Interview: Julia Walton, RMT Part 2

1. When did you first get a massage?

I was in my teens, half way through High school.

2. What made you consider going back to school? Why massage therapy?

Other than  the pandemic being a contributing factor to my decision, I have actually known since I was about 16 or 17 that I wanted to pursue massage therapy. As silly as it seems, closer to the end of the dance season in high school, some of our teachers allowed us to all sit in a circle to massage each other's neck and shoulders on occasion for 5 or 10 minutes. I don't know if anyone else got to experience this but I actually quite enjoyed it. This isn't to toot my horn, but some of my dance mates would immediately sit in front of me or ask me to massage them outside of class. I soon realized it came naturally to me and I just loved being able to provide them relief. I knew in the back of my mind it would be something that I wanted study in the future.

I also had a Ballet teacher one day bring a tiny skeleton to class to explain hip movement - it felt like the last puzzle piece to make everything click. I internalized these new corrections and it opened up my understanding to how my body functioned. Knowing even basic anatomy helped me understand how to execute movement, like a grande ronde de jambe en l'air. I wanted to combine my love for freedom of movement and human anatomy.

3. What is your favourite thing about being a massage therapist?

The sigh of relief my patients get when they got off the table. Knowing that I helped manage their pain or discomfort absolutely warms my heart. I know what it is like to experience pain to the point where it restricts your movement, and it hurts my heart whenever I've seen a dancer sit out in class when they're in pain. or anyone for that matter! 

4. Have you had any unique experiences as an RMT?

While at Sutherland-Chan, I had the opportunity to treat people with various conditions. One of my favourites was posture clinic.

I had also asked a dancer friend if they were willing to be a consistent patient in my fourth term, and this person really helped me throughout the last few months of my studies.

5. Why do you love working with dancers as a massage therapist?

Dancers have a lot of body awareness, and I relate to them the most. It creates right from the start a strong therapeutic relationship.

6. How does your dance background influence your work as an RMT?

I understand the demand of the profession. I also know what injuries are common amongst dancers. When a dancer explains to me what movement hurts or causes issues, I have a more in depth understanding because of the dance training I have.

7. Why do dancers need manual therapy in your opinion?

I'm going to start off by saying young dancers need manual therapy before an injury occurs. Injury prevention needs to be instilled from a young age, especially because their bodies are growing rapidly. Kids and youth who train long hours should book, in my opinion, at least once a month with a manual therapist. 

8. What should your future patients expect from a massage with you?

I'm not here to give you a little back rub! (But if you ask for it I won't say no!) I'm here to provide and strive for clinical treatment, to help patients find the root issue of their complaints. Patients should expect for me to want to work toward their goals to get back to whatever it is they love doing.