Amanda Martin helping St. Marys residents find the root cause of pain through osteopathy and massage

Manual osteopathy practitioner and registered massage therapist Amanda Martin is ready to help St. Marys and area residents find solutions to their pain at Revive Holistic Health Center in St. Marys.

By Galen Simmons

When Amanda Martin first became a registered massage therapist nearly 20 years ago, she loved helping people recover from injuries and feel better in their bodies. But after years in practice, she wanted to better understand why pain develops in the first place.

That search led her back to school to study manual osteopathy, graduating in 2019. Today, Martin combines nearly two decades of massage therapy experience with manual osteopathic treatment at Revive Holistic Health Centre, located at 99 Queen St. E. in St. Marys.

“I had a teacher at massage school who was an osteopath,” Martin said. “I actually had no idea what it was. I just knew whatever he had, I wanted that. He had a really good way of understanding the body at a whole different level.”

After moving to St. Marys three years ago, Martin began practicing one day a week at Revive. Demand has steadily grown, and she now sees patients there four days a week while gradually transitioning away from her Kitchener practice.

While massage therapy and osteopathy often work hand in hand, Martin says the two disciplines approach the body differently.

“People ask me all the time, ‘What is this mysterious thing called osteopathy?’ “ she said with a laugh.

Rather than focusing solely on the area that hurts, manual osteopathy looks at how the entire body functions together.

“If somebody comes in because their shoulder hurts, is the shoulder just the shoulder, or is it something else? A lot of times it’s something else.”

Martin explains osteopathy as recognizing the relationship between the body’s structure – including muscles, fascia, joints, nerves and organs – and overall health. Restrictions in one area can create a chain reaction throughout the body, leading to pain or dysfunction somewhere else.

“Our bodies are designed to heal,” she said. “Sometimes the communication gets lost because life interrupts that flow. My job is to try to bring it back.”

An osteopathic appointment begins with a detailed discussion about a patient’s health history, work, hobbies, previous injuries and daily movement patterns before progressing to gentle assessments of posture, movement and tissue quality.

Unlike some hands-on therapies, osteopathic treatment is generally slow, gentle and non-invasive.

“The deeper isn’t always better,” Martin said. “Sometimes it almost feels like you’re not doing anything at all. But when you listen to the tissues instead of forcing them, the body responds.”

Because pain often develops over years rather than days, Martin says treatment is rarely a one-time visit.

“It’s very layered,” she said. “Your entire life is a story in your body.”

Her background in massage therapy allows her to recommend the treatment that best suits each patient. Some people benefit most from massage, others from osteopathy, while many alternate between the two.

“I’ve had some people convert completely because they got more benefit from osteopathy,” she said. “Others switch back and forth depending on what they need.”

Martin also works collaboratively with physiotherapists and chiropractors, noting each profession brings different strengths to helping patients recover.

“I love rehabilitation. I love relaxation. I love trying to help people feel better in their bodies overall.”

She has developed particular interests in infant care, women’s health, concussion recovery, craniosacral therapy and hypermobility, and continues pursuing additional education in each area.

For infants, gentle treatment may help address concerns such as torticollis, tongue ties, acid reflux and feeding difficulties. For women, Martin has expanded her training to include pelvic health, breathing mechanics and hormonal health. She’s also continuing her education in concussion recovery and plans to complete a Pilates rehabilitation course this fall to further support patients recovering from injuries.

Above all, Martin says her greatest motivation is helping people regain confidence in how their bodies move and function.

“I honestly really love helping people,” she said. “I’m not going to be the best fit for everybody, but I feel like it’s worth a try. I just want to help the body restore balance and get to a place where health can be found.”

For more information, call Martin on her cellphone at 226-750-5251 or visit www.revivehhc.com.