Page 35 - INSIGHT MAGAZINE - NoBleed_Neat

of having two young children at home “COVID really screwed with my business.
at the time (her son Nolan is now 17) I had just given my staff a raise because
and trying to run a growing business, 2019 was my best year and it took me
undertook four additional years of study a long time to get there and then three
to understand how anatomy affects the months later, we were shut down,” she
physiology of the human body. says, adding like many small business
“My husband (Scott) helped out a lot. It owners she took out loans to keep the
was really hard,” she says. “I thought I business operating.
was drowning but I did it and am really “When we came back, at least half my
happy I did it because it has brought a staff didn’t return and right now, my
new tool to the business.” biggest problem is dealing with labour
While continuing to offer a limited shortages.”
amount of massage therapy and Despite the struggle, Michelle’s
acupuncture, Michelle now spends commitment to her business has never
most of her time providing osteopathic waned and Grandview Massage Therapy
treatment to a growing list of clients. In has continued to contribute to a variety
2018, she opened a second Grandview of community charities, as well as provide
Massage Therapy office in Paris. co-op placements for secondary school
“Massage therapy is great for a lot students and offers some precepting.
of things but sometimes we’re just “I would call this a teaching clinic,” she
palliating symptoms and people are says, adding as a small business owner
coming back month after month,” she she has the flexibility to provide many
says, describing how her osteopathy work perks to her staff, including extended
focuses on the manual manipulation of maternity leaves, and allowing them
the musculoskeletal framework. “What to bring their children to work when
I’ve learned is that not all things are daycare isn’t available.
disease related. Some things are related “In a large corporation, people are
to mechanical dysfunction.”
PHOTOS BY BRIAN RODNICK ‘numbers’ and there are more rules to
Michelle describes herself as follow. I make my own rules.”
Michelle sought traditional a ‘mechanic’ and the human In terms of advice for those looking to
medical advice, chiropractic body as a machine, its skeletal open their own business, Michelle urges
care, naturopathy, framework representing the them to take a risk and have lots of faith.
physiotherapy, and consulted ‘chassis’ and its nervous system “I believe we all end up where were
with dietitians, as well as as the ‘wiring’. meant to be,” she says.
turned to traditional Chinese “I still do a little bit of massage work For more on Grandview Massage
medicine, all in hopes of finding because I want to keep up with that Therapy, visit grandviewmassage.ca or
a solution. licence,” she says, adding following her call 519-624-4001.
“I wanted answers and while they had husband's advice to renew that licence
proved pivotal when the pandemic
her on medication to stop the attacks, arrived. “He talked me into it and three
they didn’t know what was causing it,” months later COVID hit, and massage
she says. “The last thing I did was go to therapists were eventually allowed
an osteopath. I didn’t even know what to work, while osteopaths were not.
one was. He took one look at her and It’s because manual osteopathy is not
knew exactly what the problem was.” regulated in Ontario, or Canada, and the
She says a small adjustment in one of government didn’t know what to do with
the points of contact in a vertebra that them and shut them down.”
wasn’t working eased the irritation that However, Michelle says the Ontario
was affecting her daughter’s esophagus. Association of Osteopathic Manual
After eight visits, the problem was gone. Practitioners, of which she belongs,
Mackenzie, now 18, is attending college successfully lobbied to allow
in Ottawa to become a registered a practitioners to return to work utilizing
massage therapist. all the necessary safety protocols. But
“She was never sick again. But I was the impact of the pandemic continues to
fascinated and signed up to become an be felt.
osteopath,” says Michelle, who, despite

www.cambridgechamber.com Fall 2023 35