll across to COMMUNITY Click INVITE FRIENDS Click ALL Wait 10-15 seconds for the invitations to send - its as simple as that - We have been in Westlock for almost 25 years now, supporting not only this community but all of our surrounding communities. Supporting small businesses doesnt require spending money. Its as simple as sharing, liking and promoting us! Thank you so much for supporting local and small businesses!

Its not very often that we get cancelations, but it happens. We have a couple openings on Friday, November 22 in the afternoon. Give us a shout at 780-349-5750 if you would like to take advantage of a great Friday afternoon massage

Tis the Season! Well, its that time of year again! CHRISTMAS! ... Like most of us, you probably look forward to Christmas. We all have our ideal picture in our head of the perfect Christmas. Maybe a large family gathering to get caught up with everyone, or a small Christmas morning with the kids expressing all their excitement as they rip through the wrapping. Maybe you get away at this time for lots of fun and make amazing memories! Its certainly the time of year where most of us wish for it to be perfect for not only ourselves but for everyone we know and love. BUT.... The reality of the season is, it does have a dark side. For a lot of people, its STRESS UPON STRESS UPON STRESS!!! We live fast stress filled lives with work, kids, education, and money!!! Then Christmas comes along and adds more STRESS. Tack on all the extras - shopping, preparing, planning for guests or travel, concerts, company parties.... The list goes on and on. The biggest and baddest part of Christmas is financial strain. It gets us all. We are here to help! Massage Therapy is a fantastic way to help your brain and body deal with stress! Taking it one step further, Talon Sports Massage direct bills most insurance companies so you have little or no out of pocket expense. Most benefit packages roll over January first, so if you havent used it, you lose it. ASEBP GREENSHIELD GREAT WEST LIFE MANULIFE SUNLIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BLUE CROSS TELUS HEALTH AND MANY MORE.... Dont forget about taking care of yourself this Christmas season. www.talonsportsmassage.com

Anatomy minded folks like myself find things like this hilarious but the rest of you will just roll your eyes

https://talonsportsmassage.com/informative-articles

EXCITING NEWS!!!!! Not only have we recently added a new therapy in Graston Technique, Talon Sports Massage has partnered with Physiotec to bring you all of the latest exercise and stretching protocols. Access your personalized profile anytime through talonsportsmassage.com via your computer, tablet or smart phone! ... We strive to stay at the leading edge of healing with both technique and technology. You wont find another rural clinic with what we offer. Multi Modality Massage Therapies Graston Technique Theralase Cold Laser Therapy Piesowave Shockwave Therapy Kinesio Taping NIR Body Composition Testing and now... Physiotec Health and Fitness

I am very happy to be able to offer this very innovative therapy at Talon Sports Massage! Graston is absolutely the Gold Standard when it comes to any ISATM Therapy. Benefits of Graston Technique Therapy The primary benefit of Graston Technique therapy is relief. These are some of the ways we help make that possible.... Faster Recovery Graston Technique therapy will not only accelerate your rehabilitation but youll be able to continue working, running, lifting, swimming, training Less Treatment Time More time for you. In addition to accelerated recovery time your treatment time is also minimized. Typical treatment time is over a four-to-five-week period. Live Pain Free Graston Technique therapy has resolved issues for patients that caused them to live with pain for years, sometimes decades. Say goodbye to costly anti-inflammatory and pain medications. Soft tissue injuries can be debilitating and frustrating. Graston Technique (GT) therapy is successful in effectively treating all soft tissue conditions, whether they are chronic, acute or post- surgical. GT therapy can help you enjoy life again. Our unique technique and instruments enable the treatment of scar tissue and fascial restrictions during rehabilitation that allows for faster rehabilitation and with greater success when the goal is restoring range of motion, eliminating pain, and restoring normal function. Here is list of some of the most common conditions treated with Graston Technique therapy. Ankle Pain (Achilles Tendinosis/itis) Wrist Pain (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) Neck Pain (Cervical Sprain/Strain) Fibromyalgia Hamstring Injuries Hip Pain IT Band (Iliotibial Band) Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylosis/itis) Back Pain (Lumbar Sprain/Strain) Golfers Elbow (Medial Epicondylosis/itis) Knee Pain (Patellofemoral Disorders) Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis) Shoulder Pain (Rotator Cuff Tendinosis/itis) Scar Tissue Trigger Finger Womens Health (Post-Mastectomy and Caesarean Scarring)

Heres a great fundraiser for the RF Staples High School that we are involved with. For $20.00, you cant lose!! Present the business size card and receive 10% any service I offer until September 2020!!! The small square is for a one time, free Cold Laser Therapy with a massage purchase. Thats over a $50 value. Contact RF Staples High School for details on this great value.

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Relax your mind, heal your body...

Well thats an unexpected loooong lunch fortis had to kill the power at our office for 2 1/2 hrs. My apologies to the clients we had to reschedule. At least they are giving us a heads up that tomorrow will also be off from 12-2:30.

Well, back to school is just around the corner! For some its a joyous time and for others its a little stressful to prepare to get back in that groove! Keep in mind that we go the extra mile to keep your cost minimal by direct billing your benefits, so give us a call and lets take care of that stress! Billing available for:... ASEBP GREENSHIELD TELUS HEALTH BLUE CROSS GREAT WEST LIFE SUN LIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MANULIFE IRON WORKERS and more!

Looking to recover from a great long weekend of activities? We have a few spots available this week Deep Tissue Massage Cold Laser Therapy Shockwave / Myact Therapy... Cupping And coming soon, Graston Technique!!! See more

A brief pause mid Friday for a little laughter! Have a great weekend everyone!!!

At the end of the day, your exhausted and your brain is mush, do you find stupid things over amusing?

Big shout out to Cheryl at the Westlock Golf Course restaurant. Fantastic lunch, well worth the short drive to eat! Sadly, I have to return to work for the afternoon lol. Clients first, golf later!