Mike Johnston, RMT

11/16/2025

If you’ve been spending long hours on a screen — whether it’s at work, scrolling your phone, or watching TV — and you’ve started to notice headaches, neck tension, or fatigue around your eyes, you’re not imagining it.

Eye strain isn’t just about tired eyes. It can influence your whole body, especially your neck, shoulders, and even jaw.

1. 🫣 What actually happens with eye strain.

When you focus on a screen or small text for long periods, the tiny muscles inside and around your eyes stay contracted. Over time, this creates tension not only around the eyes but through the fascia that connects into the forehead, temples, jaw, and neck.

The result?

⚠️ Headaches that start behind your eyes or temples
⚠️ Tightness in the neck or upper shoulders
⚠️ A heavy, tired feeling in your face
⚠️ Sensitivity to light or blurry vision after long work sessions
⚠️ It’s a full-body response — not just a visual one.

2. Why it spreads beyond your eyes.

Your visual system works closely with your postural system. When your eyes strain, your head tends to lean forward slightly, and your neck muscles tighten to stabilize it.

Over time, that constant micro-strain can lead to neck pain, jaw clenching, and even tension headaches. It’s all connected — vision, posture, and muscle tone work together more than most people realize.

3. How treatment helps.

In my clinic, I often treat patients with eye strain symptoms through a combination of RAPID Neurofascial Reset and targeted soft-tissue work.

By releasing tension through the scalp, temples, jaw, and neck, we can calm down the overactive muscles that feed into the discomfort around your eyes. There are also muscles that control the eye that can be treated to help reduce stress and tension.

Patients often describe feeling lighter, clearer, and surprised by how much tension they’d been holding without realizing it.

4. Small daily changes make a big difference.

Here are a few ways to reduce strain at home:

✅ Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
✅ Adjust your screen height so you’re looking slightly down, not forward or up.
✅ Blink often — it helps keep your eyes lubricated and relaxed.
✅ Take short movement breaks — roll your shoulders, stretch your neck, breathe deeply.

These simple habits, paired with regular treatment, can make a huge difference.

If your eyes, head, or neck have been feeling tight and heavy lately, it might not be your vision alone — it could be your muscles and fascia reacting to constant screen use.

Let’s release that tension and reset your system.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book your treatment online anytime — your eyes (and neck) will thank you.

11/15/2025

If you’ve been told you might have carpal tunnel syndrome, you’ve probably heard the same advice over and over — rest it, wear a brace, and if that doesn’t work… surgery.

But here’s the thing — not every case of carpal tunnel needs surgery.
In fact, many of the people I see in the clinic find relief with conservative, hands-on treatment once we identify what’s actually causing the problem.

Let’s unpack that.

1. What’s really going on in “carpal tunnel.”

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in your wrist where the median nerve travels through. When the tissues around it become tight, inflamed, or irritated, that nerve gets compressed — leading to pain, tingling, or numbness in the fingers and hand.

But here’s where it gets interesting: not all “carpal tunnel” symptoms come from the wrist.

The median nerve runs all the way from your neck, through the shoulder and elbow, and down into your hand.

If tension exists anywhere along that pathway — the neck, chest, forearm, or wrist — the nerve can be irritated. And when that happens, it often mimics true carpal tunnel syndrome.

That’s why treating only the wrist sometimes doesn’t solve the problem.

2. My approach: follow the nerve, not the noise.

In my clinic, I use RAPID Neurofascial Reset, a hands-on treatment that focuses on releasing tight muscles and fascia along the entire nerve pathway — from the neck and shoulder down to the forearm and wrist.

This technique works directly with the nervous system to calm irritation and improve mobility in the tissues that surround and compress the nerve.

Patients often feel a difference right on the table — tingling eases, strength returns, and the “heavy hand” sensation lightens.

3. Why surgery isn’t always the answer.

Surgery can be a powerful tool for severe, confirmed compression cases — but it’s not the first step for most people.

Many mild to moderate cases improve dramatically once the mechanical restrictions are released and proper nerve mobility is restored. I’ve seen patients avoid surgery entirely just by addressing tension in the forearms, pectorals, and neck that were choking off nerve flow long before the wrist was even involved.

If you’ve had pain, numbness, or tingling in your hand for weeks or months, don’t assume it’s something you just have to live with.

4. Healing is about restoring freedom of movement.

My goal isn’t just to take away the pain — it’s to help you move, work, and live without fear of it coming back. That means:

Releasing the soft tissue tension causing compression

Restoring nerve mobility

Teaching you simple movement and posture corrections to prevent recurrence

Hands-on therapy, when done precisely, can change how your body functions — not just how it feels.

If your hands are tingling, aching, or waking you up at night, don’t jump straight to surgery. Let’s look at the real cause and get you moving again.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book online anytime

11/12/2025

Good morning! I am back in the clinic today with a couple openings this week. If you are looking to get an appointment you can call the clinic at 306-842-3395 or book online at

Expert Massage Therapist in Weyburn for whiplash, sciatica, frozen shoulder & plantar fasciitis. Get relief & book today!

11/12/2025

If you’ve ever had pain or tightness in your jaw that just won’t quit — clicking, popping, headaches, ear pressure, or even neck tension — there’s a good chance your TMJ (temporomandibular joint) is part of the problem.

A lot of people don’t realize that Registered Massage Therapists can treat TMJ dysfunction — and that it can be incredibly effective when done properly. I’ve helped many patients find relief from jaw pain, tension headaches, and even chronic neck issues that were all linked to how the jaw was moving.

Here’s what you should know:

1. TMJ pain isn’t just “in your jaw.”

Your jaw connects to your skull right in front of your ears — but it’s also tied into the muscles of your face, neck, and even shoulders. When these areas get tight or out of balance, it changes how your jaw opens and closes.

That tension can trigger:

⚠️ Clicking or popping when you chew or yawn
⚠️ Pain in the jaw or ears
⚠️ Headaches and facial tension
⚠️ Limited mouth opening or locking sensations
⚠️ Neck and shoulder tightness

In short: if your jaw isn’t happy, the rest of your upper body often isn’t either.

2. My approach to TMJ treatment.

I use a combination of RAPID Neurofascial Reset and targeted soft-tissue techniques to release tension around the jaw, neck, and upper shoulders.

TMJ work doesn’t always mean “inside the mouth” (though in some cases, intraoral work is appropriate and safe when needed). Most of the time, I start by working through the external muscles that control jaw movement — the masseters, temporalis, pterygoids, and upper neck fascia.

By addressing these muscles in the right sequence, we can help restore proper joint alignment, ease pain, and reduce clenching or grinding.

3. It’s not just about the jaw — it’s about balance.

TMJ issues are often linked to posture, stress, and breathing habits. When your shoulders round forward or your head sits slightly ahead of your spine (think desk work or phone scrolling), it puts strain through the entire jaw and neck complex.

That’s why my approach always includes a full assessment — not just “where it hurts.” We treat the root cause, not just the symptoms.

4. What patients often notice after TMJ treatment:

👉 Less clenching or grinding (especially at night)
👉 Reduced ear and temple pressure
👉 Fewer headaches
👉 Easier chewing and speaking
👉 Lighter, looser feeling in the face and neck

It’s incredible how much tension can hide in such a small area — and how much better you feel when it’s released.

If you’ve been living with jaw pain, clicking, or headaches and never realized treatment was an option — it’s time to change that.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book online anytime

11/11/2025

Today we pause to remember the men and women who served — and those who never made it home.

Their courage and sacrifice gave us the freedom we live with every day.

To our veterans, and to those still serving — thank you.

We will not forget.

11/09/2025

One week it’s your shoulder.

The next week, it’s your lower back.
Then, out of nowhere, your hip or neck starts to ache — even though you haven’t injured it.

Sound familiar?

It’s one of the most common questions I get in the clinic:
“Why does my pain move around?”

The short answer is — because your body is incredibly good at adapting.
And sometimes, that adaptability comes with a cost.

1. Pain moves because your body compensates.

When one area of the body gets tight, weak, or restricted, other areas step up to pick up the slack.

For example:

If your hip doesn’t move well, your low back might twist or bend more to help you reach.

If your shoulder is restricted, your neck muscles start doing the heavy lifting.

If your foot mechanics are off, your knees and hips start absorbing extra strain.

At first, these compensations are subtle — your body keeps you moving. But over time, the tension shifts from one area to another, and pain “moves” as different tissues get overloaded.

It’s not random. It’s your body’s way of asking for balance.

2. The role of fascia — your body’s internal web.

Beneath your skin lies a network called fascia — a continuous web of connective tissue that links every muscle, joint, and organ in your body.

When part of that web becomes restricted (from injury, surgery, poor posture, or even stress), the tension doesn’t stay local. It travels.

That’s why a tight scar on your abdomen can affect your back, or old ankle injuries can change how your shoulder moves.

Pain migrates because everything is connected.

3. Your nervous system plays a big role.

Pain isn’t just mechanical — it’s also neurological.

Your nervous system is constantly scanning for threat or overload. When one area becomes irritated, the nervous system can “turn up the volume” in surrounding tissues to protect you.

That’s why you might feel sore in new areas after a stressful week, a poor night’s sleep, or a long drive. Your system is reacting to load, not just location.

4. How treatment helps bring stability back.

In my clinic, I use RAPID Neurofascial Reset, a hands-on treatment that works directly with both the fascial system and the nervous system to restore normal movement and reduce protective tension.

Instead of just chasing where it hurts, we trace why it hurts — following the chain of restriction until we find the true source.

Patients are often surprised when treating their hip improves their shoulder, or when working on an old scar helps release their low back.

That’s the beauty of treating the body as an integrated system — not a collection of separate parts.

5. What you can do right now.

If your pain keeps moving around, it’s not a mystery — it’s a message.
Your body is adapting, compensating, and asking for help to restore balance.

The sooner we identify and treat the cause, the faster your body can reset and get back to pain-free movement.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book your assessment today and let’s find out what your body’s been trying to tell you.

11/08/2025

That first step out of bed in the morning can tell you a lot about your body.

If your feet hit the floor and you immediately feel a sharp, burning, or stabbing pain — especially in your heels or arches — you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common complaints I see in the clinic, and it often points to a condition called plantar fasciitis.

Let’s unpack what’s really going on, why it happens, and how I approach it differently to help my patients get lasting relief.

1. Morning foot pain is a signal — not just soreness.

When the connective tissue (the plantar fascia) under your foot becomes tight or irritated, it stops gliding the way it should. Overnight, that tissue shortens slightly while you sleep. Then, when you stand up and stretch it suddenly with your first steps, it pulls — and that’s the pain you feel.

For many people, this pain eases after walking a few minutes, only to return later in the day — especially after long periods of standing, driving, or sitting.

But here’s the truth: the problem usually doesn’t start in your foot alone.

2. The real cause often starts higher up.

Your feet are at the end of a kinetic chain that includes your calves, hamstrings, hips, and even your lower back.

When any of those areas are tight, weak, or moving poorly, the load gets pushed downward — and your plantar fascia takes the hit. It’s like having one bad link in a chain: eventually, the weakest point gives out.

That’s why rolling a golf ball under your foot or stretching your calves might help temporarily, but won’t solve the problem long-term if the deeper mechanical issues aren’t addressed.

3. My approach: release the tissue, reset the system.

I use a technique called RAPID Neurofascial Reset — a hands-on, movement-based treatment that works directly with the nervous system to release tight fascia, reduce inflammation, and restore normal movement patterns.

This isn’t a “spa-style” massage. It’s a clinical, interactive treatment where we gently move through specific ranges of motion while I work on the affected tissues. It’s focused, efficient, and effective — often producing noticeable results within a few sessions.

Many patients are surprised when we treat not just their feet, but also their calves, hips, and even lower back — because all of these structures influence how much stress the plantar fascia has to absorb.

4. Restore balance — so the pain doesn’t come back.

Once the tissue tension is released, I guide patients through simple exercises to strengthen and support the feet and lower legs. This might include calf raises, arch activation, or balance drills that retrain how your body distributes weight through each step.

It’s not about doing more — it’s about moving better.
The goal isn’t just to get rid of pain — it’s to keep it away.

5. When to take it seriously.

If your feet hurt every morning or after long periods of sitting, don’t wait for it to “go away.”Plantar fascia pain rarely resolves on its own because every step you take keeps re-irritating it.

The earlier we treat it, the faster you recover — and the less likely it is to develop into chronic heel pain that lingers for months or even years.

You don’t have to live with pain every time you stand up.
If mornings have become something you dread, it’s time to get to the root of the problem.

Clinical, hands-on treatment combined with movement correction can make your mornings pain-free again — one step at a time.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book online anytime

11/07/2025

I'll be out of the office today at noon, returning next Wednesday. Enjoy your long weekend. Buy a poppy. Take a moment to remember and give thanks.

See you next week.

11/06/2025

If your elbow has been nagging you for more than a week — sore when you grip something, lift a mug, twist a doorknob, or pick up a laundry basket — it’s time to pay attention.

I see elbow pain all the time in the clinic, and the story is usually the same: it started as a mild irritation that just wouldn’t go away. Maybe you thought it was just a strain or a bad sleeping position. But now it’s starting to limit what you can do — and that’s your body’s way of saying, “Hey, I need help.”

Let’s talk about what’s really going on and how I treat it.

1. Elbow pain rarely starts at the elbow.

When people come in saying “my elbow hurts,” they usually point to one of two spots:
The outside of the elbow (what we call lateral epicondylitis, or “tennis elbow”), or

The inside of the elbow (medial epicondylitis, or “golfer’s elbow”).

Here’s the thing — very few of these cases actually start because of a problem inside the elbow joint itself. The elbow is often the victim, not the culprit.

The real issue is usually found in the muscles and connective tissues of the forearm, upper arm, shoulder, and even neck. Those areas all share fascial connections that influence how the elbow moves and bears load. When one part tightens or compensates, tension builds and gets funneled into the elbow — until it starts to hurt.

That’s why rubbing or stretching just the sore area often doesn’t work. You have to treat the bigger picture.

2. The problem is in the tissue — and the nervous system.

The pain you feel isn’t just from inflammation or muscle tightness. It’s often caused by fascial tension — the connective tissue that wraps around your muscles and links everything together. When that fascia becomes restricted, it limits movement and creates a constant pull on the area, irritating tendons and nerves.

That’s where my primary treatment, RAPID Neurofascial Reset, comes in.

RAPID works with your nervous system to release those restrictions quickly and effectively. It’s an interactive treatment — meaning you’ll be moving through small ranges of motion while I apply tension to the affected tissues.

It’s not a “spa-style” massage — it’s a targeted, clinical treatment that aims to change how the tissue behaves. Most patients notice improved range of motion and reduced pain immediately after the first session.

3. The real goal: restore function and keep it.

Pain relief is great — but my long-term goal is to help your elbow (and everything connected to it) move and perform properly again.

Once the tension is released, we retrain the muscles to work the way they were designed to. That might mean strengthening the forearm extensors, restoring shoulder mobility, or improving posture so your upper body moves as a unit.

Small corrections can have a big impact. For example, simply teaching the shoulder blades to move better during lifting or reaching can take enormous strain off the elbow.

4. Don’t wait until it becomes chronic.

Elbow pain has a bad habit of sticking around — sometimes for months — when it’s ignored. The longer it’s there, the more compensations your body builds up. Over time, you may start noticing pain in your wrist, shoulder, or even neck.

If it’s been more than a week and it hasn’t improved, it’s time to get it looked at. Early intervention makes recovery faster and helps prevent long-term tendon degeneration.

5. You don’t have to live with it.

Whether you’re a tradesperson, a parent lifting kids, an athlete, or someone who types all day — your hands and arms work hard. They deserve proper care.

Through clinical hands-on treatment, movement retraining, and a clear understanding of why your elbow hurts, you can get back to pain-free movement again.

If your elbow pain has been hanging around, let’s fix it before it becomes a long-term limitation.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book online anytime

11/03/2025

If you’ve ever felt a deep ache in your butt that shoots down the back of your leg — you already know how miserable sciatica can be. It’s sharp, it’s stubborn, and it makes even simple things like sitting, driving, or tying your shoes a chore.

I see it all the time in the clinic — people who’ve tried stretching, foam rolling, or painkillers, but can’t seem to shake that radiating pain. So let’s talk about what’s really going on, and how I treat it.

1. Sciatica isn’t always what you think.
The word sciatica gets used for just about any pain running down the leg — but the cause can vary.

Sometimes it’s true nerve compression in the lower back (from a disc or joint irritation). Other times, it’s the soft tissues around the hip — especially the piriformis muscle — pressing on or irritating the sciatic nerve.

That’s why treating “sciatica” without knowing the source rarely works. We have to find the why behind the pain.

2. Release the pressure — literally.
When the piriformis or glute muscles tighten up, they can trap or irritate the sciatic nerve. That’s where RAPID Neurofascial Reset comes in.

This treatment works with the nervous system to release those tight tissues and calm the irritation. It’s active, precise, and often provides noticeable relief even after the first session.

The goal is to restore normal movement through the hips and low back so the nerve can glide freely again — no more “electric” pain shooting down the leg.

3. Retrain the body so it doesn’t come back.
Once the nerve is calm and the tension is released, I teach a few targeted movements to keep things that way. That means activating the glutes properly, restoring hip mobility, and improving posture so you’re not constantly reloading the same problem area.

Small, consistent work makes a huge difference.

4. Stop waiting for it to “go away on its own.”
The truth is, sciatica rarely resolves fully without addressing the cause. Ignoring it often leads to more inflammation, weakness, and chronic flare-ups.

If your butt or leg pain has been hanging around for more than a week or two, it’s time to take action.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book online anytime

11/02/2025

If your neck feels tight every day — like you’re carrying a hidden weight between your shoulders — you’re not alone.

Neck tension has become one of the most common problems I see in the clinic. Long hours at a desk, constant phone use, stress, and poor posture all build up over time. Before you know it, you’re fighting stiffness, headaches, and that constant urge to “crack” your neck just to get relief.

Here’s how I approach treating neck tension — and why it works.

1. Understand what’s really happening.
Neck tension isn’t just about tight muscles. It’s your body’s way of saying something deeper isn’t moving the way it should.

The neck muscles — especially the upper traps, levator scapulae, and suboccipitals — often compensate for weakness or restriction elsewhere, like the mid-back or shoulder blades. When they’re forced to hold your head up all day without proper support, tension builds until it becomes pain.

2. Reset the tissue.
My primary approach is RAPID Neurofascial Reset — a hands-on treatment that helps release the deep layers of tension in the muscles and fascia.

This method works directly with the nervous system to calm overactive muscles and restore proper movement patterns. It’s not a gentle “rub and relax” treatment — it’s interactive, focused, and produces real results.

Patients often notice immediate improvements: easier movement, lighter shoulders, and reduced pain.

3. Retrain how your neck moves.
Once the tension releases, the next step is teaching your body how to move properly again. That means restoring mobility through your mid-back, strengthening postural muscles, and improving breathing mechanics.

When your body moves as it was designed to, the neck doesn’t have to do all the work.

4. Prevent it from coming back.
I’ll often send patients home with simple movements or stretches they can do in just a few minutes a day — no gym required. These help reinforce what we’ve done in treatment so you can maintain your results and keep tension from building up again.

You don’t have to live with a tight, sore neck. Relief comes from treating the cause — not just the symptoms.

📍 Mike Johnston RMT — Weyburn, SK
💻 www.mikejohnstonrmt.ca

🗓️ Book online anytime

11/02/2025

Let’s go Blue Jays!