Red Light Therapy Massage in Okotoks, Alberta
Accelerate Your Healing with Advanced Red Light Therapy + Massage
Experience the cutting-edge combination of medical-grade Kala red light therapy and expert registered massage therapy at Big Rock Chiropractic. Whether you're recovering from a hockey injury, dealing with ranch work soreness, or simply want to enhance your wellness routine, our advanced photobiomodulation therapy works at the cellular level to reduce pain, decrease inflammation, and speed up recovery—all while you enjoy the proven benefits of therapeutic massage.
Interested in inquiring further? Sent us your question or comments and we will respond within one business day!
What is Red Light Therapy and How Does It Enhance Massage Treatment?
Red light therapy, scientifically known as photobiomodulation, uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to stimulate your body's natural healing processes at the cellular level. It's not heat therapy, and it's not the same as a tanning bed—it's a precisely calibrated therapeutic technology that's been backed by over 1,000 peer-reviewed research studies and originally developed by NASA to help astronauts heal faster in space.
Reduce Inflammation
Produce More ATP
Increase Blood Circulation
Accelerate Tissue Repair
Increase Collagen Synthesis
The Science Behind the Synergy: Why Combining These Therapies Works
Improving Circulation: One of the most powerful effects is vasodilation—the widening and relaxation of blood vessels. Red light therapy promotes better circulation by encouraging your blood vessels to open up, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to healing tissues while efficiently removing metabolic waste products. Combined with the mechanical pumping action of massage strokes, you get dramatically improved tissue perfusion. This is particularly beneficial during Alberta winters when cold weather naturally constricts blood flow.
Pain Modulation: Studies in the journal Photomedicine and Laser Surgery demonstrate that red light therapy affects pain perception at multiple levels. It reduces substance P (a neurotransmitter associated with pain) while increasing endorphins—your body's natural pain relievers. When paired with massage therapy's proven pain-relieving effects, clients often experience relief that lasts longer than massage alone.
Accelerating Muscle Recovery: For the active Okotoks community—whether you're playing for the Oilers, training for a mountain bike race, or just keeping up with demanding ranch work—the research is compelling. A comprehensive review in the journal Photobiomodulation found that red light therapy significantly reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), decreases markers of muscle damage, and speeds injury recovery time when used in conjunction with manual therapies.
At the Cellular Level: The red and near-infrared wavelengths penetrate 2-4 centimeters into your tissue, reaching muscle layers, tendons, and ligaments. Once absorbed by your cells, this light energy triggers a cascade of biological responses. Your mitochondria ramp up ATP production, giving cells more energy to repair and regenerate. At the same time, there's a brief, controlled burst of reactive oxygen species that acts as a cellular signal, telling your body "it's time to heal."
Reducing Inflammation: Research published in the Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery shows that red light therapy significantly reduces levels of C-reactive protein and creatine kinase—two key markers of inflammation and muscle damage. For our Okotoks clients dealing with everything from oil rig work injuries to hockey impacts, this means faster reduction in swelling and pain. When your massage therapist then applies manual techniques, they're working with tissue that's already less inflamed and more receptive to treatment.
Meet Our Massage Therapists
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Amanda Maclean
Massage Therapist
Amanda Maclean graduated from the 2200-hour Remedial Massage Therapy program at MH Vicars School of Massage Therapy in 2008. Over the years, she has honed her skills and knowledge in therapeutic and deep tissue techniques, seamlessly integrating a relaxing rhythm that enhances the massage experience. Amanda is also certified in Myofascial Cupping Technique, Reiki Level 2, and Hot and Cold Stone Therapy.
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Jordanna Robinson
Massage Therapist
Jordanna is a graduate of M.H. Vicars School of Massage Therapy in Calgary, AB. Her specific area of interest is enhancing biomechanical functioning in athletes. Her mission is to help you to help yourself along your journey to reach your goals. By employing a custom individualized client centered approach to each treatment, each client’s unique needs are addressed. Elevating their sense of wellbeing and assisting them on their wellness journey.
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Barbara van Vierssen Trip
Barbara (Babs) graduated from Vicars School of Massage Therapy in 2024. She enjoys working with clients who may have multiple special conditions whose needs must be balanced.
She believes that everyone is an expert at how it feels to be in their own body, and her job as a massage therapist is to work with clients to help reduce pain, increase their functional range of motion, promote relaxation and feel connected to their body.
How Your Red Light Therapy Massage Session Works at Big Rock Chiropractic
Initial Consultation (First Visit) Your Registered Massage Therapist will conduct a thorough assessment, discussing your specific concerns, health history, and treatment goals. We'll explain how red light therapy works, answer your questions, and create a personalized treatment plan. This typically takes 10-15 minutes and ensures your treatment is tailored to your specific needs.
Preparing for Treatment You'll be taken to one of our comfortable, private treatment rooms. Your massage therapist will provide draping for your comfort and privacy. Unlike some massage settings, we have the advantage of having all the equipment right here—no need to travel between locations for different aspects of your care.
The Red Light Therapy Application (10-15 minutes) Your session begins with targeted red light therapy using our Kala devices. For larger treatment areas like the back or legs, we use the Kala Red Light Mini, which provides broader coverage. For more focused areas like shoulders, knees, or specific trigger points, we use the precision Kala Therapy Wand.
The device is held or positioned close to your skin (typically 1-2 inches away) and moved slowly over the treatment area. You'll feel gentle warmth—comfortable and relaxing, not hot or uncomfortable. The Kala devices feature an auto-timer that ensures optimal treatment duration for each area, typically 3-4 minutes per zone. During this phase, your cells are absorbing the therapeutic wavelengths and beginning the healing cascade.
Massage Therapy Integration (45-60 minutes) Following the red light pre-treatment, your massage therapist begins their work. They'll use a combination of techniques best suited to your needs—Swedish massage for relaxation and circulation, deep tissue work for chronic tension, myofascial release for restricted fascia, or sports massage for athletic recovery.
What makes this different from traditional massage is that your tissue has already been "primed" by the red light therapy. Muscles are more pliable, inflammation is being actively reduced, and blood flow is enhanced. This allows your therapist to work more effectively, often achieving results in one session that might take several traditional massage sessions to accomplish.
Throughout the treatment, your therapist may reapply red light therapy to specific areas that need extra attention. This layered approach—red light, massage, red light again—creates a synergistic effect that maximizes therapeutic benefit.
Post-Treatment Care and Recovery After your session, your therapist will provide specific recommendations for the following 24-48 hours. This might include gentle stretching, hydration guidelines (crucial for flushing metabolic waste), activity modifications, and home care suggestions. Many clients notice immediate improvements in pain and mobility, though the full benefits continue to develop over the next 24-72 hours as cellular healing progresses.
We want your experience at Big Rock to be as seamless and easy as possible. To help with this we direct bill to almost all widely accepted Canadian benefit providers, helping you to focus on healing. Some of the insurance providers we direct bill are:
Direct Billing With All Major Healthcare Providers
Alberta Bluecross
Greenshield
CanadaLife
Sunlife
Desjardins Insurance
GroupSource
GroupHealth
Manulife
Peoples Corporation
Johnson Group
Equitable Life
Empire Life
Rest assured this is not an exhaustive list! If your provider is not on here we more than likely accept them, feel free to call or email us to be sure!
Come See Us At Big Rock Chiropractic, Conveniently Located In Central Okotoks
Big Rock Chiropractic, Physiotherapy & Massage
315 Woodgate Road, #101, Okotoks, AB, T1S1A8
Contact
Phone: (587) 952-7778
Email: hello@bigrockchiro.ca